Casino stakes a claim for the right to open 21 hours a day

Published on Friday 11 January 2008 09:15

A CASINO is attempting to open for 21 hours a day in a move which would stretch government guidelines on when gambling venues can operate.

The Gala Maybury Casino, near The Gyle, wants to open from 10am until 7am, which would mean opening throughout most of the morning for the first time.

The maximum normal opening hours for casinos were set at midday to 6am by new UK gambling laws last September. However, local councils have the power to vary this should they see fit.

The Gala application is set to be discussed at a city licensing board meeting next week. The casino is the first in Edinburgh to try to extend its hours beyond those limits, and would be one of the first in Scotland to open for so long.

Gala said it was responding to customer demand, and pointed out that 24-hour casinos already operate in cities such as Bristol.

But church leaders and local councillors today expressed concern about the proposal.

Drum Brae/Gyle councillor Colin Keir said: "I think 10am is very early and seems excessive. I hope the casino has taken on board the views of residents."

The casino currently opens from 4pm and shuts at 5am most days – a shorter day than most others in Edinburgh which tend to operate between noon and 6am.

Critics have compared the possibility of 24-hour gambling to handing unlimited supplies of heroin to a drug addict.

Morag Mylne, convener of the Kirk's church and society council, said today: "It is a myth that gambling provides a route out of poverty, and on the whole its effect on society is detrimental.

"For us, the key factor is protection of the vulnerable, and we would like to see increased government support for the education and care of those who suffer from the harm brought by gambling."

Lothian and Borders Police chiefs have urged city licensing leaders to adopt a uniform policy for the Capital before making a decision on the Maybury casino.

A letter to the council from the force said: "(We] respectfully suggest that, prior to making a decision, a policy in relation to operating hours be considered."

A Gala spokeswoman said: "We are responding to demand to open prior to midday."

The clerk of the city's licensing board, Susan Clark, said: "The Gambling Commission requires strong and defensible reasons for departing from our guidance."