Newport’s High Street could soon be home to a casino-style adult gaming centre (AGC) if an application proposal is successful. Coopers Amusements Limited has applied to turn 93 High Street into a venue that houses slot machines and other casino-style games between 10 am and 10 pm seven days a week. The unit was previously a cafe, and this would represent a significant change in purpose.
It would also mark an exciting arrival to the island, with no physical casino present there currently. After years of speculation about the potential for casino gaming to be making its way to the Isle of Wight, enthusiasts are still required to travel to the mainland for their casino fix. However, this new development could be the start of a gaming revolution on the island.
But is there a market for casino gaming in the Isle of Wight and the UK as a whole? And does this represent a wider trend across the country?
The Digital Casino Industry Pushing Gaming Forward
It has to be said that over the last three decades, there has been a major change in the way casino gaming is represented in the UK. In 2007, Labour were reportedly considering building supercasinos across the UK as the industry was largely seen as something belonging to the Vegas-style of venue. However, the internet and the surge in mobile internet availability have changed that somewhat.
Now, rather than an industry dominated by glitzy venues, many interact with gaming through the means of an online casino. Here, players are able to choose from all the different table games and slots that you would expect in any venue, but without having to set foot in one. On top of that, these casinos now often include live casino games, where a real dealer manages the game through a live stream, meaning players can get an authentic experience at home.
Because of this, it’s been quite clear that the industry is trending towards a digital-first method of approaching casino gaming. The supercasinos of the 2000s never materialised and communities like the Isle of Wight were left without any form of physical gaming. However, this isn’t to say that the idea of brick-and-mortar venues is dead – instead, it shows that there is still a great desire for casino gaming in any form.
Rocketing Revenue Shows That There’s a Market for Casinos
Stats from the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) show an interesting set of trends. Despite the number of venues slightly decreasing year on year, the gross gambling revenue (GGR) in the country is growing. In the 2023-2024 window, for all forms of gambling, this sat at around £15 billion – a staggering amount by anyone’s standards.
In terms of the online gambling industry, that represented just under half of that figure. For online casino, betting, and bingo, the GGR is £6.9 billion. Again, this is impressive for the digital industry. However, it also shows that there is still a big market for physical venues. While the £15 billion does also include lotteries, it’s interesting to see that more than £8 billion in revenue exists outside of the online gambling sector.
Those figures show that the UK is still a nation of gamers who enjoy visiting real venues. To that end, a casino-style venue on the Isle of Wight would likely be a success. The community that lives here would have an extended range of leisure activities, and tourists could have an extra draw to the island. Given that tourist numbers have steadily dropped since 2019, this is of particular importance to consider.
Could this Venue Inspire a Casino Revolution on the Island?
Adult amusements of this kind are not new to Britain. At one point, almost every high street would have an Admiral games unit or something similar. But it has certainly been the case that numbers have declined as the internet has made it so easy to access these games at home and on the go.
The introduction of adult casino-style gaming to the island might be the signal of a resurgent market, though, amid changing trends in what people are seeking out from leisure. As more high streets look to become destination-based as online shopping decimates them, it could be that we see more gaming venues pop up.
For a community that has been starved of adult gaming, this could be what lights the touchpaper and starts a casino revolution. If it does, expect to see a number of different venues looking to establish a presence on the Isle of Wight.
