One of the poorest areas of England is set to be the venue for London’s biggest Casino and some locals aren’t happy.
An independent commission looking into whether to approve London's biggest casino is being urged to block it. The Christian Peoples Alliance (CPA) group on Newham Council, where the casino is proposed, has submitted a report to the Newham Mayor's Independent Casino Commission outlining the arguments against its construction.
Newham is the third most deprived borough in the country and the CPA says it's vulnerable people who'll be most adversely affected.
"It is impossible for anyone who has Newham people at heart to agree to a large casino here," said CPA group leader Cllr Alan Craig. "On the evidence alone, the Commission must reject the idea lock, stock and barrel."
Newham is one of eight areas in the UK to receive a licence for a "large" casino. The licence permits it to be up to 1,000 square feet in area, with up to 150 slot machines and a maximum jackpot of £4,000. The Commission is receiving submissions from councilors, community groups and residents.
The hard-hitting 16 page report from the CPA covers the impact of the casino on issues such as employment, crime, health and community impact. It cites evidence that those most likely to suffer from a casino will be the vulnerable and disadvantaged in Newham, without compensating regeneration benefits.
Alan Craig concluded: "It is both bizarre and immoral that the Council is willing to consider using Newham people as guinea pigs in what the government's Casino Advisory Panel admits will be a social experiment.
The Panel agrees that a casino in Newham is liable to have negative effects, yet the Town Hall is willing to consider their plans to use the borough's residents as a testing ground. It's unbelievable and offensive."
The other seven licences for "large" casinos were granted to Great Yarmouth, Hull, Middleborough, Solihull, Milton Keynes, Leeds and Southampton.
Religious groups across the country are busy lobbying the Commission saying that the new large casinos will damage the areas in which they are built.
