Casino's 24/7 Opening Rejection A 'Small Victory'

18 March 2026
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Pritti MistryEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire


The daddy of a man who took his own life after ending up being addicted to gambling has actually called the refusal of a 24-hour wagering store in Spalding a "small victory that will ripple throughout other communities".


Merkur Slots lost its planning interest open 24 hr a day at its Hall Place place last week.


Dismissing the operator's appeal, the Planning Inspectorate said it discovered "harm in regard of the effect on the living conditions of neighbouring citizens" and there was "limited benefits of the proposition".


Charles Ritchie, who set up national charity Gambling with Lives with his wife Liz after their son Jack's death in 2017, invited the choice and said the "tide is turning versus" big casino firms.


In July 2022, Merkur Slots was approved approval to run from 07:00 to midnight Mondays to Saturdays and 10:00 to midnight on Sundays.


But the company wished to remove those constraints and combated for the rights to stay open all hours.


Planners declined the bid on March 12, saying a 24-hour operation would adversely affect neighbouring citizens with regard to "sound and disturbance".


said it was "good news for Spalding" and he was happy opinions by locals had been acted on.


"Up until just recently, there's been a kind of sensation of despair. You can't do anything.


"So I believe this is a small triumph, however it is a message and it is something that does have ripples across other neighborhoods."


Merkur Slots has actually been approached for comment.


The Ritchie household, from Sheffield, have actually been campaigning for betting industry reform since the Hull University graduate eliminated himself while fighting a gambling dependency.


In 2022, the coroner ruled the 24-year-old teacher had been failed by "woefully inadequate" cautions and treatments.


His parents have actually long argued that gambling-related suicide is straight connected to addictive wagering products and the market's "predatory" marketing practices.


If you have actually been impacted by any of the problems raised in this story, details and support can be found at the BBC's Action Line.


Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, see the most recent episode of Look North.


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