The adult gaming centres business in Northern Ireland is still waiting for a re-forming of the Stormont government, said NIACTA chairman Gerald Steinberg this week.
Steinberg, the mainstay of the Northern Ireland amusement and gaming machine industry for the past 55 years, is awaiting the opening of his 16th location next month, which will be at Newtownards, County Down. Steinberg is pictured here in his North Street, Belfast, location.
“We have fresh regulations on the way here,” he told Coin-op Community, “but with no current executive operating, they cannot be pushed through.” He was confident that the result would largely bring Northern Ireland into line with the rest of the UK.
“We do not operate under the British Gambling Commission,” he said. “But under our own Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusement Order, but that was issued in 1985 and therefore badly needs updating.”
For much of that time Steinberg has led his AGC and amusement arcade colleagues in the country through NIACTA, which continues to meet between four and six times each year - its AGM is set for July 4.
The veteran operator opened his first location at the seaside resort of Newcastle in 1968. It was then, and remains to this day, a family amusement arcade or FEC. His other locations, however, are all AGCs operated under Oasis Gaming, with managing director Martin Trimbleat its head.
There are six venues in Belfast, two in Ballymena, and one each in Bangor, Londonderry, Coleraine, Newtownabbey, Lisburn, Dundonald, one at Belfast International Airport and a head office in Mallusk. Additionally, Oasis operates a range of single site locations, in pubs, clubs and LBOs across the country.
All of the AGCs work with TITO and players enjoy a very popular loyalty programme.
“We don’t know exactly what the new regulations will contain,” said Steinberg, “but we are confident that the final result will include a regulator and will bring Northern Ireland’s AGCs, arcades, LBOs and bingo clubs largely into line with Great Britain.”
