Bacta blasts “unrepresentative” BBC investigation of British gaming venues
The industry body aims to bust myths about adult gaming centres.
UK.- John Bollom, the president of the land-based gaming and amusement hall trade body Bacta, has criticised a BBC investigation into self-exclusion compliance at adult gaming centres (AGC) in Britain. He said the programme, in which an undercover reporter visited venues in Portsmouth, in the south of England, after self-excluding, was “unrepresentative” and involved only a small sample
“Once again, Adult Gaming Centres have been in the headlines. And once again, the usual suspects have looked down their noses and decreed that our members are the irresponsible poor cousins of the gambling industry,” Bollom said.
“This time the allegations were that the self-exclusion scheme is ineffective, based on a reporter carrying out an unrepresentative investigation in a small number of premises in Portsmouth. It’s the latest in a series of attacks that seek to undermine our industry at a time when we are now becoming an essential part of many High Streets.”
The Gambling Commission’s player protection rules require operators to block access to players within a 1km radius, or more if the player chooses to expand the exclusion. Bollom said Bacta was working with the regulator, local authorities, MPs, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and with the media to build the profile of the industry. He also stressed that the industry needed to work together to uphold standards.
“AGCs are community hubs,” he said. “They’re fun to spend time in. They are comfortable, hospitable and inviting social spaces. They create jobs. They bring footfall to High Streets, boosting other industries such as retail and hospitality. They provide life to empty shops, and contribute heavily to the local economy in terms of tax and employment. Personally, and professionally, I am proud of what we do.
“And part of that pride comes because I know all of us realise our collective responsibility to maintain the highest possible standards in all that we do, and especially in player protection. This week has shown the glee with which our critics seize upon any perceived lapse in this protection. It means we all have to pull together to ensure all loopholes are tightened, that supervision is vigilant, and action is taken without hesitation. When we make mistakes we need to fix them.”
Bollom noted that multi-operator self-exclusion system (MOSES) must be in place in every venue and that operators must ensure staff operate the system via access a tablet or other device to carry out self-exclusions in the venue. Staff must look at the pictures of self-excluders every day, and react appropriately when one enters the venue.
“Looking ahead, I can see there will be more scrutiny of our industry, and we welcome that – so long as it is fair and unbiased. But let me bust some myths right here,” Bollom said.
Bacta also took the opportunity to bust three myths that it says are circulating in the media about adult gaming centres: that the number of AGCs has “exploded” on the High Street, that venues are open 24 hours a day to extract as much money as possible and that problem gambling is increasing.
He noted that the Gambling Commission’s own statistics show that the number of AGCs has gone down by 35 per cent since 2011 and that opening hours reflect customer demand. Around 9m people are night time workers in the UK, nearly a third of the entire working population, he said, adding that “AGCs provide entertainment and friendly faces when many other social spots are shuttered up until the morning”.
As for problem gambling, he noted that since 2007 the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) has consistently estimated rates in the range of 0.3 to 0.7 per cent.
Last month, Bacta announced the appointment of a new leadership team. Joseph Cullis, the owner of Scotland-based Windmill Leisure, was elected as president, while Jeremy Godden, the managing director of Godden Gaming, has been named as vice president. Their appointments were uncontested after the nominations period closed on May 20.
The Bacta Summer Ball will be held on Friday next week (July 4) at the historic 12th century Coombe Abbey Hotel. There will be a performance by the band Sway, which performed at Virgin Airlines 25thanniversary celebrations in New York. The even has raised £50,0000 for the Bacta Charitable Trust (BCT) since 2023.
