The number of adult gaming centres and average number of gaming machines found in such locations in the UK has continued to fall, the UK Gambling Commission’s latest figures show.
As at September 30, there were 495 AGC licences and 158 family entertainment centre licences held by 532 operators. In March there were 499 AGC and 170 FEC licences, while in March 2012 there were 547 and 213, respectively.
At the end of September, the total number of AGC premises stood at 1,475, down from 1,595 at the end of the third quarter of this year and the 2,247 reported in March 2012.
The number of FECs, meanwhile, was 297, compared with 326 at the end of March. In March 2014, this figure stood at 387.
The average number of gaming machines (Categories B3, B4, C and D) in AGCs has fallen 16 per cent since 2011. Between April 2014 and March 2015, the average total number of machines was 49,031, compared with 58,496 between April 2010 and March 2011.
Gross gaming yield generated by machines in the AGC sector has also dipped from the £315.88m recorded between April 2010 and March 2011, to £303.63m between April 2014 and March 2015.
The average total number of licensed FEC machines (Category C and D) in April 2014 to March 2015 was 25,115, down from 29,489 five years earlier. Gross gaming yield was down over the five-year period, but at £68.03m was higher than a year earlier (£67.18m).
