A proposed plan to turn a high street bank in a seaside town in the UK into a 24-hour gambling venue has been rejected.
The plan has faced backlash, with more than 500 objections having been raised by local residents.
The bank, in Whitby, has been closed since May with Luxury Leisure proposing to turn it into the all-new gambling venue but the plans have been thwarted by councillors.
Councillor Derek Bastiman said he saw no benefit to the town or the wider area and told the committee: “If it’s approved, Whitby will become the Las Vegas of the east coast.”
The company who wished to bring in the new venue would have invested £500,000 (roughly $647,000) into the property and created 12 full-time jobs.
Councillor Janet Jefferson said: “Once you open the floodgates, that will be that – I just think it’s not the right place.”
The agent for the application, Haris Kasuki, told the committee that there is “no harmful noise impact and there is no objection from environmental health officers.”
24-hour gambling plan rejected: How big is gambling in the UK?
While this plan didn’t go ahead, it does represent company interest in bringing more physical gambling opportunities to the UK.
According to the Gambling Commission, the value of the market in Great Britain is £15.6 billion ($20.1 billion) which is reported to be one of the largest in the world.
In the latest statistics by the commission, there were 8,329 premises in Great Britain with 5,931 betting shops. Although the market size is massive and casinos can be seen all over, the casino scene isn’t as prevalent as what you’d see in the likes of Las Vegas.
It’s not an easy process either for businesses to make their moves in the UK as they must first complete a casino application from the Gambling Commission which can take up to 16 weeks to process.
An operating license is also required, as well as a premise license which is needed from the local licensing authority.
