Polski
Accessibility Must Follow the Transaction, and Nayax Conquers UK Arcades
This week the self-service industry is looking in two directions at once: in the US, discussion continues on how to design accessible kiosks in the age of AI and biometrics, while in the UK, Nayax tightens its European expansion by entering arcades with the Tigapo platform. Both threads are joined by one question: how should technology serve every customer, regardless of which device they happen to be using.
01 · Accessibility & Regulation
Kiosk Accessibility Doesn't End at the Touchscreen
On September 15, the US-based The Industry Group and Kiosk Manufacturer Association sat down with the federal Access Board to discuss the future of accessibility standards in a world where a single transaction can flow through several channels at once: a kiosk, a payment terminal, a mobile app, a QR code, and increasingly AI and biometrics as well [1].
The meeting's core thesis was that accessibility should "follow the transaction, not just the device." This is a significant shift in perspective: instead of assessing whether a single kiosk meets the standards, the focus should be on whether the customer can independently and fully privately complete the entire operation, no matter how many touchpoints it involves along the way [1].
Participants discussed a very broad range of applications, from smart vending machines, through EV chargers, to parking systems, drive-thrus, parcel lockers, and public services. A clear caveat was emphasized: new technologies such as voice interfaces, gestures, mobile apps, or biometrics can expand service capabilities, but they should not become the only way to complete a transaction. In other words, AI is meant to be an additional option, not a prerequisite for using a self-service machine [1].
For kiosk operators and manufacturers in Poland, this is a signal that it's worth thinking about accessibility holistically today, not just as a legal requirement concerning the device itself, but as an element of designing the entire customer journey, from the first contact with the screen to completing payment.
02 · Expansion
Nayax Enters UK Arcades with Tigapo
From a completely different corner of the industry comes news of another step in Nayax's expansion, one of the largest providers of payment and IoT solutions for vending and amusement machines. The company has signed a distribution agreement with GENDA Playnation, a UK operator owned by the Japanese group GENDA Inc., which manages a network of roughly 170 locations in total, including nearly 100 arcades and more than 100 smaller entertainment venues [2].
The partnership involves the rollout of the cloud-based Tigapo platform, which combines payment processing, gameplay, player engagement, a loyalty program, and AI-powered fleet management within a single system. GENDA Playnation will be responsible for promoting the solution among UK operators, as well as local equipment storage and technical support – meaning the full deployment chain, not just license sales [2].
The agreement with GENDA Playnation is another piece of the puzzle Nayax has been building in Europe for some time – the company has previously signed similar distribution agreements in, among others, Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, and the Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark). The news was unveiled at IAAPA Expo Europe in London, held on September 22–24, 2026 [2].
For Polish vending and self-service operators, this is news worth following out of more than just curiosity – it's the same supplier many of them already work with or are considering working with on the local market. The pace at which Nayax is striking deal after deal with distributors across Europe shows that platforms combining payments, loyalty, and fleet management are becoming a standard, not an add-on.
Summary
Summary
This week illustrates two poles of the same industry: on one hand, a regulatory reflection on ensuring that new technologies exclude no one; on the other, hard, business-driven expansion by IoT and payment providers into new markets and segments. Both threads will keep coming up in hallway conversations at Vending Poland Expo – the Trade Fair for Vending and Self-Service Technology. We invite you to join us – it's a chance to see firsthand how suppliers like Nayax design their platforms with the Polish market in mind, and to discuss how accessibility and technology can go hand in hand rather than work against each other.
Invitation
Want to see firsthand how suppliers like Nayax design their payment and loyalty platforms for the Polish market – and talk about how to design accessible, multichannel self-service points? Join us at Vending Poland Expo – the Trade Fair for Vending and Self-Service Technology. It's where operators, kiosk manufacturers, and IoT suppliers meet, and where these topics stop being theory and become ready-to-implement solutions.
Vending Poland Expo 2026References
[1] Kiosk Industry — https://kioskindustry.org/industry-group-press-release-sept-2026/[2] G3 Newswire — https://g3newswire.com/nayax-announces-uk-distribution-agreement-with-genda-playnation-to-expand-tigapo-across-arcades-and-fecs/