Bacta president John Bollom with vice-president Joseph Cullin held a meeting yesterday with a shadow parliamentary team to discuss the future of the industry.
The meeting was a roundtable conference with a shadow DCMS contingent that was led by the shadow culture secretary Stuart Andrew (pictured) with the shadow gambling minister Louie French.
The meeting represented the trade association’s continued campaign of engagement with parliamentarians from both sides of the House.
Bollom told us: “Our shopping list comprises the key regulatory and compliance challenges facing the sector.
“We are frustrated with the Labour Government’s delayed implementation of the White Paper reforms in full. This is causing stagnation as businesses hold off on investment until we have clarity.
“These White Paper delays and rising business costs have made the need for a stake and prize review more urgent than ever. Other industries can increase prices to mitigate costs, but we are legally prohibited from doing so.
“We also discussed with them the ongoing review of technical standards. The retrospective application of measures could render thousands of machines illegal, costing operators thousands. It is potentially damaging across the gaming machine sector but could obliterate smaller businesses and seaside arcades.”
