It’s the Laughing Dog cafe where we finally found a place to sit down. This interview was conducted in late summer, and the streets of Brighton were thriving.
The cafe itself was busy, but there was a spot in the corner, a table for five, and with a perfect view of the ocean. We took out our iPhones – we always use a couple just in case one of them dies on us – and tapped on the recorder. This is what we recorded:
An Introduction To The JohnSlots Writers
‘- and the seagull just took off with them. The whole bag. I was left with only a lemon-lime soda, and even that was leaking out the bottom, so I had to down it. I couldn’t stop burping for five minutes.’
We catch the end of Alex’s seagull story and the crew laughs. The first thing that is evident is how close the expert casino authors from JohnSlots are. There’s a unity between them that you don’t find in other areas of work.
‘We have to be close,’ says Harper Gallagher, ‘otherwise we’re all going to be writing different things and confusing the reader.’
‘True,’ says Alex Hussain, ‘if I don’t like seagulls, then no-one is allowed to like seagulls.’
‘I like seagulls,’ Leanna Madden pipes in playfully.
Alex takes a sip of his coffee. ‘We’ll chat.’
At this point, we realise that they could easily go off on a tangent, as most writers we interview tend to do. So we pull them into the subject matter. Brighton. Specifically, gaming Brighton.
Brighton And Gaming
‘You wouldn’t know,’ Alex starts, ‘but Brighton is a really game-focused city. I mean, we’re only a few doors down from the Loading Bar. That’s a gaming cafe where people can buy coffee, buy dinner, and play a load of arcade and console games. A few doors down from that is Brighton Pier, which has one of the most famous arcades in the country.’
‘It has a pretty thriving casino scene, too.’ Harper takes a sip of her hot chocolate. ‘The land-based casinos here have really changed to account for the explosion of online casinos. Now, they’re not just about the games, they’re an experience. You go to a land-based casino here, and you’re greeted with fancy drinks, even restaurants.’
‘Not to mention the eSports Society,’ says Leanna. ‘That’s a vibrant community that celebrates the world of gaming and eSports. I think it’s been going for around two years now.’
Business And Brighton
We ask at this point what business opportunities they see in the city.
‘Oh, loads.’ Alex almost slams down his coffee in excitement. ‘The thing about Brighton is that it still feels relatively untapped. It’s like a secret gaming city, where only the people in Brighton know how gaming-focused it is. And us iGaming writers, of course.’
‘There’s certainly a lot of potential,’ says Harper. ‘Whether you’re a slot developer, an online casino start-up, a gaming cafe, anything! You’d find that Brighton is a great hub to get things off the ground. Let’s compare it to London, for a second. The average age in London right now is around 39-years-old. The average age in Brighton is around 35-years-old.
‘Now consider that the average age of a gamer is about 33-years-old. The demographic you’re trying to reach is more prevalent here in Brighton, bar around two years. Not only this, but Brighton is a growing city. Just last year, the population rose by nearly 2%, and when you consider how many tourists visit in the summer, that’s a lot of people who would be interested in what you have to offer.’
‘I think there was a search increase of 83.5% from tourists looking to visit Brighton in 2023,’ says Leanna.
‘Exactly,’ replies Harper.
The Future Opportunities
‘I’d like to see a Brighton-themed slot,’ Alex pipes in. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen one. But there are plenty of London-themed slots.’
‘Well, maybe a game developer will have success there,’ Harper shrugs enthusiastically.
‘I think in terms of the eSports scene,’ says Leanna, ‘Brighton will become a hub over the coming years. It’s such a perfect place to put on events, especially with the society and how many players there are in the city alone.’
We finish up by asking what the future holds for Brighton’s gaming scene.
‘The possibilities are endless,’ replies Harper. ‘It feels like every scene is burgeoning right now, whether that’s casinos, online casinos, arcades, gaming cafes, eSports, everything. It’s an exciting time for both established and start-up companies to get involved.’
‘They will all do pretty well,’ finishes Alex, ‘I’m sure of it. They just have to watch out for the seagulls.’
