With the rise in the number of Adult Gaming Centres in the UK, many raise concerns that the venues use unethical marketing schemes to keep patrons playing for longer and exploit vulnerable players.
Adult Gaming Centers In the UK on the Rise
In Great Britain, the number of Adult Gaming Centres (AGCs) increased by 7% to 1,451 between 2022 and 2024, according to data from the Gambling Commission. This marks a reversal of the longer-term decline seen since 2010, as gambling habits shifted increasingly online. Since 2020, Merkur alone, a German-based gaming and gambling company popular in the UK, has launched 100 new locations and now operates over 230 venues across the UK, each filled with a variety of gaming machines.
Including competitors, there are now over 14,200 slot machines in Britain with a £2 ($2.50) maximum spin. Each machine generates approximately £32,600 ($40,750) in annual revenue from players, Gambling Commission data shows. That amounts to approximately £463 million ($579 million) nationwide, and the total exceeds £500 million ($625 million) when including the less frequently used £1 ($1.25)-per-spin machines as well.
Some Raise Concerns
The resurgence of AGCs has raised serious concerns among addiction specialists. Both digital and in-person slot machines are consistently ranked among the most high-risk gambling products, according to studies conducted in the past year for the Gambling Commission by researchers at the University of Glasgow.
Dr. Matt Gaskell, a consultant psychologist and clinical lead at the NHS Northern Gambling Service, emphasized that these machines are specifically designed for extended play, making harm an almost certain outcome. He warned that the growing presence of such machines on high streets is deeply troubling.
Merkur Comes Under Fire
Being quite popular in the UK, Merkur has also received a lot of criticism for allegedly exploiting vulnerable people, making them spend more time and money in their AGCs. Some anecdotal evidence says that staff at the company’s venues often provide regular doses of caffeine and sugar, carrying free coffee, chocolate bars, and sweets to customers in order for the latter to spend more time in the AGCs. Some Merkur locations are even equipped with small pizza ovens, which have the same goal.
Merkur’s customer data protection protocols have also been called into question in recent weeks. In March, Merkur was a victim of a large cyberattack, which resulted in a data leak, sparking concerns about the customer protection of the company.
One of the most recent issues raised regarding Merkur comes from its Stockport branch. According to some sources, the venue is currently under investigation by the regulator following a customer complaint that they were allowed to deposit nearly £9,000 ($11,250) and lose over £2,000 ($2,500) without any staff intervention to assess their gambling behavior.
The complaint also claims that the location was “single-staffed,” a practice generally avoided by high street betting operators due to concerns over employee and customer safety. According to the customer, when the lone staff member began the end-of-day cashing-up process, security protocols required the doors to be locked, effectively leaving the customer confined inside and, as they described it, “literally locked in the grip of gambling.”
Merkur has stated that it is cooperating with the Gambling Commission’s review of the customer’s complaint.