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

18 March 2026
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Pritti MistryEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire


The dad of a man who took his own life after becoming addicted to gambling has actually called the refusal of a 24-hour betting store in Spalding a "small triumph that will ripple across other communities".


Merkur Slots lost its preparation appeal to open 24 hr a day at its Hall Place venue recently.


Dismissing the operator's appeal, the Planning Inspectorate said it found "damage in regard of the impact on the living conditions of neighbouring locals" and there was "limited benefits of the proposal".


Charles Ritchie, who set up nationwide charity Gambling with Lives with his wife Liz after their boy Jack's death in 2017, 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 eliminate those restrictions and combated for the rights to stay open all hours.


Planners declined the bid on March 12, stating a 24-hour operation would negatively impact neighbouring citizens with regard to "noise and disturbance".


Ritchie stated it was "excellent news for Spalding" and he was happy viewpoints by locals had actually been acted upon.


"Up up until just recently, there's been a sort of feeling of despair. You can't do anything.


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


Merkur Slots has been approached for remark.


The Ritchie family, from Sheffield, have actually been campaigning for gambling market reform since the Hull University graduate eliminated himself while battling a gambling dependency.


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


His moms and dads have actually long argued that gambling-related suicide is straight linked to addictive wagering items and the industry's "predatory" marketing practices.


If you have been affected by any of the problems raised in this story, info and assistance can be discovered at the BBC's Action Line.


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