Bacta President John Bollom believes the industry and the Gambling Commission have what he described as a largely ‘common agenda’ in relation to the future development of the low stake gambling entertainment and seaside arcade sectors. 

Speaking after he had been part of the Bacta team which hosted Gambling Commission Deputy Chief Executive Sarah Gardner at the Admiral Adult Gaming Centre in Southampton followed by Chief Executive Andrew Rhodes and colleagues at Mumbles Pier in south Wales, John Bollom reflected: “First of all I was delighted to be able to show Andrew, Sarah and colleagues from the Commission around two contrasting venues both of which make significant contributions to the local economy and in the case of Mumbles Pier to regional tourism.

“I think it was extremely important to show the venues in action employing local people and providing entertainment to a cross-section of the population including residents and visitors. I believe that Bacta and the Commission are on the same page in relation to the key topics of the day not least the importance of moving forward with the recommendations included in the White Paper which both our organisations have worked so long and hard to complete.

“With the support of Novomatic’s Elizabeth Speed and Neil Finch who serves as Regional Operations Manager at Admiral we were able to highlight both the economic importance of high street AGCs and exactly how high they set the bar in terms of delivering a safe and socially responsible experience, whilst contributing to the much needed vitality of town centres.  At Mumbles we demonstrated how the historic Pier structure  is dependent on the income generated by the FEC Arcade and how without the 100+ machines the business model would no longer be viable.”

John Bollom believes that the streamlining of Bacta has created an association which is equipped to meet the needs of members operating in what is a fast-moving and dynamic space.  He stated: “The re-structure means that we have a leaner and fitter Bacta. National Council, which meets every month is the engine of the trade association and helps to drive our engagement with key stakeholders such as the Commission.”

Posting on LinkedIn following his visit to south Wales Andrew Rhodes said: “A good two days with colleagues from the Gambling Commission visiting operators and industry sectors in south Wales, with Mecca Bingo in Swansea, the Arena Racing Company course at Fos Las and Mumbles Pier with several people from Bacta. 

“I carry out quite a few visits throughout the year and always try to get a few in during August. It was nice to have mostly good weather to see things at their best and spend time with industry stakeholders and people working in the front-line of the business. 

“As always, we were very grateful for everyone giving us their time and putting up with the disruption that naturally comes from having visitors.”