Father and Son team Jimmy and Simon Thomas who sold off their Beacon Bingo and Showboat amusement arcade business just prior to the smoking ban are now back in business and have returned to their roots. The new company is called World Bingo Tech Ltd and is run in conjunction with Metronia a Madrid bingo game developer doing business in Spain and South America. The new company is to build and manufacture touch screen terminals for bingo clubs since the equipment has now been approved by the Gambling Commission.

Jimmy Thomas was brought up on the fairground scene as a showman operating fruit machines and later went into manufacturing bingo equipment and had a thriving business in change machines many of which are still in operation today. Mr Thomas was the founder of Thomas Automatics before he sold the company to finance new projects that involved the development of six bingo clubs and numerous fruit machines arcades. During the 80's, the Thomas Bingo equipment was widely regarded as the finest on the market and Mr Thomas has always maintained his passion in developing and working towards new innovative bingo products.

Simon Thomas did not really become involved in the family business until long after he graduated at university and maintained a high profile position as a Merchant banker. His father convinced him to join the business when the Thomas company was more involved in the operation of the Beacon Bingo clubs and the Showboat amusement arcades. Simon Thomas took on the role as Managing director and enjoyed rapid expansion and growth throughout the 90's up until the company was sold off to Riva Gaming three years ago.