Some Bingo Halls show little signs of decline

Bingo hasn't always been the most fashionable among the young, however, with smoking bans coming into effect and new gambling laws bingo is more popular than ever as reported by the Nigel, the manager of Gala bingo in Ipswich. ""With room for about 1,000 people, Ipswich Gala is a big operation. Nigel the manager of Gala said: “We have about 40 staff. There's a diner and a bar and we are open seven days a week, 52 weeks of the year 363 days of the year - we close for Christmas Day and probably Boxing Day only. More than three million people play bingo regularly in the UK, with around 500 clubs linking together to play the National Game every day. Eight per cent of the population play bingo - 10 per cent of all women and 5pc of all men". When asked about the age of bingo players his reply was the there is an equal mix of people of all ages. He also added that "many of the players like visiting and going away not smelling of cigarettes".

The Gambling Act 2005, implemented this year had three main aims according to the department of culture, media and sport; keeping gambling crime free, making sure that gambling is fair and open and protecting children and vulnerable adults. Because bingo is a soft gambling option bingo halls both land based and online meet these requirements and therefore, has had little impact on bingo organizations. What is your experience? Let us know if your local bingo hall is experiencing a decline.

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