Is Rachel Reeves About to Kill UK Retail Bingo?

When Westminster talk turns to gambling-tax hikes, the UK retail bingo world holds its breath. For community-facing venues, loyal regulars and local employees, any major tax shift looks less like a budget adjustment and more like an existential threat. With Chancellor Rachel Reeves eyeing extra cash from the gambling sector, we must face the question: will a potential tax hike kill the retail bingo industry in the UK?

Why the Tax-Hike Threat Looms Large

The beleaguered UK Government is under pressure to raise taxes. This article will not discuss the disaster of this government’s economic policy, but needless to say the UK is heading towards financial trouble and is looking at what it can squeeze and from where. The UK gambling industry is often cited as a £15 billion market, and some reform proposals suggest raising duties significantly—potentially generating much-needed new revenue of £3 billion or more.

In the summer, former Labour PM Gordon Brown urged Ms Reeves to target the “massively undertaxed profits”. He said an increased levy could raise £3.2billion to to lift 500,000 children out of poverty. he did not say how many children could be lifted out of poverty by stopping illegal immigration,

Why Retail Bingo Matters

Retail bingo halls matter. They are more than just slots and dabbers: they’re local social hubs, meeting places, entertainment venue, a regular outing for older players and younger alike, as well as important employment anchors in towns and suburbs.

Consider the facts: the UK’s annual “Bingo Duty” receipts for 2024-25 stood at around £25 million — up 12% year-on-year. Even amid broader challenges, retail bingo shows resilience. For example, operator Buzz Bingo, a major UK chain, reported that despite pandemic pressures, it achieved 5% retail like-for-like revenue growth in FY2023, with underlying EBITDA up 14%.

From a jobs perspective: bingo halls provide direct employment (staff, catering, cleaning, front-of-house) and support local supply chains (refurbishment, food & drink). When halls close, the ripple effect is real. Back in 2014, the trade body The Bingo Association noted that cutting taxes on bingo clubs could “create and save hundreds of jobs and revitalise the industry”. As CEO Miles Baron said:

“By building new clubs and investing in new clubs, attendances would improve … this is at the heart of the community, this is a vital and important part of some people’s social repertoire.”

That underlines the point: bingo halls are not simply profit-machines—they support social infrastructure, community cohesion and leisure beyond pure gambling.

The Impact of COVID-19 and Beyond on UK Retail Bingo

The pandemic was a seismic shock to the retail bingo industry. Halls closed under lockdown restrictions, many for prolonged periods, and the UK bingo industry is still recovering from its impact.

Closure of venues and job losses

When national lockdowns were imposed in March 2020, indoor entertainment venues—including bingo halls—were ordered to close. One of the starkest examples is Buzz Bingo’s announcement in July 2020 of the permanent closure of 26 halls across the UK, potentially resulting in the loss of up to 573 jobs. The same firm warned visitor numbers would take time to return.

While precise national numbers for all bingo halls closed since COVID are hard to pin down, industry commentary highlights a “notable drop” in the number of players and halls. The number of bingo halls has already dropped from 335 pre-COVID to 247 now. When the smoking ban was introduced in 2007, there were roughly 635.

Slow recovery and changing economics

Recovery is underway but uneven. For the year April 2023–March 2024, the land-based gambling sectors (including bingo) recorded Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) of £4.6 billion, a 3.8% increase on the previous year, but still not back to pre-lockdown levels.

Long-term implications for retail bingo:

– Many halls had high fixed costs (property, utilities, staffing) and were placed under strain.

– Older players—a large part of the base—have been slower to return due to health concerns, changed habits, or substitution by online gaming.

– Shift to online/omnichannel by major operators means retail hubs must fight not only tax and cost pressures but also changing consumer behaviour.

COVID didn’t just pause business—it accelerated pressures and thinned the financial cushion. The recovery is underway, but the number of halls has shrunk and the margin for error is smaller.

