Merkur Slots, which is applying to lift opening hours restrictions on Spalding store, under fire in national press

The owners of a gambling venue who want to open a town centre site 24 hours a day have been accused of paying staff bonuses linked to the amount lost by gamblers — prompting renewed calls for their application to be refused.

Merkur Slots has submitted a planning application to South Holland District Council to lift the current restrictions which keep its Spalding site closed between the hours of midnight and 8am.

The company is said to have recorded profits of £15million last year and The Guardian, in an article earlier this week, said this growth was ‘partly fuelled by incentive schemes that unlock bonuses in return for hitting key targets’ - including losses on highly addictive slot machines.

Merkur is quoted in the article rejecting claims that the staff bonus scheme weakens safer gambling measures but it has come under fire from leading figures in the town for this practice — and they see this as further evidence that the venue should not be allowed to open 24/7.

The issue comes as scrutiny intensifies over licenses in general — with the government looking to relax the laws on alcohol applications in a move that has led to fears over the lack of scrutiny.

The application to increase the Spalding store’s opening has already drawn criticism from many people in the town - along with the recent approval by officers to allow BoyleSports to open a betting shop in the former Barclay’s bank site in Hall Place.

MP Sir John Hayes said: “Having met families devastated by gambling-related suicide through charities such as Gambling with Lives and having campaigned against the growing reach of predatory gambling organisations, I am appalled that any company would incentivise staff to ignore the losses of others.

“Such practices exploit vulnerability and contribute to life-altering harm. Considering this, I also firmly oppose any proposal to extend the opening hours of Merkur Slots in Spalding.”

Spalding councillor Gary Taylor has also spoken out against the incentive scheme.

He said: “This is outrageous, if this business is actively encouraging its gamblers to lose money. In many cases it's money they do not have.”

Merkur’s initial application to open up in the former Dorothy Perkins site created outcry in the town and was initially refused planning permission by the district council’s planning committee but this decision was later overturned by the planning inspectorate following an appeal in 2022. Opening hours were agreed at this point.

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Concerns have been raised about a lack of support for gambling addicts in a town where there are four bookies and two adult gaming centres, with BoyleSports to become the fifth bookmakers within a small area of the town centre.

The Guardian reported: “For venue managers at Merkur, most of the bonus — worth up to 80% of annual salary — is linked to “controllable profit”, according to one internal document setting out the scheme’s structure.

“This measure is partly determined by outgoings on wages and smaller items designed to keep customers playing, such as complimentary food, drinks and “cash giveaways”.

“But the first item on the list of factors contributing to controllable profit is “net revenues”.

“In effect, this means takings from the shops’ slot machines, which offer stakes of £2 every 1.5 seconds, for a maximum jackpot of £500.”

We approached Merkur for a comment.

It stated: “We have submitted an application, and whilst the application is being reviewed, we are not in a position to comment.”