Great Britain is a newcomer, taking all its history into consideration, to the gambling industry. And new things can certainly be daunting, causing doubt or fear. It’s certainly understandable, then, that the Prime Minister of Britain has changed his mind on what was originally a resounding “No” to the future of gambling in the nation.

Gordon Brown won the support of Church charities and groups six months ago when he rejected the proposal to build sixteen small casinos. At the time, he approved instead the construction and establishment of one large SuperCasino in Manchester.

The same support groups from last year are now attacking the Prime Minister for going back on his word, changing his mind, and approving the smaller casinos. The SuperCasino is not an option, the 16 being built in lieu of the one.

His decisions were transmitted to the corresponding Scottish and Welsh governmental bodies through a letter. His letter was preempted by meetings with representatives from the 16 companies and bodies for the smaller casinos, confirming that their proposals were still being pursued, and all 16 agreed that they still wanted to build, and were ready to proceed with the plans.

Shadow Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, expressed his disdain for the Prime Minister’s change of heart: “The inconsistency of this policy means that no one really thinks the government's review, which was announced amid great fanfare, was anything more than a political stunt.”

Said review refers to last year’s governmental review on the 2005 Gambling Act. This was the same review that resulted in Brown’s decision for the SuperCasino, rather than the 16 smaller casinos. This new decision has elicited a potent reaction from Manchester, primarily because they stand to lose the most in the reversal. Manchester has now lost the opportunity for a reclamation project planned for a dilapidated area of the city.