Interview with Nick Harding, incoming EAG chairman
All trade shows should have so passionate an advocate as Nick Harding. As he explains in the following interview, he was summoned out of retirement to help jump-start the London Casino & Gaming Show. Intended as a cozier, quieter alternative to ICE Barcelona, it provides bespoke charm with all the attractions of being in London still. It’s quite a gear-shift for Harding from the coffee business, but he sounds perfectly caffeinated and ready to go. His conversation with Publisher Peter White has been edited for clarity. They began with current events in the United Kingdom, where the long-awaited White Paper on Gambling has survived a change in administrations and parties at 10 Downing Street.
How will the British government’s White Paper on Gambling affect the industry?
With the proposed relaxation in casino rules for the land-based sector published in the White Paper, in April 2023, operators are actively gearing up and making alterations to their 1968 Act premises, to accommodate the proposed increase from 20 to 80 slot machines, on a ratio of five-to-one slots per live table, based on premises, size permitting. This proposed change opens the door to more slot machine suppliers to enter the UK market and offer the operators more of a mix. Therefore, the timing of the London Gaming Show is the opportunity for new suppliers to exhibit their wares direct into this soon-to-be-growing market.
What has been the feedback to date?
The most recent ‘mood music,’ in the form of a speech given by Baroness Twycross (the UK gambling minister) to the Gamble Aware Conference, was positive with regard to the casino sector. She described the current changes to regulation being requested by casino operators as ‘modest.’ As such, it is difficult to imagine that these changes to machine numbers and sports betting won’t be implemented early in 2025. The timing of the LCG show couldn’t be better, and the exhibition will provide a great showcase for manufacturers and suppliers.
How has 2024 been for you?
Officially, I retired at the beginning of lockdown, from full time work anyway. Since then I have been involved in a number of different businesses as an advisor or NED. One of these was a UK business growing and then selling coffee, which was fascinating.
A year ago, I was asked to join the newly restructured National Council of the trade association BACTA for a two-year term. Last spring, BACTA asked me to become the ‘Ambassador’ for the new London Casino & Gaming Show. That has now morphed into the position of vice chair of the company that owns the new show, EAG Ltd. So I have been quite busy and enjoying every minute.
Congratulations on your recent appointment.
Thank you. I have been involved with BACTA now for over 30 years and it is an organization that is very close to my heart. There is a sort of familial atmosphere in gaming businesses and associations that I haven’t encountered elsewhere, which makes them different. We have our squabbles and disagreements, like any family, but when the chips are down people rally round. Then, we definitely punch above our weight. At present, the whole gaming industry seems to be under attack from ‘the anti-lobby,’ who would like to see us closed down completely. They don’t acknowledge our legitimate position in the UK entertainment sector. Collectively we employ around 100,000 people and pay billions into the exchequer. We care very much about our social responsibilities, too.
Launching a new exhibition is never easy, though you have a fabulous, well-established venue that the casino industry is familiar with – along with partnering in the EAG show and the Social Immersive Entertainment show?
I suppose the short answer would be, Yes! But seriously, when we heard that ICE had decided to move to Barcelona, we felt that there must still be an appetite for a London show. We put out feelers in the UK and European casino sector, and there clearly was an appetite, so we set to it! In an ideal world, you need 18 months to plan and execute a new show. We had about half that but, as I have said before, we like a challenge. We have been pleased with the response from the large manufacturers and we are delighted to have been able to introduce a bit of theatre in the form of the UK Dealer Finals.
We are still getting enquiries from smaller, peripheral exhibitors, so I am happy that we are creating a real springboard in this inaugural LCG 2025 show. Of course, a lot of potential exhibitors had already signed up for ICE but we are hoping that they will consider us a serious option for 2026. I still feel personally that London has a lot more going for it than Barcelona. Whilst we are not trying to go head-to-head with ICE, nevertheless we do intend to present something which is more boutique, bijou and ambient, and which is on the Elizabeth Line.
Novomatic UK has one of the biggest booths at the London Casino & Gaming Show. Phil Burke has stated that the timing for the expo is perfect, as it is ahead of much-anticipated legal changes.
Timing is everything. Yes, the mood from government seems to be that license changes to casinos licensed under the 1968 Gaming Act will see a significant increase in machine entitlement. Naturally this will mean a significant increase in the market for machines in the UK. Phil is absolutely right: The LCG show will be the last exhibition in the UK before those changes are announced and, as such, machine managers are going to be eager to see what might be on offer and, I imagine, will be thinking about provisional orders ahead of the regulatory changes.
The London Casino & Gaming Show will provide specialist suppliers such as Uniforms by John Marks the opportunity of showcasing their products and services to the UK and to overseas casino operators. Are there specific sectors that currently are not represented in the supply and service sectors that could greatly benefit from involvement with the show?
Ideally we would like to see a mosaic of small, medium and large suppliers to the casino industry. Historically, small suppliers are wary of the cost of getting involved in a trade exhibition. We would like to change that and make our show and our offer as diverse and inclusive as possible. We are still able to do special introductory deals to smaller suppliers. Obviously there is still time for them to book some space or possibly share some space with other smaller exhibitors. We should all think outside the box.
How are numbers on pre-registration and can those that register for the London Casino & Gaming Show also get into the other events?
Numbers year on year are comfortably up which, given the economy, is very reassuring. Yes, of course, visitors to any of the three component shows will have full access to the other adjacent areas. It may be that some casino operators see equipment and ideas in both the sister exhibitions that might fit nicely into their existing offer.
What are some of the aspects of the London Casino & Gaming Expo that you are looking forward to most?
I suppose that it may sound a bit glib to say, All of it, but as this is new territory for me – given that I have spent many years as a ‘visitor’ – the whole process of establishing a brand-new show has been intense. The opportunity to work with exhibition veterans like Martin Burlin and Nikki Lazenby has meant that every day really has been a ‘school day.’ If I have to pick one part of the show, I would say that the ‘UK Dealer of the Year’ finals’ are going to be a lot of fun and fascinating to watch.
