Proposed gaming law changes could trigger a flurry of requirements from casino owners seeking more prominent sites for US-style super-casinos.
Culture secretary Tessa Jowell has approved a report on reforming the 1968 gambling laws that recommends lifting bans on casino advertising and scrapping the membership requirement for gamblers.
One expert said: “This could more than double the amount of space taken by casinos.” He estimated that casinos now occupy around 300,000 sq m (3.2m sq ft) in the UK.
Roger Ahmed, leisure surveyor at GVA Grimley, said: “Casinos tend to be around 15,000 to 20,000 sq ft. With these proposals, requirements could rise above 30,000 sq ft and push facilities into prime sites.”
A spokesman for Stanley Casinos, one of the UKs biggest casino operators, said: “Casinos have been in backstreet locations, but we want to move into the high-street leisure market.”
EGi News 20/07/01
