This site is against the government's go-ahead of casinos operating in this country,it is pretty much a tax on innumeracy

	HOW IT WORKS
	How it Works : THE COMPUTER
	Memory Machines
	THE UNEXPLAINED
	HOW STUFF WORKS

Gambling is our 'hidden illness'

BY SARAH HILLS In a spin:New laws have stirred a mixed reaction GAMBLING addiction is a 'hidden disease' as dangerous as excessive drinking or smoking, a leading expert warned yesterday. New laws allowing Las Vegas-style 'super-casinos' across the country would ruin the health of thousands of people and doctors had to take the problem more seriously, Prof Mark Griffiths said. 'Gambling is, without doubt, a health issue and an urgent need exists to increase awareness in the medical and health professions,' he added. While GPs routinely asked patients about smoking and drinking habits, too many shied away from discussing gambling, suggested Prof Griffiths, who lectures in gambling studies at Nottingham Trent University. It can lead to extreme moodiness, depression, insomnia, stomach problems, absenteeism from work, family neglect and violence, he wrote in the latest edition of the British Medical Journal. People attempting to give up fruit machines or roulette could suffer. such withdrawal symptoms as loss of appetite, aching muscles, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties and clulls,he said. The Gambling Bill currently before Parliament would permit 24-hour casinos with up to 1,250 slot machines and unlImited jackpots. Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell insists the legislation will provide better protection for young and vulnerable potential gamblers. Businesses say no to betting laws THE shake-up of gambling laws could damage the country's social fabric, the country's biggest business group warned yesterday. Digby Jones, leader of the CBI, said ministers had a 'delicate tightrope' to walk by liberalising laws, which campaigners believe will lead to an explosion in gambling. Mr Jones said business wanted a free market to operate to help create wealth and jobs. He added: 'People are saying to me that what they don't want to do is put people who cannot afford this into a position where they are harming their own families.' [Metro November 5,2004] The new gambling laws will give the Government a revenue source that could solve all our problems. Put the money gained into the pension, NHS and education pots and we will all be winners. But then I suppose I am asking a bit too much from a Government that focuses more on the 'threats' of terrorism and sucking up to our disillusioned American brothers than it does on the state of our pensioners and the health, wealth and happiness of generations to come. Sarah Wadsworth, Manchester The Government is raising more tax by encouraging people to gamble more. Clever. I always thought it wanted us to save more and borrow less. Surely, if there are millions of untapped pounds floating in the economy, it would be better if we spent the money on food, clothes, houses, fitness or holidays. The reason Las Vegas is such a success is because it is a lovely place to visit. David Woodman, London W1 It is nonsense to suggest that the extension of casino opening hours will turn us into a nation of gambling addicts. I bet anyone a tenner that this will not happen. Brian Donnelly, Manchester

Virgin boss plans string of casinos

BY SARAH GETTY Show time. Sir Richard, dressed as Elvis, meets showgirls Pamela Boulden, left, and Kristy Brotherson after getting off a Virgin jet at Las Vegas VIRGIN tycoon Sir Richard Branson is considering opening a chain of casinos in Britain.His senior advisers said the group could open its first gaming house in 18 months. Sir Richard became a member of the British Casino Association last week, ten weeks after launching an online casino. With little marketing, it has already attracted 35,000 players. The Virgin brand, according to the company's market research, is said to resonate with potential gamblers. And Sir Richard's advisers are excited by potential tie-ups with his mobile phone business, his megastores and a possible bid for a National Lottery licence. Sir Richard believes his experience flying 300,000 people a year to LasVegas, a major Virgin Atlantic route, has given him an understanding of the gambling industry. His entrance would cause shockwaves in the industry in Britain, which was growing confident it had seen off an invasion by overseas conglomerates. The Government is expected to announce tomorrow that the first wave of so-called mega casinos will be capped at one venue per region, with no more than nine in total. The decision will be a blow to Las Vegas operators who were hoping for more than 20. Each mega casino will have 1,250 machines, each offering a potential £l milllion prize. [Metro, November 15, 2004] The same dumb fatalistic thinking and poor understanding of chance leads to gambling and gullible acceptance of improbable beliefs.That is what happens when you can't do maths.

BY JOEL TAYLOR
MANCHESTER was yesterday the shock choice as the site for Britain's first Las Vegas-style supercasino - sparking threats of legal action. The 16/1 outsider - sitting bottom of the seven bidders - was chosen ahead of hot favourites Blackpool and Greenwich. Now the decision could trigger a series of legal challenges from those who failed. In Blackpool, head of development Alan Cavill said: 'We will fight this decision by lobbying and try to change it. We are absolutely gutted.' Leisure group AEG Europe, which had hoped to build a supercasino inside the 02 Millennium Dome at Greenwich, South-East London, said: 'We are considering our position.' The Casino Advisory Panel said it chose Manchester as as the country's first regional 'resort' casino because it was a good place to 'test the social impact.' Manchester has a catchment area for a casino second only to that of London and it is an area in need of regeneration at least as much as any of the others we observed,' added panel chairman Prof Stephen Crow. The £265million development at Beswick, in the east of the city, should create 2,700 jobs. The casino Will cover 5,000sq metres and have up to 1,250 unlimited jackpot slot machines. The site will also contain an entertainment complex with facilities including a multi-purpose arena, a swimming pool, restaurants, bars, a nightclub and a hotel. Manchester City Council leader Richard Leese said: 'This is fantastic news for Manchester.' A further 16 towns and cities across the country have heen recommended to host either large or small casinos. All the suggestions have yet to be rubber-stamped by Parliament. Addressing MPs' concerns about future supercasino licences, Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said there would be no more granted during this Parliament, while 'proper evaluation over time' was made of the social and econornic effects of the 17 new licences.	Ladbrokes gambles on 888.com deal LADBROKES is reportedly looking to buy online gambling site 888.com for £440million. Under the proposed takeover, Ladbrokes would strip 888.com of its assets, rather than acquire the Gibraltar-based operator as a whole. This would maintain separate identities for the two companies and could help Ladbrokes avoid possible legal action in America. Many Internet gaming companies were forced out of the US last year after online gambling was outlawed by Congress. 888.com halted its entire US operation when the law came into effect last October and its share price dropped by 45 per cent. It is believed Ladbrokes wants to use 888.com as a way of getting into the lucrative Asian gambling market.
* For this read "A sub-culture of scumbags who mug people will be created" -that area of Manchester is already full of disenfranchised low-IQ low income numbskulls - adding casinos will raise the crime rate as people who can afford to gamble get robbed by those who cannot - and anyone who does gamble who cannot afford it will become even more disenfranchised. Innumeracy of the people in that area will be exploited and the "social impact" will not be one of regeneration but of disparity between the haves and the have-nots.