Bridgend factory to close and 100 employees told they could lose their jobs

A Bridgend factory is to close with around 100 employees likely to lose their jobs. In a letter seen by WalesOnline addressed to staff working at Inspired Entertainment’s Bridgend site at the Kingsway industrial estate workers were told their jobs are now at risk.

A staff member at the site has told WalesOnline around 120 staff work there while the letter addressed to them says “Inspired may need to dismiss as redundant more than 100 employees within the Bridgend site”. The letter states the decision has been made because “the cost to build machines had increased significantly while demand had simultaneously reduced”.

Inspired Entertainment manufactures and sells gaming machines such as fruit machines located in betting shops and pubs among other things such as interactive games on mobiles. The company has bases in Bridgend as well as Burton-on-Trent and Manchester.

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The company has told staff that due to financial difficulties “continuing to manufacture in-house is no longer financially viable so it has been proposed that the assembly of machines will be outsourced to a third party”. A 12-month notice has been served on the lease of the Bridgend site meaning it will close permanently in early 2025.

The letter continues: “Because Inspired may need to dismiss as redundant more than 100 employees within the Bridgend site we have a legal duty to consult collectively with the appropriate representatives of any of the employees who may be affected by the proposal. As there is no recognised trade union in respect of the affected employees we are required to consult with elected employee representatives of the affected employees. As well as the collective consultation with appropriate representatives the company will also consult individually with those employees at risk of redundancy.”

One employee said: "The mood is not good at all. Everyone feels let down. The factory has been here a long time and everyone feels like a family. The jobs have been great for the area. We have taken on agency staff when we're busy and some then got full-time jobs but it's been ripped away. It's sad."

The company said it will also be reviewing its Astra gaming studio at the Bridgend site and all other functions operating at the base outside of manufacturing. A collective consultation process is still ongoing. Inspired Entertainment was contacted for further comment.