UK Bingo Industry Fed up with Government Promises
The land-based bingo industry in the United Kingdom is becoming fed-up with the country’s government for making unsubstantiated promises about helping the industry out of its present struggle.
The 600 bingo halls spread across the United Kingdom have experienced a significant drop in revenue ever since a series of new laws came into effect.
Bingo halls are subject to a ‘double taxation policy’ that only affects the bingo industry, and they have further suffered a drop in players because of a public smoking ban.
To add insult to injury, the UK’s new gambling laws have put a limit on the number of high-revenue jackpot machines that are used by bingo halls to increase their profits.
As a result of these issues, more and more players are leaving their local bingo halls and opting to play online bingo instead - due to the convenience, flexibility and great bingo games available any time of the day or night.
Since the new laws came into effect, scores of bingo halls have been forced to close their doors.
In March this year, the UK Sports Minister, Gerry Sutcliffe said that he would be “making an announcement shortly” that would offer assistance to the bingo industry. That promise was repeated again in May, when Sutcliffe promised a “written ministerial statement very shortly”. To date, no concrete assistance has been seen.
Jason Batup, the manager of a bingo club in the UK, said: “Decision-makers need to do exactly that: make a decision and stand by it, not continue dithering while bingo burns. The industry doesn’t need any more ’sympathy’ from the minister and the Prime Minister, it needs action!”
