So contrary to all expectations, Manchester has won the bid to build the UK's first super casino. Most people believed either that London would get it or, if enough of the decision makers wanted to throw a bone to the non-London majority of the country, they would throw it Blackpool's way.
How predictable that yesterday when the news broke, the bulletins were full of whining hypocritical toadies wringing their hands and banging on about how "the vulnerable" would be affected. About how, virtually overnight, hordes of Mancunians would be turned into slavering gambling addicts, and the city would become a haven for organised crime, drug dealing and money laundering. This morning the BBC news had managed to find a reformed gambling addict who was trotted out to reinforce the point that gambling is...well...addictive and tell us how he was an intelligent bloke who never thought it could happen to him and he stole money from his friends to fund his gambling and his girlfriend threw him out yadda yadda yadda.
Don't get me wrong, I felt sorry for the guy, and I'm well aware that there are hundreds of people like him, and hundreds more addicted to drugs, alcohol, etc, etc. But there are many more people, indeed the majority, who can enjoy the occasional flutter, or put a couple of quid in a slot machine, without becoming addicted.
We know there are alcoholics in the world, but we don't prevent supermarkets stacking up their 24-packs of Stella and their racks upon racks of wines of the world and selling them 24x7. The government recently relaxed the licensing laws to allow longer opening times. No-one suggests that the availability of alcohol should be curtailed to protect "the vulnerable."
We know there are poor unfortunates who self-harm. They cut themselves daily to relieve their inner demons. No-one suggests we should restrict the sale of kitchen knives to protect "the vulnerable."
We know there are sad workaholics who spend 18+ hours a day working, to the detriment of their health and their family life. But (Working Time Directive notwithstanding) no-one suggests putting guards at office and factory gates to ensure these few misguided souls don't work too hard and the vulnerable are protected.
The new "super casino" in Manchester will create 3,000 jobs in one of the most deprived areas of the city. It will be much more than a casino - the complex will include a huge new hotel, spa, sports facilities, shopping arcade - and will bring even more investment into the city as well as additional visitors from all over the world, including (and even especially) from Toronto ;o) It will be I believe, on balance, a good thing. This is the second largest city in the UK for goodness sake - we already have organised crime, drug dealing and money laundering here! The new casino won't change that overmuch. When will government and the media get wise to the idea that they are not there to babysit the population? We don't, by and large, need protecting from ourselves.
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