Supercasino u-turn 'a red herring'

2007-10-01 15:01:09

The prime minister has been accused of abandoning the Manchester supercasino project as a way of disguising problem gambling in the UK.

Jeremy Hunt, the shadow culture secretary, told the Guardian that he believed the supercasino u-turn was nothing more than a "red herring".

The Tory spokesman said that the government should be turning its attention to the relationship between slot machines and gambling addiction.

Mr Hunt said: "The real cause of problem gambling lies with betting shop roulette machines and internet gambling and the Gambling Act has failed to address either of these.

"We need a clear strategy from the government."

He made his comments in response to a report for the Guardian that predicts British gamblers will lose £10 billion next year.

However, a recent study by GamCare said there is no reason to believe that the creation of a supercasino in Manchester would lead to a rise in problem gambling.