A long standing bone of contention between bingo halls and the British Government was the excessively high tax of 20% that was imposed on bingo halls. This is significantly lower than the tax of 15% that sport betting operations and other casino’s were liable to pay.
Almost 330,000 people had signed a petition which was sent to Chancellor of Exchequer George Osborne to consider. Stating that while the smoking ban may have been essential, bingo halls were now facing massive drops in profits, barely able to break even at the month end. From over 600 bingo halls, the number had dropped to 380. After much persistent campaigning by Harlowe MP Robert Halfon, a Torie advocate of lowering of taxes and solving the daily living cost problem in UK Chancellor Osborne conceded.
The announcement was made stating that the duty on bingo halls would now be 10%. This was also followed by an announcement that even online bingo operators would also enjoy a remote gambling tax cut.The Government estimates that the changes, which bring arrangements in bingo halls closer to those at the bookies, will cut the tax burden on the industry by around £35 million a year.
This news was received with great approval, as bingo is one of the oldest and most popular games in UK. The closure of a large number of bingo halls had caused increased fear in many people that the game of bingo had begun course to its gradual death. With this new respite, hope is once again restored that UK’s biggest leisure activity will continue to exist.
In their stead, bingo halls have vowed to pass on the benefits of this tax cut to players via a reduction in ticket fee, admission fee and an increase in jackpots. Both the size and frequency of handout would be increased. Go to this website to see the increased bonuses that bingo sites are handing out!
All over UK, bingo lovers rejoiced at this decision. With the number of bingo halls on a continuous decline, the avid players have been suffering. Often having had bingo halls in the same locality, the players now have to travel large distances just to get their fill of bingo. However, with the new batch of tax cuts and relaxation of rules regarding gambling houses, it seems like things are moving forward. The players were quoted saying that they welcome this move, but would like the government to ensure that the rewards of the tax cut are passed on to them. With the number of bingo halls stabilising, and new innovative games being created, it signifies a positive future for the bingo world.