A controversial Surrey casino has applied for a 24/7 gambling licence despite strong local opposition.
Golden Slots (Southern) Limited is due to open an adult gaming centre in the former Barclays bank building on Church Street, Ashford.
Golden Slots is an established operator that has held a gambling licence since January 2016 without any enforcement action taken against it with various sites in Milton Keynes, Haringey, Cricklewood and Northampton.
Spelthorne Borough Council had refused planning permission three times for the casino but the decision was eventually overruled at appeal in April.
Last June, over 200 letters of objection were submitted against the ‘morally wrong’ plan which locals believe would encourage anti-social behaviour.
The town already features Coral and William Hill shops – two of the biggest betting sites in the UK – so the necessity of a third gambling centre was questioned by residents.
The government planning inspector gave into the scheme on conditions including reduced opening hours of 09:00-23:00 and sound insulation.
Despite online casinos booming in popularity, plenty of demand still exists in the land-based market.
Local residents, police and public health officials are free to comment on the application on the council’s website until the end of August.
Surrey Casino Plans To Use Electronic Lock In Early Hours
According to the applicant’s agent, the casino would not breach those planning conditions regarding opening hours – regardless of whether it is granted a 24/7 licence or not.
Staff would have to open an electronic lock from 22:00 to 08:00 with the doors shut during these hours. The measures taken to reduce community harm includes 24-hour CCTV, staff training, a ‘Think 25’ age verification policy and self-exclusion tools for customers.
An assessment on the local gambling risk took note of how close the site is to schools, care homes, cash machines and existing gambling shops but the proposed safeguards are expected to curb those initial fears.
Proposed design layouts of the casino have revealed 42 seats around the edge of the premises including a customer service desk with 20 seats. It is not detailed in the application just how many gaming machines will be installed.
Joe Lyons is a betting industry writer for GamblingIndustryNews with years of experience on reputable gambling websites. Joe specialises in long form content in the world of sports betting and gambling. Joe is recognised as an expert in sports fields such as horse racing, soccer, NFL and NBA.
