Bacta's new leadership team steps up as UK gambling reforms loom
Just as the rulebook gets ready for a rewrite, Bacta’s new leadership walks onto the floor, sleeves rolled, timing impeccable, and stakes rising. As machine entitlements increase, cashless systems near approval, and tougher player protections loom, Bacta’s new leadership faces a complex, politically sensitive road ahead.
The members elected Joseph Cullis of Windmill Leisure as the new President, and appointed Jeremy Godden, Managing Director of Godden Gaming, Vice President. Both secured their positions unopposed. The British Amusement Catering Trade Association marks a generational shift by appointing them, as modernisation and regulatory change redefine the UK amusement sector.
In exclusive comments to SiGMA News, President-Elect Joseph Cullis shared insights into Bacta’s priorities, challenges, and vision ahead of taking up the role on 17 June 2025. Their term begins against a backdrop of mounting scrutiny. Delays to the Gambling White Paper, rising concern over Adult Gaming Centres (AGCs), and a raft of new technical standards have left operators looking to Bacta for clarity and leadership. That need became more urgent following the self-exclusion failures highlighted in a recent SiGMA News article about a Bradford arcade breach, which exposed the risks of inconsistent venue compliance.
Inside Bacta’s new leadership agenda
Cullis steps up from his previous role as Vice President, succeeding John Bollom, who returned to lead Bacta in 2023 and helped restructure and modernise the organisation. Cullis praised Bollom’s legacy and confirmed he intends to build on that foundation.
Bacta’s new leadership team will focus on steering members through the major reforms outlined in the Gambling White Paper. These include the introduction of cashless payments, increased machine entitlements, updated player protection measures, and technical reform across the land-based sector.
“Bacta’s top priority is to see the full implementation of the Gambling White Paper reforms, especially the modernisation of gaming machine ratios in high street and seaside arcades,” said Joseph Cullis, Bacta President-Elect.
“The decision rests with the Gambling Minister, who has said she will look at this in September, and we are actively engaging with her and her officials to demonstrate the high standards of social responsibility our industry has always practiced.”
Elections are also underway for Bacta’s 20-seat Amusement Council and three Past President roles on the National Council. These outcomes will shape how Bacta’s new leadership team builds its internal strategy and lobbying presence.
Reforms, resistance, and renewal
The technical reforms awaiting implementation will significantly reshape how players interact with machines. The Gambling Commission’s consultation suggests new standards, such as default time and monetary limits, mandatory breaks after reaching thresholds, and restrictions on celebratory sounds for minor wins. Players must also see their session duration and current position.
“Bacta has just submitted its submission to the technical standards review. This details the enormous costs of imposing the new technical standards on both existing and new games and machines. These costs are unaffordable,” Cullis said. “Operators would be forced to dump existing machines which can’t be upgraded and implement a raft of new systems. We have suggested a number of proposed amendments which we believe will help the Gambling Commission meet its objectives while being affordable to the industry.”
Cashless implementation, he added, remains a top priority once the Minister gives the go-ahead. He added,
“Once the Minister gives the green light, we are committed to working closely with the Gambling Commission to ensure it is introduced in a socially responsible way — always mindful of the need to ensure player protections.”
As outlined in a recent SiGMA News piece on slot machines and postcode targeting, the introduction of digital payments adds to the complexity of implementing reforms that protect vulnerable communities without penalising operators.
Can Bacta’s new leadership balance modernisation with tradition?
Bacta’s new leadership faces more than technical reform. It must also protect the cultural identity of Britain’s land-based gambling sector.
“Arcades are a treasured part of British cultural life and often run by family businesses like my own as well as larger companies,” said Cullis. “They are as equally as important to the continued vibrancy of the high street as well as the seafront. My objective is to protect and promote the arcade sector. We’ve always innovated and will continue to do so. Reform is desperately needed to allow us to continue to evolve in a fast-changing technological environment.”
As explored in our recent report on regulations threatening British arcades, many smaller operators fear the cost and complexity of reform could push them out of business. Cullis, himself a seaside operator, acknowledged this concern.
“As a small seaside operator myself, I can see the significant opportunities that the Gambling White Paper reforms will bring to the whole sector, unlocking the growth that the Labour Government is seeking,” he said. “I am delighted that the Gambling Minister has accepted an invitation to visit both seaside and high street arcades this month to see for herself the vital contribution they make to local economies.”
What success could look like for Bacta’s new leadership
Cullis and Godden have pledged to promote and protect their members across every front. But for Bacta’s new leadership team, success will depend on more than favourable reform: it will hinge on how well they can maintain a united front across a sector that is increasingly fragmented by technology, geography, and public perception.
“Our members offer fun to millions of British people every year. Long may that continue in the next decade,” said Cullis.
“I want to see a sector which is free to compete with online and not hamstrung by outdated regulation and legislation. That’s why the Gambling White Paper reforms are so crucial.”
The challenge now is to ensure reform doesn’t divide the industry but equips it to evolve together.
