"Save the seaside" plea - Euroslot - the independent voice of the amusement and gambling industry

"Save the seaside" plea

Published: 08 September, 2010

Gaming legislation is killing off the traditional British seaside town and the amusement-machine manufacturing sector, the British Amusement Catering Trade Association (BACTA) has charged.

The trade body is calling for the government to restore the £2 maximum stake on Category B3 machines and allow more machines at each venue. The maximum stake was reduced from £2 to £1 by the Gambling Act of 2005, which also limited the number of units per site.

But before he was elected in May of this year, Prime Minister David Cameron assured one of BACTA's members in writing that he would make these changes if he came to power, according to the association.

Its chief executive Leslie MacLeod Miller said: “The slow destruction of the British seaside town is one of the terrible tragedies facing this country and it’s also having a disastrous impact on British manufacturing. Burdensome legislation has wrapped the amusement industry in red tape and is forcing the closure of hundreds of businesses across the country.

“Seaside arcades have provided harmless family fun for generations of Britons and the relief we are seeking will not cost the Exchequer or the taxpayer.”

According to BACTA, 1350 jobs have been lost from amusement centres in the last 18 months, and 216 adult entertainment centres have shut down. “This is having a knock-on effect on the associated tourism and retail businesses up and down the coast as generations of family businesses are forced to close,” it says.

And machine manufacturing has also suffered. Last year, the number of Category B3 machines built was down 27 percent, or 1000 units, while Category C machines were down 15 percent, or 4000 units.

Part of this was doubtless the fault of weaker international sales: the number of arcade machines exported dropped by 3000 units, or 18 percent. But that still leaves a hefty shortfall attributable to a declining domestic market.

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