January 19, 2023 6.55 am This story is over 17 months old

More protests after latest plans for adult gaming centre in Boston

Some locals are concerned on how it could impact the town

“Gambling is just as bad as drugs” and not wanting to turn the town into “Boston Vegas” are among the opinions of local people as protests continue against the latest plans for an adult gaming centre in Boston.

In July 2022, councillors rejected a bid to open an adult-gaming centre in an historic town centre shop unit (Clarks shoe shop) in Boston – but another was approved elsewhere in town. An appeal against the decision has been lodged.

Another application from a separate company has gone in for another adult gaming centre in the unit formerly occupied by Trespass on Strait Bargate.

Campaigner Linda Taylor told BBC Look North that these organisations “target the vulnerable”. She said: “People can spend their money how they want, but I object to the number of organisations that have come into Boston.”

She added that “it’s just too much” having “15 premises where you can actually gamble in a small town like Boston”.

There have been more protests after another planning application was put in for an adult gaming centre in Boston. | Screenshot: BBC Look North

Stephen Rollinson said his brother had a bad spell on the gambling machines when he was younger, while he has seen a lot of his friends spending “grands a day”.

He said: “It’s worse than the drugs. They might as well have a drug shop, gambling is just as bad as drugs. There’s enough in town to take money off people, why are they trying to put another one in? There’s too much poverty around, why strip the pennies off the people who’ve got nothing?”

As the latest planning application is still live, Boston Borough Council told BBC Look North that it was unable to comment, but noted previous applications for gaming centres.

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