Ice 2019: what lies ahead after the FOBT stake reduction

Lorraine Archibald, the Racing Post/SIS Betting Shop Manager of the Year, came to Ice for the first time from her Ladbrokes shop in Newtownards, Northern Ireland. This is her diary entry from the third and final day of the event

Obviously a main talking point at Ice on Thursday and indeed betting shops all over Britain and Ireland, was the outbreak of equine flu. In my own shop in Newtownards, for instance, the word came that there was an immediate negative impact.

The SIS team on their Ice stand were however emphasising the 'back-up' content in place, citing live action from Thurles, Hong Kong, Dubai, Chantilly, India and Chile plus a full greyhound service of eight meetings as well as an abundance of virtual action.

It was the final day of the Ice exhibition and with April 1 approaching fast, I couldn’t leave without paying a visit to those who may be able to shine a light on what lies ahead after the FOBT stake reduction is introduced.

Inspired Entertainment is a prominent global games technology company who supply virtual sports and digital content to betting and gaming operators around the world. Lee Gregory, Inspired’s Chief Commercial Officer, informed me that they are currently working to mitigate the impact of the £2 maximum stake by developing even more immersive and engaging content for customers.

Rewards in the form of free play and new slots offerings will hopefully offset some of the damage the new staking limit will inevitably bring to the industry. We can but surmise the impact this decision will have on our business and although high staking spins and high roller play will be no more, there will be plenty of exciting new content and features for players to enjoy.

Some forecasts indicate that a certain percentage of players may not migrate to alternative games or products which leads me to hold concerns that they may simply turn to online. Not only does this jeopardise the ability of some betting shops to continue to operate, there will be no friendly staff to carry out those all important responsible gambling interactions.

Located at the opposite side of the ExCeL are SG Gaming, who are a leading provider of gaming solutions for betting shops, arcades and bingo sectors in the UK, delivering innovative content and technology. Their team were on hand to showcase the fantastic developments they have made to their existing player favourites with plenty of new offerings ready to go.

Head of Content Strategy Mark Purdy talked me through the new slick, user-friendly menu with diverse content boasting enhanced play, super spins and many more developments in the pipeline to provide customers with plenty of engaging and enjoyable gameplay.

I came away from both companies with a positive outlook for the industry after the stake reduction is applied, as continuous innovation finds new exciting ways to help drive business, entertain customers and secure a future for the high street betting shop.

As the day draws to a close and the plug is finally pulled on Ice 2019, there’s only one thing left to say: thank you all, it’s been a blast!

Ice 2020 will be back at the ExCeL next year, and February 4-6 are the dates to note

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