The UK’s bingo halls and family entertainment center (FEC) operators have voiced growing frustration over the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and its delay in implementing a promised reform to the 80/20 rule governing slot machine allocations.
Under the current framework, Category D (low-stake, non-cash prize machines) must account for 80 percent of machines in certain premises, with Category B3 or C machines (higher-stake slots) limited to just 20 percent. The proposed adjustment, long supported by the British Amusement Catering Trade Association (BACTA), would eliminate the ratio to allow for greater flexibility and commercial viability.
BACTA’s CEO, John White, criticized the lack of follow-through: “We have been assured for months that change is coming, yet here we are — operators are investing, adapting, and still playing by outdated rules that hurt recovery.” The group emphasizes that without reforms, many FECs and arcades are unable to modernize or generate sufficient income, especially post-COVID and amid ongoing inflation pressures.
This regulatory stagnation, they argue, contradicts the UK government’s pledge to revitalize the entertainment and leisure sector as part of its broader gambling review.
Industry stakeholders now fear that continued delays could result in closures or reduced reinvestment, especially in seaside arcades, a longstanding British cultural staple. As summer approaches — a critical period for arcade revenue — operators are calling for immediate clarity and implementation, urging DCMS to finalize and enforce the long-anticipated update.
