Scots council wants to open CASINO in seaside town

A SCOTS council was accepting bids for someone to open a CASINO in a seaside town.

Bosses at Dumfries and Galloway Council wanted operators to come forward for a gambling venue on the southwest coast.

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The local authority has been seeking expressions of interest for someone to open a casino in Stranraer.

The seaside town was first handed a casino licence in 2007 in a bid to create a chain of casinos across the UK.

But 17 years after the gambling green light – no one has ever opened a venue there.

Councillors hoped a casino would boost tourism to Stranraer, which has been described as a “ghost town” by some locals.

But not everyone is on board with the plans, with some believing the gambling hub would be a bad idea.

Local business owner William Loch is all for the plans and thinks it will inject new life into the town.

He told the BBC: “Stranraer is declining at the moment. It really needs a big boost and we really need more tourists.

“If it’s part of plans to make the marina nicer, then a casino could bring a lot of money into the area – which is needed.”

But others are sceptical that a casino would do any good, and think visitors would still head to bigger tourist spots.

Shop worker Kyle McCready told the broadcaster: “I don’t see how a casino will pull in visitors.

“When people come in off the boats they turn left and go straight to Glasgow and Edinburgh, and I can’t see that changing.”

But the council’s latest bid was slammed by Scottish Labour MSP Carole Mochan.

She told DnG24: “We know that problem gambling is a serious blight across Scotland with many families affected. Research has shown that in deprived areas of the country, the risk of problem gambling can affect as many as one in ten people.

“There is always a temptation to ignore that fact for what seems to be economic growth locally, but a waterfront casino would do little for the town’s economy.

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