Fifth generation arcade owner David Cain has called on UK holidaymakers to visit seaside amusements this summer, telling the BBC that the “very special” sector is in danger of dwindling without continued support.
Playtime Amusements owner David Cain has urged UK holidaymakers to visit the country’s seaside arcades this summer, in order to ensure the “very special” sector continues to provide good-value family entertainment for all.
The fifth-generation arcade owner told the BBC the industry is “struggling” in the face of rising operational costs and prohibitive regulation, with the Centre for Economics and Business Research reporting that sector-wide turnover has fallen by 25 percent since 2015.
“You can have such a good time in the UK at the seaside,” Cain told reporters. “You don’t need to go and spend lots of money elsewhere. Whatever’s in your pocket – it will last most of the day.”
“I would love nothing more than to keep the business going. The combination of arcades, ice cream, fish and chips by the seaside is quite rare – it’s very special.”
The Centre for Economics and Business Research’s most recent report found that arcades generated £804m in turnover and supported more than 14,000 jobs during 2024, however the sector “has been under sustained pressure.”
Professor Alan Meades, a long-term arcade advocate at Canterbury Christ Church University, added that many UK amusement venues are “in a really difficult place right now.”
“It’s become less and less easy for them to make a profit or even to kind of keep running,” he said.
“We would definitely lose something if we lost the amusement arcade from the British seaside. None of us really know what we have until it no longer exists.”
Echoing calls by trade bodies such as Bacta for a review of rules around stakes and prizes, Meades added updates to legislation would mean arcades could “better respond to inflationary costs.”
Brighton Palace Pier CEO Anne Ackord also extolled the value of the traditional arcade, telling the BBC: “I remember as a child many years ago going to a seaside arcade and carrying my pennies. It’s good family fun. It keeps families together.”
“We need to focus very much on the tourism economy – our seasides are an integral part of that.”
Seaside special
David Cain said.. “I would love nothing more than to keep the business going. The combination of arcades, ice cream, fish and chips by the seaside is quite rare – it’s very special…
Originally published on Coinslot on April 28, 2026. Republished with permission.