Amusement Arcade Operators Hoping for a Miracle
You will not need me to tell you the world has become a very different place over the last few months, and many business and market sectors have seen a massive and devastatingly negative knock-on effect caused by the current health situation.
Places such as Amusement Arcades have of course been around for many years and have always been popular with families and individuals who fancied spending a little bit of time playing coin operated video games or even trying their luck playing fruit machines and slot machines in those venues.
However, many operators of such venues are now facing closure due to the massive downturn in business they have all experienced, but some are keeping the faith and hoping for a miracle in the year ahead and are praying that their businesses will be saved from closure.
Ways that the Government Could Help the Industry
It is of course the Government that could step in and offer help and support to any industry that has been negatively affected by the events of 2020, however when it comes to the gambling related businesses, that is one that they have always tended to shy away from helping.
However, with all Amusement Arcades being forced to close at various times during the year due to no fault of their own, then one would hope the Government would be prepared to act to help save those that are still in business this coming year.
What type of help could be deemed to be suitable for such businesses, well tax changes and by that I mean a reduction in tax payable on the income they generate, would go a long way to help some of them, also allowing for longer opening hours too, for many such venues are required to only open for a set number of hours, however that is often dictated to them by a Local Council or Local Authority.
VAT changes could also help Amusement Arcade operators too, however at the end of the day those venues are going to have to have a steady stream of customers to survive, and whilst that is something that is likely to happen in town and city centre based Amusement Arcades, those based at seaside costal resorts may not be so lucky.
There could also be some changes to the stakes and prize limits that slot and fruit machines can be operated at, but once again the Government may not want to be seen to increase the likelihood of problem gambling.
However, the UK Gambling Commission does already have a set of responsible gambling rules and regulations in place to protect the vulnerable in other gambling related market sectors such as GamStop and Non GamStop Casinos as recommended by Online Casino UK Helper , so they could instigate a similar industry wide self-exclusion services to those experiencing gambling problems in Amusement Arcades.
Reduced of Investment in New Machines
One way that any Amusement Arcade operator is often going to keep their customers happy and coming back for more so to speak is by investing in new slot and fruit machines. However, it is often a case of where they are based and operate from as to whether they do need a constant stream of new machines.
Those that are based in a town and city for example will have a customer base that remains more or less the same month after month, and as such they tend to shy away from buying new machines, as their customers often have their own personal favourites from those on offer and will not be too happy to see those machines removed.
Coastal seaside Amusement Arcades however do face a lot of competition, and as such it is those that do tend to ensure they have the very latest machines on offer, and sadly one thing that is bound to happen next year is that many of them are not going to have the funds to invest in new machines.
It is always going to be the survival of the fittest, and whilst some Amusement Arcade operators will have the financial resources to see them through until things start to change for the better, some are going to be faced with no other option than to close.
That will see many seaside towns having a completely different landscape, with places such as Blackpool for example having much fewer arcades located up and down the Golden Mile.