According to The Bingo Association, all the clubs in the country collectively generate around £ 35 million in profit each year. It also states that a quarter of its profits were wiped out by last year’s Autumn Budget, as well as the increase in employers’ national insurance and the minimum wage. The sector employs around 7,000 people, mostly in halls and clubs.

Industry Voices Warn of Danger

Should the tax hike go ahead, there will be no excuses from the Chancellor to say she wasn’t warned.

Buzz Bingo’s CEO Dominic Mansour recently told The Times:

“If they increase taxes to some of the levels they’re talking about … I am shutting clubs and I’m letting people go.”

When the largest UK bingo operator in the country is openly preparing for closures, policymakers should listen.

UK gambling giant Betfred threatened that all 1,300 of its high street shops could close if an industry tax hike went ahead. Fred Done, who established Betfred with his brother in 1967, stated that all 1,287 of its shops and 7,500 jobs would be put at risk. He said the proposed tax rises were the “biggest threat” to the industry in his 57 years.

Mr Done said:

“If it went up to anywhere like 40% or even 35% there is no profit in the business. We would have to close it down.”

Players and community users are also understandably anxious. An older regular at a Buzz venue told The Sun:

“Putting more tax on bingo is not fair on older people. If this place closed, it would uproot so many lives.”

Why the Heightened Anxiety?

Well, retail bingo halls in the UK face a triple squeeze:

1. Higher direct costs – if machine gaming duty or remote gaming duty rises and venues must absorb the cost, margins shrink.

2. Reduced consumer spending – if tax hikes dampen footfall or spending, ancillary income (food, drink, club hire) may fall.

3. Competitive imbalance – if bingo halls are lumped with high-harm, high-frequency gambling in tax design, they lose out even though their risk profile is lower.

Thus, bingo halls risk being caught in a tax storm meant for “big gamblers”—and many believe they will be unintended casualties.

So, Will a Tax Hike Kill the Retail Bingo Industry?

Let’s be blunt: retail bingo halls, some still standing more than half a century, are resilient, but they are not indestructible. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry is still in the process of rebuilding. Margins are thin, footfall hasn’t fully recovered, and operational costs—from energy to staffing—have never been higher. A poorly-designed gambling tax rise could push many clubs over the edge.

And while the industry won’t collapse overnight, this isn’t about short-term shock—it’s about slow erasure.

Why Some Halls Will Survive

-Loyal older players who prefer “real bingo”, not apps

-Clubs investing in refurbishments and social entertainment

-Growing younger crowds at modernised venues and themed nights

There is a path forward. Bingo is innovating. People still and will always love playing Bingo in one form or another.

However, not all towns and cities have shiny, new, state-of-the-art bingo halls. Not every club can absorb a 5–10% margin swing.

Seen through Westminster’s economic lens, bingo may look like “small fish”. Seen through a community lens, it’s the heart of the local high street/community

A Simple Ask

Reform gambling tax if needed—but don’t treat bingo like high-risk, high-frequency online casino products.

Bingo halls are:

Low-harm

Unlike high-speed, high-frequency online gambling products designed for rapid play and repeat deposits, retail bingo has a fundamentally different profile. Games are structured, slow-paced, and highly social. The environment does not encourage frenetic betting or solitary late-night play. Players attend sessions, chat, enjoy food and drink, and take breaks — not sit chasing losses on an algorithm.

Bingo has one of the lowest risk rates of problem gambling in the sector, and its overwhelmingly social format acts as a natural safeguard. Staff are physically present, can spot distress or vulnerability, and are trained in safer-gambling interaction. You don’t get that with a smartphone.

Taxing bingo halls as though they pose the same risk as online casinos is not just inaccurate — it ignores the harm-prevention advantages built into the bingo model.

Community-driven

Walk into any bingo club in Britain and you’ll notice it within minutes: this isn’t a faceless gambling hub. It’s a community venue. Regulars greet each other like family, staff know customers by name, and birthdays are celebrated across full rooms. Bingo halls sponsor local events, support carers’ days out, raise funds during COVID, and often run charity raffles and food drives.

