Tim Miller Addresses BACTA Annual Convention

Tim Miller, executive director of the Gambling Commission, recently spoke at the British Amusement Catering Trade Association (BACTA) Annual Convention. 

Representing an important sector for British tourism and leisure, BACTA’s members manage family entertainment centers, arcades, and low-stakes gaming venues that are vital to UK pubs, venues, and local economies.

Miller began with a personal anecdote celebrating the cultural significance of BACTA venues. 

“Indeed, it’s worth reflecting that it was actually a family entertainment center that once gave me my ‘greatest Dad achievement,’” he joked. 

“That moment when your daughter looks at you like you’re a Marvel superhero because you managed to snare a Paw Patrol toy in a crane grabber, or as my girls like to call it ‘a non-complex cat D gaming machine.’”

“The Commission Takes Collaboration Very Seriously”

Shifting the focus to business, Miller emphasized the Commission’s commitment to collaboration. 

“The Commission takes collaboration very seriously, and we want to work with you to make gambling safer, fairer, and crime-free,” he said. 

While acknowledging the Commission’s broad enforcement powers, Miller stressed that cooperation often generates faster and more sustainable outcomes. 

“If you were to boil this down to one simple message, it would be: Don’t just check your policies and procedures are being followed, check that they work in practice.”

Proactive Problem-Solving

Regular roundtable discussions between BACTA and the Commission have facilitated proactive problem-solving, Miller explained. 

Compliance teams recently identified seven key indicators for addressing problem gambling at land-based venues: time indicators, spending, behavior, use of gambling management tools, customer-led contact, play indicators, and big wins. 

The importance of evaluating staff interventions was also highlighted in Miller’s speech. “Without overall evaluation of a customer interaction approach, how does a business know it works and is achieving the objective of the license condition?”, he asked.

Recent regulatory changes include the introduction of test purchasing and Think 25 age verification policies to strengthen safeguards against underage gambling. 

Outlining Future Initiatives

Looking ahead, Miller outlined upcoming Commission initiatives, including proposals to regulate free bets and bonuses, empower customers through responsible gambling tools, and improve transparency around player funds. 

He also referenced the statutory levy as a forthcoming development.

Miller concluded with a call for continued partnership, calling Bacta members “a critical part of that work” and expressing the desire to “deliver high levels of compliance” and “a sustainable industry.”

The speech came as the Commission released its 2024 Young People and Gambling Report, highlighting trends in gambling among younger demographics.