BACTA, the trade association that represents British arcades and gaming machine suppliers, has established a new ‘technical standards working group’.
The group, BACTA says, has been designed to inform, recommend and update regulatory stakeholders on industry developments and best practices related to machine gaming standards and developments.
Led by Alan Claypole, the current Head of Product Development at Blueprint Gaming, the group will also be supported by Reflex Gaming CPO Matt Ingram, who has taken the position of Vice-Chair.
BACTA has called on all UK-licensed gaming machine manufacturers and operators across both gambling and hospitality to participate in the directives of the working group, which will be backed by the guidance of the Gambling Business Group.
“The recent emergence of land-based digital gaming has introduced new technologies, applications and enhanced player experiences into the gaming industry,” said Claypole.
“It would now seem appropriate to review the existing BACTA industry standards. Therefore, in the short term the main objective of the Working Group will be to revise, expand and enhance the current standards.
“The Working Group will have a very good amount of knowledge and experience from across the gaming industry, I look forward to working with the members”.
BACTA CEO John White underscored the group’s ‘big programme of work’, which will launch at a time when gaming’s technical standards and safeguards will be put under the spotlight by the government’s review of the 2005 Gambling Act.
The working group will form a new approach in how the UK gaming machine sector and its operating procedures are represented to regulatory actors.
White said: “Until now the industry standards were ably curated by Bos Anderson Director of Technology at Bell-Fruit Games and Bob Lawrence who was formerly at Barcrest but who is now retired.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bos and Bob enormously for their hard work over the years. The fact that many of these industry standards have been successfully employed in machines over many many years is testament to their work. Bos will shortly be leaving the industry and we wish him well for the future.”