EAG Expo 2027: What to Expect at ExCeL London

EAG Expo 2027 runs 12–14 January at ExCeL London, Royal Docks — the third consecutive year in the three-day, three-show format that has become the UK amusements trade’s fixed January reference point. Co-located alongside SIE Expo (social and immersive entertainment) and the London Casino & Gaming Show (LCG), the 2027 edition builds on a 2026 outing that set new records for exhibitor numbers and decision-maker attendance. This preview sets out what operators, suppliers and visitors can reasonably expect.

Dates, Venue and Format

EAG Expo 2027 takes place Tuesday to Thursday, 12–14 January 2027 at ExCeL London, Royal Docks, E16. Pre-show projections from organiser BACTA — the British Amusement Catering Trades Association, the sector’s principal trade body — point to 130+ leading international companies and more than 200 distinct product lines across the combined show floor.

The three-show co-location has been the format since EAG’s move to ExCeL. EAG itself covers the coin-operated amusement and amusements with prizes (AWP) sector — the traditional core of the UK trade. SIE Expo addresses the fast-growing social and immersive entertainment segment: escape rooms, competitive socialising venues, and location-based entertainment. LCG — the London Casino & Gaming Show — targets land-based casino operators, gaming suppliers and the growing intersection between casino-floor hardware and digital gaming platforms. Together, the three shows occupy adjacent halls and draw an audience that spans the full spectrum of UK and international leisure gaming.

Registration is trade-only and handled through eagexpo.com. There is no consumer admission. The nearest transport links are Custom House station (Elizabeth line) and Prince Regent station (DLR), both within five minutes’ walk of the ExCeL entrance.

What EAG 2026 Told Us About 2027

The 2026 edition delivered record numbers across every headline metric, establishing a baseline that shapes expectations for 2027.

EAG 2026 attracted 105 exhibitors from 11 nations — a new high — and drew more than 5,000 unique visitors representing 1,973 distinct businesses across the three co-located shows. Of those visitors, 84% were identified as decision-makers and 14% travelled internationally, with attendance recorded from 49 nations. Taken over the longer arc, total attendance has grown by 69% since the 2022 edition, a trajectory that reflects both organic sector growth and the structural pull of LCG filling the gap left in the UK calendar when ICE relocated to Barcelona.

Product launches at EAG 2026 gave a clear indication of what manufacturers are bringing to market for the year ahead. Sega Amusements debuted Go Go Ducky and Neoshuffle on the EAG floor. Raw Thrills showed Godzilla Kaiju Wars Deluxe. Bandai Namco used EAG as the European launch platform for Jackpot Racer. The concentration of international debuts at a UK show — rather than at an international expo — underlines EAG’s standing as a commercially serious platform, not simply a domestic gathering.

For a fuller account of the show’s origins and its relationship to its predecessor event, see our history of EAG Expo and the broader ATEI archive piece.

Industry Trends to Watch in 2027

Three structural shifts in the UK and global amusements market are likely to dominate the EAG 2027 show floor conversation.

The family entertainment centre (FEC) expansion is the most visible. UK amusements and theme park revenues stood at approximately £1.4 billion in 2026, with the FEC sub-segment growing at a compound annual growth rate of around 9.3% (IBISWorld). Operators are opening new-build sites and refurbishing existing estates at a pace not seen since the pre-recession mid-2000s. That growth is driving demand for new equipment — particularly redemption systems, large-footprint immersive attractions and ticket-out (TITO) redemption infrastructure — and EAG 2027 will reflect it in product mix and exhibitor floor plans.

The competitive socialising and immersive entertainment segment — the focus of SIE Expo — continues to expand beyond its early adopter phase. Axe throwing, mini golf, shuffleboard, darts arenas and technology-driven immersive experiences are now mainstream leisure propositions in UK cities. Operators in this space are increasingly looking at arcade-adjacent hardware — interactive projection, redemption mechanics, prize walls — as they mature their offer. SIE Expo’s co-location with EAG creates direct commercial overlap: suppliers working both sides of that boundary will be prominent on the floor.

