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Synod expresses its grave concern about gambling
by Rachel Harden
 High stakes: Synod was alarmed by the increase in national spending on gambling |
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THE General Synod reinforced the Church’s opposition to the introduction of regional and large casinos on Wednesday when an amended private member’s motion on the issue was passed by a substantial majority. The motion said that the Synod was “gravely concerned” that the total national spend on gambling has risen over the past four years from £4 million to £40 million. The Synod endorsed public opposition expressed by church leaders to an increase in the number of casinos. The motion supported educational, research, and treatment programmes, and asked the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to introduce a levy on the gambling industry to pay for them. The Government was also called on to seek an international code on internet gambling. Church Action on Poverty (CAP) this week welcomed the Government’s decision to abandon the Manchester supercasino plan, calling it “a victory for common sense which will be welcomed by many people within the city.” Last week, the Prime Minister confirmed that he would be scrapping the plans for Manchester, but said that he would be giving the go-ahead for 16 smaller regional casinos. He made his intentions clear when he became Prime Minister last summer (News, 13 July). The national co-ordinator for CAP, Niall Cooper, said on Monday: “Many Mancunians today will be breathing a huge sigh of relief at the scrapping of the plans for the supercasino. Manchester City Council had massively over-hyped the economic benefits and level of public support for the plan to locate the casino in east Manchester — one of the UK’s poorest neighbourhoods.” Faith groups across Manchester had previously expressed strong opposition to the casino plan. In March last year, the Faith Network for Manchester attacked the Casino Advisory Panel’s decision to locate the UK’s first supercasino in the city, saying it was a “threat to worsen the city’s already poor record on debt and child poverty”. Both the Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Revd Nigel McCulloch, and the Archbishop of Canterbury had spoken out against the supercasino. The Methodist Church and the Salvation Army fought a joint campaign against gambling before the supercasino plans for Manchester were announced last February.See full details of the debate |
