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

18 March 2026
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Pritti MistryEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire


The father of a male who took his own life after becoming addicted to has called the refusal of a 24-hour wagering shop in Spalding a "little success that will ripple throughout other communities".


Merkur Slots lost its planning attract open 24 hours a day at its Hall Place location last week.


Dismissing the operator's appeal, the Planning Inspectorate stated it discovered "harm in regard of the impact on the living conditions of neighbouring locals" and there was "restricted advantages of the proposition".


Charles Ritchie, who established nationwide charity Gambling with Lives with his other half Liz after their child Jack's death in 2017, welcomed the decision and said the "tide is turning against" big casino firms.


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


But the company wished to get rid of those restrictions and defended the rights to stay open all hours.


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


Ritchie said it was "great news for Spalding" and he was happy viewpoints by residents had been acted upon.


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


"So I believe this is a little triumph, but it is a message and it is something that does have ripples across other communities."


Merkur Slots has been approached for remark.


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


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


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


If you have been impacted by any of the concerns raised in this story, information and support can be discovered at the BBC's Action Line.


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