Gaming company opens £200,000 entertainment centre in Boston after earlier rejection

Gaming company Merkur Slots has launched a second branch in the town, taking on the unit formerly occupied by Cash Generator, in High Street. It opened on Monday, September 25.

The business plans to spend £5 million in the next 12 months on opening new stores across the UK.

Mark Schertle, chief operating officer of Merkur Slots’ parent company Merkur Casino UK, said: “We pride ourselves on our continued investment in UK high streets, and so it means a lot to be able to support the local community and economy in Boston through the creation of these new jobs. Every new venue we open creates an average of 10 new local jobs and we have already generated over 600 jobs across the UK in the last 12 months through developing existing venues and opening new ones.”

A spokesman for the business said the new centre features ‘the latest digital slot machines, with the emphasis firmly on low stake gaming and pay-outs ranging from £5 to £500, and an extensive library of new and classic games’.

Customers also receive unlimited free refreshments, they added.

“Our aim with this new state-of-the-art entertainment centre is to give both new and existing customers a unique gaming experience in an environment that reflects the scale of the investment,” Mr Schertle added. “I’m sure those visiting over the next few days and weeks will be as excited about this new Merkur Slots venue as I am.”

Merkur Slots had previously eyed the former Clark’s unit in Strait Bargate.

However, an application to change its use from retail to an adult gaming centre was rejected by Boston Borough Council in 2022.

The council argued the bid, if approved, would have an ‘adverse impact upon the character and appearance of the area, the vitality of the primary shopping frontage and town centre, and the Conservation Area’, and that it ​​​​​​would ‘fail to support the creation of healthy, inclusive and safe places which contribute positively to community well-being’.

Members of the public also voiced opposition to the plans. An appeal against the decision was lodged with the Government’s Planning Inspectorate, but ultimately withdrawn.

Merkur Slots did not need to make an application to change the use of the ex-Cash Generator unit, as in 2022 Chongie Entertainment Ltd was awarded planning permission to convert it to an adult gaming centre.

As a council spokesman explained at the time: “The permission relates to the use of land or development on a particular site/property, not an end user. So regardless of who makes the application, as long as the conditions are adhered to, it doesn’t matter who the operator is.”

It defence of its plans to open a second site in Boston, Merkur Slots has previously said it would ‘return a vacant unit back to commercial use and transform it into a thriving high street attraction that drives footfall, creates jobs and makes a positive contribution to the local economy’.