In preparing a few notes for the Euromat Summit in Barcelona (May 26) it occurred to me that in 2018 the AWP machine will celebrate its 50th birthday. That also meant that in 2017 I celebrate 50 years in this industry. "Celebrate"?

It was in 1968 that the AWP as we know it – or used to know it, for today’s limited payout machine is certainly not an "amusement with prizes" – was first officially sanctioned. Since then it has spread across Europe and today there are around a million of them between the west coast of Ireland and the farthest point of the Czech Republic.

The question for later this week is “Does the AWP have a future in Europe?” It will be interesting to hear what the expert speakers say – and of course the considerable experience in the market place which will be encompassed within the conference chamber.

Ostensibly, one might question that there can be any doubts about the future of the backbone of today’s street market. We are comfortable with a sector of gaming machines with which we are totally familiar. I would question that, however, and will do so on Thursday.

Legislative threats of course are always there; so are fiscal penalties. Those elements are something with which the industry is well practised at fending off, but if we step back and take a critical look at today’s AWP, it has threats from within. There are now so many factions, derivatives and alternatives appearing in our high street pubs and arcades, right across Europe, to test the AWP’s authority. Especially when they are often currently out-performing the more traditional game.

Who wants to put money on the AWP being replaced by other forms of street market machine gaming within the next 10 years? I wouldn’t.