There are currently four main casinos in Liverpool - Leo's on the waterfront, Grosvenor in West Derby Road, and Stanley in Victoria Street and in Renshaw Street. The Government has been accused of an "addiction" to gambling, which is paving the way for an explosion in gaming and, it is claimed, a surge in addiction. This week, ministers announced they were relaxing restrictions to allow casinos and betting shops to advertise on television. But, speaking to MPs yesterday, Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell insisted there would be a "proper evaluation" of the social and economic effects of the new casinos. She said: "Las Vegas is not coming to Great Britain. British casinos will be subject to new controls, which will be the strictest in the world." Although "small", the casino earmarked for Southport would have covered up to 1,500 square metres, dwarfing the town's current casino, on Lord Street, and possibly boasted a major book-maker. A spokesman for Sefton Council said: "We are disappointed at the decision not to grant a second casino licence for Southport. "However, the official development agreement has just been signed for the resort's new £30m hotel and leisure complex, which will feature a new casino next to the four star facility." * LIVERPOOL-BASED Stanley Casinos is expected on Friday to be given the go-ahead to allow gaming machines with £4,000 jackpots to be installed at its newest casino in the city. The company has already been given permission to transform the closed-down Sphere and Bar Med bars in Queen Square into a casino. But councillors have been told that a lease between the city council and developers Neptune would prevent a casino unless the rules were changed. The council's executive boardis expected on Friday to agree to change the rules to permit a casino, aswell as high-prize gaming machines. The council says it will enable a vacant building to be brought back into use. Two local councillors, Sharon Sullivan and Ritchie White, have expressed fears that the premises could attract young people if it became seen as an amusement arcade. Executives from Stanley Leisure have assured the council that it will not be an arcade, and although membership laws are changing, it plans to continue to operate a membership system for entry to the premises.
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