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Casino Groups Step Up Lobbying

UNITED KINGDOM – As reported by This is London: "Foreign casino groups will step up their intensive lobbying of the Government this week when a leading operator sponsors a fringe meeting on gambling at the Labour Party conference in Brighton.

"The controversial event, hosted by Sun International of South Africa, comes just days after Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell angered established British operators such as Rank and Stanley Leisure by paving the way for dozens of new, Las Vegas-style casinos. Jowell ruled that slot machines offering £1m jackpots would be available only in supercasinos favoured by big international companies such as Sun, MGM Mirage, Harrah's and Kerzner.

"…Jowell's surprise verdict followed a successful multimillion-dollar lobbying campaign by American and South African gaming giants.

"…Neil Murphy, Sun's development director, declined to reveal how much Tuesday's fringe meeting would cost, but said: 'We're sponsoring a Social Market Foundation meeting about responsible gambling. I don't know if any MPs or Cabinet members are coming.'…"

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