Casino in Belfast- a myth or a reality

January 5, 2015

One of the largest UK gambling providers, the Rank Group, is working on the new project. They are intending to build the first casino somewhere in the centre of Belfast or Titanic Quarter, providing more than 400 people with work.

They are negotiating this with the city councilors, but the later haven’t given the answer yet.

But Mervyn Storey, Social Development Minister, of the DUP, raised objections to this venture and on the contrary, is preparing to maintain the ban on casinos the following year.

Richard Needham, non-executive director of the Rank Group, commented the gambling situation in Nothern Ireland as rather messy. However, the casinos are banned on the territory of Northern Ireland by law, there are numerous gambling facilities to spend time and money on slots (like The lost island slot) or bets offered. The only way out from this is a legal entertainment complex which will bring material and spiritual profit, as they are going to allocate 80 thousand pounds to charity organization, the Dunleway Addiction Services, helping addictive players.

Another councilor Tom Ekin approves this idea in general. So the Group hopes to get a license with special dispensation to build a complex.