What will this mean for the supercasino? Gordon Brown has made it clear that he is not enthusiastic about the proposals for Britain’s first Vegas-style casino but he is now not backed up by his Prevalence study. Various British gaming institutions have already published their responses to the report. Here is just a selection:

“Business in Sport and Leisure’s (BISL) members today welcome the publication of The Gambling Commission’s British Gambling Prevalence Study. The Study provides a critical benchmark against which future assessments of the scale of problem gambling can be measured. The consistency between the findings of the 1999 study, and the figures released today, demonstrates a sound methodology and continuity of approach which further underlines the Study’s importance.”

“The Association of British Bookmakers (ABB) welcomes the Gambling Commission’s Prevalence Study, published today. The ABB notes that there has been no increase in the rate of people with gambling problems in the UK since 1999. This outcome is an endorsement of the steps taken by the betting industry to combat problem gambling. The welfare of their customers is a fundamental concern for all ABB members and we will continue to work with the Government and organisations such as the Gambling Commission, the Responsibility in Gambling Trust, Gamcare and Gordon House to minimise the incidence of problem gambling.”

Responding to the National Gambling Prevalence Study, The Responsibility in Gambling Trust Chairman John Greenway MP said: “Although thankfully the number of problem gamblers has not increased, I believe the figure is still too high. The challenge we now face is to prevent people becoming problem gamblers in the first place. The study shows that young single men are a particularly vulnerable group, and we are determined to work with the industry, the Gambling Commission and government to find radical, effective solutions to this issue.”

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