Las Vegas Sands, the US casino group, has warned it could pull plans to spend £1.7bn developing casinos and entertainment facilities in the UK if the government scales back proposed reforms to gambling laws.
The group is most concerned by an amendment to the bill which would see the number of slot machines in each casino reduced. Bill Weidener, president of Las Vegas Sands, said: “It would certainly jeopardise our investment.”
The casino operator has already struck deals for development on land owned by professional football clubs, including Glasgow Rangers and Sheffield United.
It is one of several US groups attracted to Britain by plans to deregulate the gambling industry.
For its part, the government is keen to liberalise regulation of the industry because it sees casino development as a useful tool to regenerate ailing urban areas, such as Blackpool.
References: Financial Times 14/06/04 page 4
