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The Stinger Report #1252 - UK Amusement Trade Spectacular
Leading investors should note the convergence of key industry events signaling robust market vitality and evolving trends. The recent UK-specific ACOS’25 showcased innovation in prize machines, music games, and networked racing simulators, highlighting a focus on entertainment diversity and technological refinement amid regulatory discussions on music licensing. Meanwhile, North American trade shows are set to intensify with IAAPA’25, promising insights into emerging Social Entertainment brands and expansion strategies. The industry’s resilience is underscored by the passing of influential leader Paul Williams of SEGA Amusement International, whose legacy of strategic growth and leadership continues to shape the sector. These developments indicate a dynamic landscape characterized by technological innovation, regulatory adaptation, and strategic consolidation, offering fertile ground for investment opportunities aligned with evolving consumer entertainment preferences and operational efficiencies.
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This is the Stinger Report, issue number 1252, UK Amusement Trade Spectacular by Kevin Williams. Continuing our rundown of the developments leading up to the end of the year show events, the perfusion of major events containing only a matter of days after BLE 25, with the hospitality show 2025 taking place in Denver, Colorado. This event would see a contingent from the amusement trade in North America attend, as well as major discussions regarding new social entertainment brands being proposed to open in the territory. But many of these developments will have to wait for our IAAPA 25 coverage in the coming weeks. London's Special Amusement. October ended with the Autumn Coin Ops Show ACOS 2025 in London, marking the 10th anniversary of what has become an important distributor-operator direct sales two-day event, held at the ILEC Conference Center near the once influential Earl's Court exhibition space. A COS is a vital lifeline in supplying new machines for the winter and New Year section of the UK trade, including the all-important prizes and support aspects of the business. The UK Trade Association, BACTA playing a key part in supporting the 26 exhibitors at the event. Exhibitors included JNC Sales, who had the new Chinese racer, Furious Speed DX, from Rainbow Boy Technology, the latest in their racing series, imported into the West by JNC and represented by Amusement Source International in North America. JNC, in partnership with Rainbow Boy, have also curated an exclusive UK tailored game software, with this version due in December 2025. At ACOS 25, the game was shown in a 70% complete state. The twin-screen motion seat racer offers a major value for money option on the competitive deluxe racers in the category. The version shown at the show has still to receive a software update and improvement in controls favoring Western norms. The gameplay was strong and offered a four-player network racing version. Well-known Sega Amusement International, SAI, had a standard presence from the distributor and developer, as many exhibitors focused on their prize machine and crane business. They had the previously released on-target physical shooting gallery game and the racer Apex Rebels. The company was in a sombre mood regarding the recent loss of their CEO. We will comment on the impact of this recent passing of the corporation's founder later. Regarding the UK show, it was interesting that Bandai Namco Amusement Europe decided not to have a presence. That said, across town the MCM London Comic Con 2025 took place at Excel, and Bandane Namco had an extensive presence promoting their Gashapon and branded toy and video game range, with even some classic amusement presence. Priorities Priorities, back at Earl's Court, and another ACOS 25 exhibitor included United distributing company UDC, along with a crowded booth of the latest prize machines, new generation coin pusher platforms, including the impressive Galaxy Hunter system, developed by Chinese manufacturer Playmore. Music games were on the Ascendance, the company representing the Chinese release Dance Show 120Hz from Axir. UDC already has the system on test at a holiday park arcade in the UK. The touchscreen and button rhythm game has a strong following from the Western players and is expected to be popular. Likewise, SAI has taken the plunge to launch the MyMai Touchscreen Rhythm Music Game Originator in the States, avoiding the UK for the time being. How much music licensing issues will play in this decision we await to see. Another music game on the UDC stand was Step Revolution latest Step Mania X series. The company has celebrated its 5,271st overall order for their innovative dance stage platform. Amusement business and music licensing was a subject of discussion during the show, with representatives from the new Fair Copyright Licensing Alliance, FCLA Ltd. A newly minted company created to help companies navigate the complicated waters surrounding copyright licensing, saving them money, specifically concerning payment of rights fees and particularly liaising with PRS slash PPL, such as for music used within entertainment facilities and regarding specific products in the entertainment venue business. This support mechanism, staffed by a specialist copyright lawyer, bringing clarity to a murky situation. And it is hoped that many operators in the UK will be able to approach the deployment of popular music game machines in their facility without qualms regarding their