The British Amusement Catering Trade Association told MPs yesterday that seaside arcades and amusement centres have lost more than a fifth of their income as a result of the new Gambling Act's policies that reduce stakes on gaming machines and limit the number of machines in each venue.
BACTA's 600 trade members reported a 21 percent loss in income, on average, for the last four months of 2007 (the period in which the new policies have been in effect) compared to the same period of 2006. Resulting job losses are in the hundreds and several businesses face the threat of closure.
BACTA's Nick Harding told MPs that the new policies are causing people to shift from software gambling venues to those where harder forms of gambling are available. He said the organization's members are in "desperate straits", and MPs responded by signing an early day motion declaring that the Gambling Act had created an uneven playing field between arcades/amusement centers and other adult gaming venues.