Bad Bingo Budget

Bingo industry insiders were hoping that Gordon Brown would concede to help it survive the impact of the looming smoking ban by making bingo fees exempt from VAT, but their hopes were dashed. Despite the fact that bingo clubs are already closing, and that the first club to close was in Mr Brown's own Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency, the Chancellor of the Exchequer didn't life a finger to help the world of bingo through what could be a devastating period of readjustment.

Chairman of The Bingo Association, Sir Peter Fry, commented that the situation regarding taxation of bingo in the UK was ridiculous. "It is simply ridiculous that bingo, one of the softest gaming activities, continues to pay this tax. The industry in Scotland is being decimated by the impact of the smoking ban, and clubs are closing all the time."

"The Chancellor had the chance to throw clubs a lifeline to get through the worst of the impact, giving them a long term future. His failure to act will condemn many small clubs to certain closure, with the loss of a valuable social amenity for many communities across Britain."

The Bingo Association says that no less than nineteen bingo clubs have closed thus far, and when we consider that the smoking ban has not yet been introduced to England, Wales or Northern Ireland this doesn't bode at all well for the industry. A bingo operator questioned the Prime Minister directly about unfair taxation at a recent CBI lunch, but Tony Blair failed to respond.

Sir Peter said: "The Chancellor is clearly not listening to the industry or people who have already signed a petition calling for the Government to 'Stop Destroying My Bingo'. Many of these players will lose the only place they feel comfortable going to on their own. The Government needs to act now, before it is too late.

"Within a space of a week Bingo has been ignored by the Prime Minister personally, rejected by Gordon Brown in his budget and denied a voice by the Downing Street website petition team. It is hard to fathom that politicians can have failed to hear what Bingo players and the industry are asking for. It is clear they are just not listening."

22nd January 2008