Station denies talk of locals’ gambling shops in Britain

Wednesday, June 26, 2002 | 11:07 a.m.

Las Vegas locals' gambling industry leader Station Casinos Inc. on Tuesday disputed a newspaper report that said Station held talks on setting up locals' gambling shops in Britain.

Station executives did meet recently with SunOnline Ltd. officials in the United Kingdom to discuss the companies' Internet gambling deal, Station spokeswoman Lesley Pittman said.

No deals to run traditional bricks and mortar casinos there were discussed, she said.

"(Station executives) met with some people involved in gaming over in London to get a sense of what was going on over there. There's nothing more to it than that."

In February Station announced its purchase of a 50 percent ownership in SunOnline, a subsidiary of luxury hotel and casino developer Sun International Hotels Ltd. The subsidiary became the first Isle of Man licensee to launch an Internet gambling site, www.CasinoAtlantis.com. Sun was one of three companies to receive an online gambling license from the tiny island nation off the coast of Great Britian.

The Observer newspaper in Britain first reported that Station held talks about opening gambling emporiums in shopping districts with Gala, a bingo and casino group. The Observer reported "Station has a reputation for being a 'community-based' casino rather than targeting high-rollers."

The newspaper said the talks enraged charities that help gambling addicts and also may alarm existing bookmakers who may face more competition.