If the amusements, gaming and gambling industry thought the landscape was looking terminal because of the government’s budgetary ineptitude, well, you need to check your post. Baroness Twycross has this week written to the key trade bodies advising them, basically, that you ain’t gettin’ anything out of her. After nearly six years of discussion, the government minister who counts the working schedule on her gambling brief in minutes rather than days each week, has decided on more consultation for FECs and bingo clubs – and no chance of an 80/20 ruling this year, and probably not next. Welcome to the new government’s vision for deregulation.

The gambling minister Baroness Twycross has this week written to key stakeholders in the industry to “outline measures relating to land-based gambling that the Government intends to prioritise over the coming months.”

In a letter that will likely be distributed to all trade association members in the next few days, Twycross opened with the tone of a concerned and compassionate doctor, discussing medicines that will bring you back to health. Later, as you will see, it’s seems more like a visit from Harold Shipman.

“These measures will support land-based venues,” she pledged. “In particular family entertainment centres and bingo clubs, and bring benefits to the local communities which they are an important part of.”

We all want some of that.

But, hold on a minute – actually, a lot longer than a minute. Probably months, more likely a year plus. 

So keen is the gambling minister to help FECs that she’s setting up – yes, another consultation. 

You’d think we would have drained the consultation reservoir dry, but no, BT has managed to fill it up again – unfortunately, with the tears of an industry worn out by the consultation procedure.

She wrote: “The Government recognises the importance of family entertainment centres to many communities across the country, especially seaside communities. We also appreciate that the FEC sector’s gross gambling yield is lower than it was before COVID-19. We want to see these venues thrive, not just survive. In light of this, we plan to launch a review into stakes and prizes for Category D gaming machines, to understand whether a change to maximum stakes or maximum prizes, which, with the exception of penny pusher machines, have not been adjusted since 2009, would be an appropriate way to support the sector. We intend to consult on these measures over the summer.”

Unusually for the UK, it’s going to be one of the longest summers we’ve ever endured.

And bingo clubs too – they’re also invited to the summer consultation party. Now here’s a line you probably haven’t heard from the minister – for at least a paragraph of the Twycross letter. She wrote, “the Government recognises that bingo clubs are valued parts of local communities”.

Oh, here we go, gentle platitudes … you’re gonna get shafted. 

And indeed they are: “We want to ensure that this integral part of the gambling sector is protected and that people across the country can continue to enjoy a visit to their local bingo hall,” Twycross wrote. “As part of this work, we intend as a first step to review the current licensing regime for bingo premises to enable targeted supportive measures to be taken for the bingo club sector in the future, and we intend to consult over the summer.”

What a summer this is turning out to be. 

But, one thing is for certain, it’s not going to be a good one for high street arcades. Baroness Twycross has been lobbied hard by the anti-gambling campaign groups – including her own MPs – and has decided to go down the dead-end road that over a dozen of her predecessors have already gone down over the last 5 years – each returning with little evidence to support further restrictions on AGCs.

Oddly, Twycross has made her decision prior to even starting her journey to enlightenment, and that decision is the 80/20 rule ruled out. 

She advised: “I also want to provide you with an update on the 80/20 rule. I appreciate that the arcade and bingo sector has been looking for certainty about the previous Government’s proposals to reform the 80/20 rule. I wanted to inform you that I will not be introducing any changes to the 80/20 rule this year. I recognise that this will be disappointing news but I am not ruling out moving forward with these changes in the future.”

In a somewhat tone deaf defence, Twycross completely ignored the economic hit facing the industry and added: “I would like to prioritise those sectors that I believe need the most support at this moment and the adult gaming centre has recovered well following Covid-19 and seen its gross gambling yield increase considerably over the last two years.”

It seems the minister isn’t aware of the economic crisis: NIC increases, business rates hikes, NMW up, rising energy energy costs. That Covid recovery is looking pretty shallow water in the current climate – high street AGCs need that light touch regulatory lift because some might not be around when the Baroness plans to pick up the 80/20 issue again. 

But she was adamant. “Without further assurance on how the sector mitigates these risks and upholds a high level of regulatory compliance, I cannot commit to making any deregulatory changes at this moment. However, I intend to look at the 80/20 rule again in September, which will allow officials to progress work related to bingo halls and FECs and give the arcade sector more time to show me how it protects its customers.

Really…how long is this constant consultation on the modernisation of the gambling industry going to take? What started out to be a review that would make gambling legislation fit for the digital age, is now being pushed back to pre-decimal times.

The previous government finally packaged the gambling review up last May and its recommendations were fully backed by the shadow DCMS team in the Labour Party at the time, some of whom are now there holding office. Is this how the new government, determined to cut bureaucracy and regulation, determined to steer regulatory bodies towards facilitating growth, and revive the high street and drive innovation, is planning to achieve all this?

Well quite frankly, this model for this industry is definitely not working.