legality. Harry Levy and Crown Direct presented a wide selection of their third-party amusement and gaming machines they support their UK operator base with. This included new IP-heavy titles such as Hot Wheels Ultimate Speedway and Angry Birds, Wacka Mole Redemption, along with the ICEE Slush Rush. These titles, along with other at ACOS 25, echoing the importance of branded product, as we covered previously in our brand licensing expo 2025 report. While electrocoin sales represented, along with a selection of prize machines, redemption was showing with the new Pop Shooter, along with the new Mr. Doos Football Frenzy Redemption. Also promoted their partnership with Stern Pinball with their Jaws and X-Men tables. The company also represented Intercard Payment Platform and the Galileo ticket system, as well as a new concept with links to the past with the Color Map Plus prize game. Electrocoin is a loyal supporter of the Stinger Report, which we would like to thank them and their team for their continued involvement with our service. Other pinball that was being presented at the two-day event was from Game Payment Technology, showing the Star Wars Stern pinball platform running their payment infrastructure. One observation across all the booths of the show that were focused on amusement rather than gaming or services was the perfusion of capsule machines of various configurations, as well as the new style mini-claw machines, hoping to offer entertainment for younger audiences with colorful, collectible prizes. The show an important locus to the seaside and peer amusement trade, looking to their winter and 2026 business. In conclusion, coming so soon after IAAPA Europe, the ACOS 25 event was a valuable opportunity for UK operators to check out new releases and fill order books, releases needed to fill venue spots. An aspect of the operators' side of the business less glamorous than just covering the latest tech trends, but vital to profitability. The event also offered a great opportunity to test the temperature of the UK amusement trade and to share the latest observations during a vibrant and popular evening mixer held by the organizers, proving a great success and harked back to the days when the industry focused on the social aspects of business. The key takeaway was the concern for the UK government's imminent new taxation on leisure, amusement, and gaming, and how this would impact the business. Also discussed was the coming 2026 show season with EAG in January, and the expected impact on this event in the shadow of Ayapa Europe moved to the same Excel venue some eight months later. The London local is not the cheapest of venues for amusement trade exhibitors, hotel, transportation, and sundries, and under the current financial conditions, some companies were having to make a difficult decision between the January or September events to allocate their resources. Passing of industry veteran, speaking of Seeger, and we write this coverage following the sad news of the passing of Paul Williams, the ex-CEO and founder of Seeger Amusement International. We at the Stinger Report had known Paul since he had started in the London amusement scene. Thanks to an excellent piece by Replay Magazine and our contacts with Paul and those close to him, we would like to give a rundown of his influence on the modern amusement trade. Paul had come from a career in the nightclub sector, rising to an executive position with first leisure. It was from this position of experience he joined the then Sega Europe Company, the satellite operation of the venerable Japanese Amusement and Video Game Corporation. He would be involved directly with the Sega World Indoor Attraction Facility operations, both the London flagship as well as several smaller amusement sites under the Sega Park brand. We remember our first involvement with him during the time of Sega Europe's location at Park Avenue. He would establish strong links with the Japanese operation and would also move through the corporation, finally driving the SEGA Amusements Europe operation, and in 2021 would be the lead in a management buyout of the group towards being an independent amusement distributor under the licensed Sega brand. This would see the reconsolidation of the fractured Sega Amusement America operation, all under the Sega Amusement International SAI brand, establishing the parent Kaizen Entertainment Group. Along with this, SAI would acquire the Funbox operation and opening amusement units zone, developed and populated by the Group for Gravity and Super Bowl UK, to name just two. Following the impact of poor health, Paul had taken the decision to move away from his key role, retiring from SAI only a few weeks before his passing, but ensuring to put in place a strong new executive team to carry on his legacy and see the continued growth of the Kaizen operation, underpinning his leading characteristic of strong leadership and an accessible business style built on respect by many. He will be missed, and we wish all those touched by him well during this difficult time. Another of those that had dealings with Paul from that time was electrocoin sales legend John Sturgeides, commenting, I met Paul in the 90s when he was involved in Trocadero. We met most recently last July at Funland in Russell Square for a chat and a coffee. As his health was not at the best, having our last communication on Friday, the 10th of October. A very sad, heartfelt message which will be with me forever. Paul was one of the gentlemen in our industry with a very progressive and energetic mind, and all of us in the industry will miss him. May God let him rest in peace.