Some towns no longer have cinemas, youth clubs, or late-night social venues. They have one thing that brings people together under warm lights: the bingo hall.

This is community infrastructure, not just entertainment — the kind of place that holds towns together when everything else on the high street has become a betting shop, vape store, or shuttered unit.

Employment hubs

The retail bingo industry remains a vital employer, especially for women and part-time workers.
Across the UK, thousands of staff work front of house, in catering, management, and maintenance roles.
These aren’t zero-hour, short-term app jobs—they’re stable, community-based roles that anchor local economies.

Buzz Bingo alone employs nearly 3000 people. Smaller independent halls support hundreds more. For many towns, a bingo club is one of the few steady night-time employers left on the high street.

And the industry’s supply chain impact extends further:
Cleaning services, catering companies, refurbishment contractors, local security firms, and even taxi drivers all rely in part on the bingo trade.

When a hall closes, those jobs don’t migrate to “the cloud” or to the online sector—they simply vanish from the local economy. That’s why any tax reform should consider employment outcomes alongside revenue goals.

 Social lifelines for older and isolated adults

Perhaps the most overlooked value of bingo halls lies in this aspect.
For thousands of older Britons—especially widowed or retired individuals—bingo is their daily or weekly connection to the outside world. It combats loneliness, supports mental wellbeing, and keeps people engaged in community life.

A 2023 YouGov poll found that over 60% of regular bingo players aged 60+ said the social side of bingo was “more important than the prizes.” Many go the same day/night each week, sitting in the same seats, sharing the same laughter. For some, it’s the only night they dress up, meet friends, or even leave the house.

Community groups and charities, including Age UK, have often highlighted bingo as one of the most effective social activities for combating isolation, especially in the post-COVID era. When a club closes, it’s not just the loss of a game—it’s a loss of belonging.

Taxing retail bingo as though it’s high-risk online gambling ignores these human stories. Every hall that shuts means fewer jobs, fewer friendships, fewer reasons for people to gather, and fewer smiles on British high streets, which are already struggling for survival.

Retail bingo is a quiet success story in responsible gambling—low harm, high heart, high community value. Policy should reward that, not punish it.

A Plea to the Chancellor: Protect the Difference

From bingo-hall operators and players’ vantage, the message to the Chancellor is clear: please don’t treat bingo halls the same as high-frequency mobile casinos.

Here’s what they ask:

1. Differentiate tax by harm: Tax rises should target the most harmful, high-frequency, remote gambling activities—recognizing socially oriented, in-person bingo offers lower harm and higher social value.

2. Phase changes and allow transition: Provide time, clarity, and support for venues to adapt, rather than delivering abrupt, significant tax rises.

3. Recognise social value: Recognise bingo halls as part of community infrastructure—especially for older and socially isolated individuals, as well as for local employment and high-street vitality.

4. Support investment and innovation: Encourage the sector to modernise, engage younger demographics, boost social value—thus reducing risk and raising sustainability.

5. Prevent regulatory disadvantage: If tax makes players switch to unregulated or offshore markets, the Treasury and public lose—less tax, less oversight, more risk.

Raise Taxes If Needed, But Leave Our Bingo Alone

When the dreaded budget is announced, the UK retail bingo sector will listen closely. If tax increases hit without differentiation, many bingo halls will face closures, job losses, and collapsed community spaces. To borrow from Miles Baron: investing in bingo venues yields attendances, jobs, and community value. If the Government recognises bingo halls for what they are—community-facing, low-harm, local social venues—then reform need not be destructive.

So the message is clear: raise taxes on the truly risky, but leave the social game alone. Our High Street bingo is worth fighting for—not just by operators, but by hundreds of thousands of ordinary people in towns across the UK.

Retail bingo is the quiet success story in responsible gambling—low harm, high heart, high community value. Policy should reward that, not punish it.

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