The Gambling Commissions new Chairman Philip Graf is also being interviewed in this edition what advice would you like to give him with regard to his role when it comes to Bingo? I would like to congratulate and welcome the new chairman to the Industry and wish him all the best in this fantastic industry. I hope we can all work together in resolving a number of long standing issues and moving the industry forward. A couple of questions that I feel the industry would be interested in having answered.
Since the introduction of the Gambling Commission licensing and regulatory costs for the industry have gone up by a factor of 12. How do you measure the effectiveness of the new Commission against the old Gaming Board and do you believe that you provide value for money?
For thirty years we had a triennial review process for stakes and prizes within the gaming industry. The last government did away with it and said that the review process would be conducted on an ad hoc basis. Since then numbers of gaming machines manufactured in the UK have fallen from 85’000 a year to around 12’000 and thousands of jobs have been lost. In addition, obtaining any change in stakes and prizes has become a tortuous and politically charged process. Do you believe that a formal triennial review process should be reintroduced?
How many slots does the Bingo have and do you have any plans to increase this? We currently operate a machine estate of 270, this amount has been pretty consistent for the last 4 years, and although we expect major changes in the product and offers I feel the number of cabinets will remain +/- 10 % of our current estate.
What are the future development plans for Cricklewood?
Last financial year along with the rest of the sector we contrived to have two Winter’s and a World Cup so I am confident that the business ‘like for likes’ this year should be
encouraging. In addition some of our other operational strategies are working well for us and we are currently operating nicely over last year admissions figures with every income area in healthy growth again. Later this year we intend to re-develop our smoking area into a Las Vegas themed area, Cricklewood is like the Forth Bridge and change never stops. There are many other plans to continuously improve/update different areas but if I told you what they were I might have to kill you!
When did you decide the Bingo industry was going to be your career, and what were the reasons?
As a young man of 20 years old, I applied for what I thought was a trainee manager’s position at a Night Club, in-fact when I turned up for the interview it was a bingo hall in Doncaster. Having got over the initial shock I rapidly worked my way though the management grades to become a general manager at the tender age of 22. The industry fascinated me from day one and it still does; no 2 days are ever the same in this business and fortune favours the brave! The industry was made for people with an entrepreneurial spirit and I like to think that I am one of them.
How did you find the transition from your previous Bingo operation to Beacon Bingo?
Nothing can prepare you to manage the Beacon Cricklewood; it’s a big business and one that requires a strong hand on the tiller. Business decisions I make here are bigger, marketing and promotions budgets are bigger and must be more aggressive, and then there is the smaller matter of managing a staff of 120 in North London! But, this is also the most enjoyable club to manage, and definitely the most fun. Both my staff and my customers expect the management team to be on top of their game, all the time. In essence you have to be confident and very clear about exactly what you want and what you are doing are doing as any weakness in your management skills will be quickly exposed.
Bingo Life 11
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