Green light for casino

A CASINO is excellent for Guernsey and for tourism, Tourist Board vice-president Brian Sheriff said yesterday. The House voted 25-19 in favour of granting a 10-year licence to the St Pierre Park Hotel. 'It was very close, but the wheels span and it all came out right in the end, though I was disappointed that some people who voted three times in favour of the casino and the gambling commission and then voted against it today,' said douzenier Sheriff. The hotel's £25m. redevelopment will see extensive upgrading of its facilities, extra rooms and a casino with gaming tables and gambling machines. The hotel agreed that the redevelopment should be a boost for the struggling industry. 'I'm very pleased - delighted,' said Philip Cropley, chief executive of the Bucktrout Group, owners of the hotel. 'We have researched this very thoroughly and we think a resort hotel of this quality will put Guernsey back on the map. 'Then, hopefully, others will see the results of this investment, there will be new markets and new opportunities in the island and a spin-off for all accommodation and leisure providers.' The hotel is to close for nine months from October 2004 to allow the work to go ahead. Mr Cropley said that after a lot of work and investment in the project, implementing the scheme would continue. He was confused by comments from Deputy John Langlois that the hotel had made losses for years and would not make profits for years to come. 'I couldn't follow that argument. He kind of lost me there,' he said. 'The casino will make profits or we wouldn't be doing it.' Mr Sheriff was grateful that Deputy Bailiff Geoffrey Rowland insisted that members stick to the issue and not use the debate to discuss again the merits of having a casino. 'It was the right thing to do, otherwise it would just have been a rehash. But I do understand that people are against it because of religious beliefs and I respect that. 'That's why I said instead of voting against it, they should abstain. Fortunately several members abstained or weren't in the chamber.' Deputy Bernard Flouquet, who opposed the casino, was disappointed that the States failed to see the wider picture. 'They didn't recognise that gaming machines are going to proliferate in places like public houses,' he said. 'If these establishments take a legal challenge it will be very hard to resist. It's a downward spiral to the addiction of gaming machines that lead to social problems that the island doesn't really need.'