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Did you know that there are more than 184,000 gaming and gambling machines in the UK, across all sectors of the industry?<\/p>\nDid you know that there are more than 184,000 gaming and gambling machines in the UK, across all sectors of the industry?<\/p>\n
Well you do now, and although this article is about arcades, the majority of gaming machines are not actually located in these establishments.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more, some of the machine categories are much more prevalent than others industry wide.<\/p>\n
Even the word \u2018arcade\u2019 isn\u2019t as straight forward as it may seem, because although it is a term we tend to use to mean any sort of venue that runs gaming machines, there is a distinct difference between a Family Entertainment Centre and an Adult Gaming Centre.<\/p>\n
These sorts of establishments don\u2019t look wildly different but the rules around them are not the same, and just to make matters even more confusing, they can usually be found in the same places as each other and even something under the same roof.<\/p>\n
The rules around what types of machines different businesses are legally allowed to run, and how many of them, are quite complex so I won\u2019t go into the real nitty gritty, but in order to understand the data you will need at least a basic understanding of what they all are, so let\u2019s get that out of the way first.<\/p>\n
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I\u2019m straying into technical territory here, what with machine categories and the specifics of different types of premises, so very quickly, here\u2019s what they all mean.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll cover the premises first as that\u2019s pretty easy to understand.<\/p>\n
You will no doubt know the difference between a betting shop, casino, bingo hall, and race track, but when it comes to places which are colloquially known as arcades, things are less clear.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve basically got:<\/p>\n
Adult Gaming Centres (AGCs) are those mini slot casinos that you see in small towns; Admiral Casino is a good example that is nationwide. They can have a mix of B3, B4, C and D gaming\u00a0machines, and are adults only establishments.<\/p>\n
Family Entertainment Centres (FECs) are more like seaside arcades and they can be licensed or unlicensed, which dictates the kind of machines they are allowed to have, C or D.<\/p>\n
They can include higher paying machines from other categories under certain conditions though, and this is why some have over 18s only areas inside them.<\/p>\n
As for the machines themselves, we are talking about fruit machines or slots really, but it also extends to the more unique machines like penny pushers and crane grabbers.<\/p>\n
| Category<\/th>\n | Permitted Venue<\/th>\n | Stake\/Prize<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n |
|---|---|---|
| B1<\/td>\n | casinos only<\/td>\n | prizes up to \u00a310,000, or \u00a320,000 if part of a linked progressive jackpot with other machines in the same building<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| B2<\/td>\n | casinos, betting shops, racing tracks<\/td>\n | \u00a32 maximum stake, \u00a3150 maximum prize<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| B3<\/td>\n | casinos, betting shops, racing tracks, bingo halls, adult gaming centres<\/td>\n | \u00a32 maximum stake, \u00a3500 maximum prize<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| B4<\/td>\n | casinos, betting shops, racing tracks, bingo halls, adult gaming centres, members clubs<\/td>\n | \u00a32 maximum stake, \u00a3400 maximum prize<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| C<\/td>\n | Anywhere with a license<\/td>\n | \u00a31 maximum stake, \u00a3100 maximum prize<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| D<\/td>\n | anywhere with a license or permit<\/td>\n | 10p to \u00a31 machine dependent, with prizes of \u00a35 to \u00a350<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n The reason this is all so complex is because of the laws surrounding the different types of venues wanting to operate gaming machines.<\/p>\n Pubs and members clubs, for example, are not necessarily over 18s venues but they are a place aimed at adults for the most part. Therefore, they want to offer products that adults enjoy, like gaming machines, but they are restricted as to how many and what type they are allowed.<\/p>\n Pubs don\u2019t need a gambling license for a small number of machines, just a permit, so it\u2019s easier to get past the paperwork stage. However pubs (and any other business wanting to operate gaming machines) need to be kept distinct from gambling businesses, so there are different machines and different rules for different places.<\/p>\n The Number of Gambling Machines in the UK<\/h2>\n
The first thing I noticed when looking at the total numbers, was that they had gone down from 184,387 to 151,260 between 2019 and 2022 \u2013 that\u2019s 33,127 fewer machines and a drop of around 18%.<\/p>\n The last time the number of machines in the UK had dropped like that was between 2008 and 2011, which was the financial crash and the long recession.<\/p>\n In both instances, I would imagine the decrease in machine numbers is almost entirely due to the closure of businesses.<\/p>\n We know that covid spelled the end for many businesses, including pubs where a small number of machines would have been operating; and even big chain companies like Buzz bingo, Mecca bingo, and the casinos ended up closing a handful of locations to save money.<\/p>\n There were 2,085 betting shops closed between 2019 and 2022, 179 adult gaming centres, 58 Family Entertainment Centres, 9 casinos, and 22 bingo halls. Clearly then, this will have had a huge impact on gaming machine numbers.<\/p>\n Between the 2008 recession and covid, the number of machines in operation in this country grew year on year (apart from a small drop in 2017), and I would expect that to happen again as the country recovers.<\/p>\n Indeed, figures from 2023 show a rapid increase back to pre-covid numbers: 184,126 machines to be exact.<\/p>\n Another obvious change is the sudden drop in B2 machines and the sudden jump in B3 machines during 2019, due to regulation changes regarding Fixed Odds Betting Terminals at this time. The maximum stakes on B2 machines were reduced from \u00a3100 to \u00a32 after much campaigning, so bookies switched to B3 machines to avoid some of the heat.<\/p>\n Family Entertainment Centre and Adult Gaming Centre Revenues<\/h2>\n |
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