Andy Tipple: ‘Our continued investment in the Blueprint Operations team has enabled us to provide what I believe to be the industry gold standard for customer support, service and innovation.’
How would you rate 2025 both for your business and the broader industry?
From a legislative perspective, 2025 has been a frustrating year. The industry continues to operate in a period of uncertainty, with businesses still waiting for the remaining elements of the White Paper, the outcome of the Technical Standards Review – which the industry via Bacta has invested so much time and resource as well as the conclusions of the Bingo consultation. Each of these initiatives carries the potential to reshape the landscape significantly. For BPO, and indeed the industry as a whole, the cumulative effect of these pending changes has created a complex environment to navigate—one that will continue to challenge all industry stakeholders well into 2026.
Operating expenses have also risen sharply, applying further pressure to businesses already managing tight margins. We rightly pride ourselves on being a resilient and adaptable industry and one that has historically rolled with the punches. Bacta has shown the value of deploying well-constructed evidence-based arguments and BPO remains committed to ensuring that Government and DCMS fully understand the practical implications of policy on the entire supply chain and the communities it serves.
What have been your highlights over the last 12 months? Talk us through some of the key developments in your business.
2025 has been a significant year of investment and progress for BPO. Following a comprehensive review of our business at the end of 2024, we identified several areas with strong growth potential and where we felt there would be increasing operational demand. As a result, we have invested resource across core functions, including content and hardware development, operations, QA, the technical helpdesk, customer service, and the sales team.
This strengthened capability has not only enabled us to meet the demands of 2025 more effectively, but it has also positioned us well for the opportunities and pressures that lie ahead over the short and medium terms. Our continued investment in the BPO team has enabled us to provide what I believe to be the industry gold standard for customer support, service and innovation.
And the challenges – what issues have caused you most concern and how have you managed them?
The most significant challenge this year has undoubtedly been the ‘unknown’. Throughout 2025, major decisions affecting the sector have remained unresolved, leaving our growing customer base with the challenge of making substantial investments without clarity on the long-term regulatory environment.
A prime example was ACOS, where the industry was still awaiting the outcome of the Budget. We have also committed to licensed brands for 2025 and 2026—decisions that require confidence and of course investment—yet there remain key pieces of legislation that could materially impact these investments.
Managing this level of uncertainty demands both resilience and strategic discipline. We have approached each decision with a long-term view, guided by a willingness to invest in our customers and their businesses risks while ensuring that we remain agile enough to adapt should legislative outcomes shift.
What objectives have you set the company for 2026?
A major focus for 2026 is the evolution of our game development process. This investment has seen the creation of a new game development team based in Newark, which represents a significant step forward in both our creative and technical capabilities. The overarching aim to elevate the quality, originality, creativity and player appeal of our content. We will be showcasing our initial games at EAG.
How confident are you about the next twelve months: will new regulation, new legislation and the latest budget deliver growth in the economy and expand business opportunities?
Although the budget outcomes were well-received to be candid it’s difficult to be fully optimistic when so much from the White Paper on so many fronts still remain unresolved. The combination of regulatory shifts, legislative ambiguity, and economic pressure means that every decision is subject to detailed scrutiny and risk assessment.
However, we also recognise and value the many positives that have emerged from 2025. We continue to support customers who are expanding, we continue to deliver top-quality content and we will continue to play a leading role in contributing to any technical changes required for the industry and the innovation that operators look to us for.
While 2026 will require careful navigation, we remain confident in our strategy, in our people, in the BPO product pipeline and as a result in our ability to support our customers.
Coinslot: A quickfire round for 2026
Regulation: 3 GC regulations that need cutting or changing:
Cat C stake and B3 prize uplift would generate growth across every sector, Implementation of the White Paper recommendations on 80/20 B3 ratio and clarity on cashless across the gaming industry
Gambling Act Review: On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the Government’s handling of the Gambling Act Review
I feel this is inextricably linked to the whole political situation so, that would be 1 out of 10
Economy: Has the budget done enough for the industry?
Unfortunately, until the Government understands what increases to MGD would do to the grey/black markets we can never expect any assistance.
Politics: Do you expect a general election?
Technically, unless the King decides we are not moving forward, I expect a new PM without doubt however the phrase ‘from the frying pan to fire’ springs to mind.
