Bingo Operators Slam Government Delays

UK bingo operators have criticized the Government for continually postponing an announcement relating to the possibility of increased support to the industry, in the face of the increasing number of closures of land based bingo halls.

An announcement has been eagerly anticipated since the UK’s Minister of Sport, Gerry Sutcliffe revealed on 4th March that he would soon establish details of potential measures intended to buoy up the bingo industry during an increasingly difficult time.

The UK's land based bingo clubs have experienced troubles arising from the recent smoking ban and the enforcement of legislation restricting the number of £500 jackpot machines in clubs and two-fold taxation tolls in the form of 15% gross profit taxation and the standard 17.5% VAT.

Present at the National Bingo Association's annual conference in April, Mr. Sutcliffe indicated that his statement would be delivered within a few weeks. Then on 12th May, he pledged a written ministerial statement would be published very shortly. More than a month later he insisted that it was coming "very soon".

Bingo industry leaders have maintained that it would be more incisive of the government to eliminate VAT on the game than accept inevitable and widespread redundancies, whilst they continue to petition for the abolition of VAT on bingo products they have repeatedly slammed the governments’ lack of commitment and inability to come to any decision regarding the future of bingo. 

Meanwhile a key UK online bingo authority has recently confirmed that in spite of the decline of the present economic climate, Britain's online bingo trade continues to prosper, with online participants wagering around £600 million in the past twelve months.

26th June 2008