You either love it or hate it but the song everyone has on their lips is called 'The Gambling Bill'. As soon as Tessa Jowell, Secretary of State of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport made her announcement there was a race to comment, analyse and assess.

British operators, overseas operators, the Church, the charities, the British Casino Association - all, like the birds in their dawn chorus, sang their familiar songs.

For the present UK licence holders the comments on the proposed Gambling Law varied from Gala's John Kelly, who thought it would lead to "unfair legislation", David Bowden of Rank who somewhat bitterly remarked that after 35 years of unblemished reputation the government would be putting an untested product into an untested casino and that the legislation would be "seriously flawed", to a press release from London Clubs International stating that they were well-placed to capitalise and benefit from the changes.

For the overseas operators there is a green light to proceed with their Las Vegas style casino complexes. MGM-Mirage has already had licence applications approved for Glasgow and Manchester and says they are now pressing ahead with their mega leisure complex planned for the exhibition centres of Earl's Court and Olympia in London. Sun International commented that Tessa Jowell had seen casinos as a way to aid regeneration - the company plans investments of around £600 million in the UK.

The Churches and the charities sang their usual song about the dangers of problem gambling increasing. However, they do point out two obvious but sometimes neglected points. Firstly, that the government's proposals are inherently contradictory - you cannot increase the availability of casino complexes in city centres and not expect the incidence of problem gambling to rise. Secondly, the fact that permitting Fixed Odds Betting Terminals in bookmakers is not socially responsible.

The British Casino Association considers that the government has chosen to "chase overseas investment" at the expense of local operators and that the large numbers of high prize machines now to be permitted in urban communities would be detrimental to their members. They were also critical of the lack of measures to boost investment in the resorts around the UK, something that had previously been anticipated.

It is hardly to be expected that all concerned in or with the gaming industry will sing to the same tune. A report in the Guardian praises the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport for 'listening' and describes the Gambling Bill as a very different and much better document than the draft bill last November. Others are equally certain that she has listened to nothing and merely follows the government's own agenda to maximise profits and advantages with an election in mind.

Whatever the outcome, in due course the UK will have it's new Gambling Bill. Some will be satisfied and profit, others will be the losers, but the chorus will continue for years to come with research and counter-research and statistics that will prove everyone right.

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