Globally, the arcade gaming market is projected to reach USD 16.36 billion by 2029, driven by hybrid entertainment models that blend digital and physical formats. The UK market sits within that trajectory: digital integration — networked cabinets, app-linked play, cashless payment via contactless and QR — is now standard rather than novel. Manufacturers who have not built these capabilities into their current lines will face questions from UK operators at EAG 2027 about their roadmap. Exhibitors who can demonstrate live cashless or hybrid play demos will have a clear advantage on the floor.

LCG’s presence in the co-location also reflects a genuine convergence point. Casino-sector technology — bill validators, player tracking systems, content management platforms — is migrating into the broader amusements trade. Suppliers who have historically served only one side of that divide are finding that EAG/LCG co-location removes the barrier to cross-sector prospecting.

Key Exhibitors and the BACTA Awards

Confirmed exhibitor lists for EAG 2027 will not be released until later in 2026, but the recurring cohort from recent editions provides a reliable indicator of who will be present.

Electrocoin, Sega Amusements, Bandai Namco, Whitehouse Leisure International, Wexel Gaming and Wessex Coin have all been consistent EAG presences. Alongside them, the European and international contingent has grown with each edition — the 11-nation exhibitor spread at EAG 2026 was the broadest in the show’s recent history, and no reversal of that trend is anticipated.

The BACTA Annual Awards — formally the Celebration of Excellence — are a confirmed fixture at each EAG. The awards recognise operators, suppliers and individuals across the AGC (adult gaming centre), FEC and seaside sectors. For many attendees the awards dinner is as much a networking event as a ceremony; it typically draws 300–400 industry figures across a single evening. Operators intending to attend should factor the awards into their accommodation and scheduling plans, as the dinner is invariably oversubscribed.

The Pub Summit is expected to return as a show-floor feature, bringing together AWP operators and pub trade buyers in a dedicated structured format. The session has grown in prominence over recent editions as the AWP estate in licensed premises has stabilised following years of regulatory attrition. For suppliers serving the pub sector, it is one of the more targeted business-development opportunities within the three-day show.

BACTA’s role as organiser also means the show floor carries an embedded association programme — regulatory briefings, working group sessions and industry roundtables run in the margins. Delegates should review the seminar schedule published on eagexpo.com once the 2027 programme is confirmed, typically in Q3 2026.

Planning Your Visit

January timing is deliberate: operators preview new product before the summer trading season, the most commercially significant period for FECs, seafront arcades and AGC operators across the UK. Purchasing decisions made at EAG in January typically translate into installations by Easter or Whitsun — the seasonal logic that drove ATEI’s original January slot in 1986 remains intact four decades later.

ExCeL London sits in the Royal Docks, E16. Custom House station on the Elizabeth line (Crossrail) provides the fastest central London connection — approximately 15 minutes from Liverpool Street. Prince Regent on the DLR offers an alternative from Canary Wharf. Both stations are adjacent to the ExCeL entrance. On-site parking is available at ExCeL but fills quickly on peak show days; public transport is the more reliable option.

Hotels in the Royal Docks and Canary Wharf fill rapidly once EAG registration opens. Delegates travelling from outside London should book accommodation as soon as registration confirms, not when the exhibitor list is finalised. January availability in E16 is consistently tighter than the rest of the year due to the show’s draw.

Registration opens via eagexpo.com. The show is trade-only; professional credentials are required at registration. There is no consumer or public admission on any of the three days.

For background on ICE’s move out of London and how LCG was positioned to fill the resulting gap in the UK gaming calendar, see our planned guide to ICE Barcelona and its implications for UK operators. For a deeper grounding in the regulatory framework relevant to exhibitors and operators at EAG, the BACTA UK overview provides essential context.