Church leaders meeting in Richmond have overwhelmingly voted against a move to discourage churches from applying for or receiving National Lottery Funding. The Synod (or ‘parliament’) of the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds rejected a motion that they should encourage parishes not to apply for National Lottery Funding.

The Methodist Church says it is relieved by the Gambling Commission’s prevalence study, which shows that the number of problem gamblers is the same as the previous study in 1999 and the number of people gambling is slightly lower.

The small Chinese city of Macau has become the new East Asian Las Vegas, say church leaders and labour activists, claiming that gambling and corruption are leading to social ruin.

The Archbishop of Canterbury cast a crucial vote last night when he turned up in the House of Lords with other bishops to vote against the government's proposals for a supercasino in Manchester.

Lobbying by Christians appeared to pay off last night with a defeat for the government's plan to build a Las Vegas style 'supercasino' in Manchester.

In advance of today's (Wednesday’s) votes in Parliament on the geographical distribution of casino premises licences, campaigners including churches and other faith communities have been reiterating their opposition to the proposals to place a super-casino in Manchester.

The Church of England has set up a new group to help Blackpool’s regeneration, following the failure of the resort to obtain Britain’s first ‘super-casino’.

The Christian Socialist Movement (CSM) has joined Methodists, the Anglican Bishop of Hume, the Archbishop of Canterbury and numerous other church and civic leaders in expressing disappointment at the granting of a licence for a regional super-casino in Manchester.

Church campaigners have condemned Manchester's victory in super-casino race for 'creating crippling debts and undermining efforts to tackle child poverty in the city.'

In a statement that will prove extremely controversial, a senior Church of England Bishop has said that Blackpool should have been chosen to host Britain's first Las Vegas-style super-casino.