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 ending up being addicted to betting has called the refusal of a 24-hour betting shop in Spalding a "little triumph that will ripple across other neighborhoods".


lost its preparation interest open 24 hr a day at its Hall Place venue last week.


Dismissing the operator's appeal, the Planning Inspectorate said it discovered "harm in respect of the impact on the living conditions of neighbouring locals" and there was "minimal advantages of the proposal".


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


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


But the business wished to remove those limitations and defended the rights to stay open all hours.


Planners turned down the quote on March 12, saying a 24-hour operation would negatively affect neighbouring citizens with regard to "sound and disturbance".


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


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


"So I believe this is a little victory, however it is a message and it is something that does have ripples throughout other communities."


Merkur Slots has actually been approached for remark.


The Ritchie family, from Sheffield, have actually been campaigning for gambling industry reform considering that the Hull University graduate eliminated himself while fighting a betting addiction.


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


His parents have long argued that gambling-related suicide is directly connected to addicting wagering items and the industry's "predatory" marketing practices.


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