Bacta members open doors to MPs as 73% back venue visits initiative

Bacta members are preparing to step up engagement with policymakers, with new research revealing strong support across the sector for inviting MPs and councillors into venues to improve understanding of the industry.

According to the latest Bacta Pulse survey, 73 percent of members said they would be willing to host visits from constituency MPs and local representatives, offering a first-hand view of how their businesses operate and contribute to local communities.

The findings come amid ongoing concerns within the industry that government does not fully understand the sector. Bacta President Joseph Cullis believes the solution is clear.

“When you combine these findings with last week’s Pulse survey, where members overwhelmingly expressed the view that the government doesn’t fully understand our sector, the way forward is clear,” he said. “We will be contacting respondents to help arrange visits from their elected representatives, a move which would be particularly timely in the run-up to the holiday period.”

Cullis added that the potential impact of these visits could be significant, particularly in challenging misconceptions about the industry.

“Getting MPs into venues located in their constituencies — businesses that employ and are often owned by local people — offers huge value,” he said. “It provides an opportunity to address some of the key misunderstandings.”

Among the most common misconceptions identified by members were beliefs that adult gaming centres (AGCs) and family entertainment centres (FECs) contribute to high levels of harm (52 percent), that the sector is not important to local economies (22 percent), that businesses generate high profits (15 percent), and that the industry is poorly regulated (7 percent).

The survey also underlined the economic importance of the sector at a local level. Seventy-seven percent of respondents reported that customers regularly travel from outside the area to visit their venues, generating additional spend that supports jobs and wider economic activity.

Bacta’s Director of Communications Allaster Gair said the timing of the initiative was particularly relevant.

“As we approach the Easter break, it’s extremely important that policymakers recognise the role that Bacta members play in supporting local and regional economies,” he said. “With 89 percent of respondents confirming their businesses have been operating for more than 50 years, this is a sector with deep roots in communities across the UK.”

The proposed programme of visits is expected to form part of a broader effort by Bacta to strengthen dialogue with government and ensure the industry’s contribution — both economic and social — is better understood.

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26 March 2026

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