Gaming halls in England often not inspected by local authorities
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16 Oct 2025 •
Reading time: 2 minutes Something strange is happening in England and Wales: almost half of all physical gaming halls were not inspected at all last year. This is according to figures from the BBC. They requested data via the British equivalent of a Freedom of Information request and came to a striking conclusion.
In 43% of the 317 municipalities with gambling licences, there has been no inspection whatsoever of so-called ‘adult gaming centres’. These slot machine halls are often located in neighbourhoods where people are already struggling financially. And it is precisely there that inspections are not being carried out.
Rules are being ignored while vulnerable people are at risk
The regulator warns that without checks, abuses can easily continue. Think of halls that have more slot machines than allowed or that do little to protect players. People with debts or addiction problems are particularly at risk.
The rules are there, but they are not always followed. According to Member of Parliament Iain Duncan Smith, they are too lax anyway. He believes that gambling halls are too quickly approved in neighbourhoods that already have enough problems.
Local authorities lack funds for supervision
The Local Government Association acknowledges that there are insufficient checks. They state that there is simply no funding available. Local authorities do receive some income from licences, but this does not cover the costs of proper inspections.
Nevertheless, there is hope that this will change. The British government is considering stricter rules. These include fewer licences in areas where there are already many gambling venues and higher fees to pay for more inspections.
Industry fiercely defends itself and rejects criticism
The industry association Bacta disagrees. According to them, their members comply with the rules. They say that the halls are safe, do not serve alcohol and only allow low stakes. According to Bacta, additional restrictions would destroy investment and employment in shopping streets.
Nevertheless, doubts are growing. This is because gambling turnover in these halls has skyrocketed. In 2023-2024, £463 million was gambled, which is 76% more than two years earlier. And that is despite the fact that there are hardly any checks.
Meanwhile, we are seeing other developments in England. Slot machines there are slowly being made cashless, which may make supervision easier. But whether that will really solve the problems remains to be seen.Anyone wondering how it all started with slot machines should take a look at the story of Charles Fey, the man who built the very first slot machine. The contrast with how things are now is enormous.