Is it the end of the line for the end-of-the-pier arcade?

The history of the slot machine has been a long one. It was back in California in 1894 that a young engineer called Charles Fey invented the “Liberty Bell” and a craze was born. It was a craze that quickly spread first across America and then across the globe.

But today the world of the traditional slot machine is under as websites like https://www.winkslots.com/ offer hundreds of different slot games and the chance to play them wherever there’s an internet connection.

The runaway popularity of mobile gaming has also fueled the process with most online slots playable on smartphones and tablets too. Plus, with online jackpots now far higher than any that a simple arcade slot will provide, it’s not hard to see why the exodus to these sites is well under way.

A taste of tradition

To understand the world that the online slots may be poised to replace, you have to go back to Victorian Britain, before any such thing as a new-fangled slots game reached our shores.

This saw the establishment of many of our biggest seaside resorts at places like Rhyl, Prestatyn and Porthcawl. Traditionally, these were places where workers could enjoy a week or two of sand, sea and, hopefully, sun as an escape from their year-round labors.

All kinds of amusements were laid on from music-hall shows on the pier to early amusement arcades featuring “what the butler saw” machines and other diversions.

As time moved on and other, more sophisticated, machines were created, dedicated amusement arcades started to appear. Offering a wide range of games that could be played for just a penny, the focus was very much on having fun rather than winning a great deal of money.

Incidentally, these arcades were also good places to shelter when the Welsh summer sun turned to wind and rain. The fact that people were only playing with pennies also meant that they could make a few shillings last for several hours.

Amusement arcades have been popular in seaside town resorts in the UK for many years.

The move online

Even though there are still plenty of arcades to choose from somewhere like Prestatyn, the emergence of online alternatives meant that the slightly old-fashioned entertainment centres started to fall out of favour.

The fact that online sites put so much effort into encouraging new players also had a major effect. By publicising themselves widely, offering every generous welcome bonuses for new players and even running loyalty schemes, they’ve been onto a real winner.

Add to this a far wider choice of games that even the biggest and most successful of arcades can offer and it’s easy to see the overall appeal.

Then there’s the fact that games can be played wherever there’s an internet connection, in cafes, bars and even the holidaymakers’ hotels. For many, these make a pleasant, and quiet, alternative to the noisy and busy arcades of yesteryear.

There’s also the chance to win a big cash prize – big enough to finance a holiday to somewhere much more exotic than at a slightly down-at-heel UK seaside resort.

With the technological revolution of the internet, online slots can now be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection.

Some traditions never die

That said, many resorts not just in Wales, but all over the UK, are enjoying a resurgence in popularity. With it, arcades are also having a second lease of life.

It’s hard to say what exactly lies behind the renewed popularity of seaside holidays, but a great deal has to do with nostalgia. Parents think back, maybe through rose-tinted glasses, to their own childhood holidays by the sea and want to provide the same for their own children.

Add to this the expense, and hassle, of going abroad, especially with little ones, and it’s easy to see why staycations are proving to be so popular.

This has meant that the resorts themselves, supported by local councils, have started to smarten themselves up considerably and greater steps are being taken to create cleaner beaches, too.

For proof that this is working in regenerating these resorts, you only have to look at somewhere like Abersoch. This very popular destination for both Welsh holidaymakers and visitors from the North-West of England is booming.

In 2018, it was reported that one of its beach huts had sold for £160,000, more expensive, per square foot, than buying a flat in London’s most exclusive areas.

The question is whether this seaside gentrification will be a lifeline for arcades or if it means they will be squeezed out, maybe to make room for bars, restaurants, and the other facilities that holidaymakers need.

The signs are good for online

Logically, this means that online slots operators should be rubbing their hands in anticipation that even more players are on their way.

They will be rewarded with a far wider range of slots games than even the biggest of arcades can manage to offer, not to mention more complex types of game. Then there are all those other benefits already mentioned like convenience and the chance to win big.

But, as we’ve seen, amusement arcades have come through tough times in the past and continue to survive, even thrive.

Today, more and more of the slots they have are video versions which are very similar to the online version and much more engaging to play than the old-style spinning reels.

So we can expect them to make a counter attack to keep the holiday makers coming into the arcades  And that means a seaside treat as typical as sticks of rock and fish and chips on the prom will continue to be very much alive.