The fairground arcade - a thing of the past?

Go to the funfair and along with all the rides, stalls and catering units, what other form of entertainment are you likely to find? The amusement arcade of course, offering a range of video games, slot machines, prize grabbers and so on to test your skill and luck. However, it has become apparent in recent years that arcades are now in decline and becoming an increasingly rare sight on the fairgrounds of Britain - no longer are they an essential feature guaranteed to appear at pretty much any fair, and they are becoming conspicuous by their absence in some places.

On its way out, both figuratively and literally. Billy Gumble's arcade leaves Cambridge a few years ago; for now, this one is still travelling.

So what is the reason for this decline? The rapid development of computing technology is doubtless a major factor; no longer are home computer games vastly inferior to those available on arcade machines, and it is now possible to get an amazing gaming experience at any time from the comfort of your own home without the restrictions of the public arcade machine. Similarly, the rise of online casinos with their ease of access and promise of massive jackpots is spelling the end for the humble slot machines and penny pushers of the travelling arcade. As both an IT professional and a funfair enthusiast, I do feel there is a certain irony in my chosen profession having such a negative impact on my hobby.

Arcades strike me as being expensive attractions to run, as technology moves so fast that regular investment must be needed to buy or rent the latest machines and keep up with trends to attract custom. Then there is the need for a large float of change to give to punters for use in the machines, and the security and insurance implications of having so much cash on the premises. In addition, I believe there is legislation restricting the maximum cash prize in a travelling arcade to a paltry five pounds, so it isn't even possible to lure customers in with the promise of a huge jackpot. I imagine to some visitors the arcade's primary function is as a bit of quick fun to use up the odd bits of loose change left over after a night on the rides, which is hardly a massive money maker.

Bright lights and colourful artwork may not be enough to save the arcade. James Bond (yes, that is his real name) gave up travelling this one last year.

Not so long ago, my local fair regularly featured two arcades, but now there are none and the positions where they used to stand are occupied by kids' rides instead. I know of many showmen who have given up travelling their arcades, and there must be numerous examples that have been laid up in yards for several years, nominally for sale but with buyers hard to find. What will become of them remains to be seen, although a handful have been adapted for other purposes: a couple of circuses use arcade trailers as souvenir shops, and at least one has been converted into a mobile bar or 'barcade'. No new arcades appear to have been built recently, the existing examples are not changing hands very often, and most arcade owners now seem to have other equipment as well, suggesting it isn't easy to make a living solely from an arcade and they need the support from their other attractions.


The arcade is not quite dead yet however, and the larger fairs will typically still include at least two such attractions, but they are getting thinner on the ground at smaller events and are no longer the major draw they once were. With the relentless march of technology and ever more difficult operating conditions, it seems likely that within a few years the arcades will go the way of the boxing booths and freak shows that used to be an integral part of any fair but have now become novelty items only usually found at vintage events, and I for one will mourn their passing as the fairs won't be the same without them.

Fairs won't be the same when we've seen the back of the arcade. Their unassuming appearance in load form belies what's inside. I haven't seen this one for several years either.