Yaohan owns 29% of the Whimsy amusement arcades, which reward winners with tickets that can be exchanged for toys and cheap electrical goods.

ECONOMIST: Run, run, run

She cited examples of resorts such as Whitstable where people go for gourmet ice cream and "posh fish and chips" instead of amusement arcades.

BBC: Blackpool lights: Facing a bright future?

Bookmakers, bingo halls and amusement arcades in Medway will be invited to help draw up a code on gambling after concerns were raised about "highly addictive" high-stakes machines.

BBC: Betting machine

Upping the ante, from the coins that tourists happily lose in the town's myriad amusement arcades to ten chips being lost across a green baize gaming table, is a serious possibility.

ECONOMIST: Blackpool as Las Vegas

There are some surprises: Actors and tax examiners show up on the disappearing list, which is topped by entertainers who performed in places like amusement parks and arcades--or at least who used to.

FORBES: America's Top 20 Growing And Disappearing Jobs