“Your sector – he said Andrew Rhodes, Chief Executive of the Gambling Commission; at the British Amusement Catering Trade Association (BACTA) Annual Convention 2023 – should be heartened that, while we will continue to take enforcement action wherever we find deficiencies that require it, we are not regularly finding deficiencies in your part of the gaming industry that require us to take dramatic executive action. You have had difficult years, not least in recovering from COVID and with the ongoing challenges of cost of living and inflation.”
“Of course,” Rhodes continued, “I understand that this progress takes place against the backdrop of an economy that is recovering from the pandemic, while also dealing with other blows, and of a gambling industry that remains as fiercely competitive as it has ever been. . When we look at our most recent statistics, the stable picture confirms that your companies must remain competitive:
- The participation rate in land-based gaming in the last year has remained statistically stable at 27% and online also remained statistically stable at 26%
- and if we look specifically at gaming centers and arcades, in the year to March 2023 the participation stood at 1,6%, down from 1,8% for the year to March 2022.
So progress despite the difficult situation we are going through".
