Showmen’s Guild outlines the sector’s causes and concerns in welcome letter to new PM Andy Burnham
The Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has written to new PM Andy Burnham outlining the hopes and concerns of the travelling funfair industry, proposing a meeting with ministers to discuss how the government can support a sector which delivers more than £200m annually in rent to local councils alone.
Licensing inspections up, but gambling problems… are nowhere to be seen
The latest local authority statistics have revealed a gaping hole between national perception and local reality. And it seems the prohibitionists are living in a world of make believe. Charlotte Meller of the Gambling Business Group has been studying the results and has discovered some fascinating stats – and they won’t please the Prime Minister nor the Mayor of Brent – both vocal anti-gambling advocates.
“We did it!”: Treasure Cove pays tribute to “incredible” response as its Blackpool Illuminations campaign results in a council U-turn
It was an ‘Oh Happy Day’ at Treasure Cove Amusements on Tuesday when news broke of a council U-turn on a decision to halt the Blackpool Illuminations before Bispham after 1 November.
Bonkers in Bristol: City council recommends rejecting plans for £13 million Club 3000 Bingo development
Bristol Council planning officers have recommended councillors refuse permission for Club 3000 Bingo to construct a new £13m hall on Hartcliffe Way, despite the submission receiving more than 500 letters of support from local residents.
Police shut Bootle bingo hall after break in
Having ranked Southend’s AstroCity first in its list of the UK’s Top Ten arcades, Live Casino has now confirmed those venues making up the second half of the Top Twenty.
Joseph Cullis: SMF’s tax proposal would shut venues, cost jobs and turn the lights out on seaside towns
The Social Market Foundation’s proposal to double Machine Games Duty on Category B machines is not a serious plan for raising revenue. It is a plan for closing venues.
Mr Waugh goes to Westminster: gambling analyst delivers stinging verdict on GamCom’s survey to the House of Lords
Regulus Partners partner Dan Waugh visited Westminster last week to put the industry’s concerns around the much maligned GSGB directly to the House of Lords Liaison Committee on the Social and Economic Impact of the Gambling Industry, telling committee members “there is lots of evidence that the GSGB is not accurate.”
Payment Choice body doubles down on its opposition to National Payments vision that sees no future for cash
The Payment Choice Alliance has officially refused to accept the “National Payments Vision”originally outlined in the 2023 Future of Payments Review, after launching its own study into customer retail behaviour which revealed 74 percent of UK residents oppose the idea of a fully cashless society.
Funky Monkey reports revenue rise to £17.6m
Funky Monkey Playcentres Ltd has reported revenue for the year to 31 May 2025 increased by more than £1m to £17.6m, with pre-tax profit also increasing from £1.6m to £1.9m year-on-year.
GamCom ups the emphasis on research with Evidence Roadmaps publication
The Gambling Commission has increased its emphasis on research in a new Evidence Roadmaps publication, setting out what it sees as priority areas to build “a more robust understanding of gambling-related issues.”