Resort casinos must benefit local areas

The future of resort casinos in the UK will rest with local authorities (LAs), the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has announced.

A joint statement by gambling minister Andrew McIntosh and planning minister Keith Hill sets out the ground rules for resort casinos - and LAs will have a key part to play.

"LAs should develop the most beneficial strategy for licensing and approving planning for resort casinos, so that they contribute to the areas in which they are built," McIntosh and Hill said.

"The government expects regional planning bodies to set out planning policies for leisure developments of regional significance, including the largest casinos, which identify suitable locations within the region that would optimise their contribution to tourism and regeneration," they added.

Other suggestions in the statement include a minimum gaming area of 500m2 (leading to a floor space of 1,000m2) and a ban on new casinos below 500m2 in size.

A draft of the Gambling Bill will be presented to Parliament in the autumn. However the Bill is unlikely to become law before 2005.