Bingo Club blighted by bureaucracy

June 8, 2009 Bingo News

Written by Lisa (June 8, 2009 at 10:02 am)

Bingo hall bosses have confirmed that they will be appealing the decision that halted their plans to construct an outdoor sheltered area to enable players to smoke.

Walsall Council recently refused permission for the local bingo halls plans, which included an outdoor gaming area at the club in St James Bridge in Park Lane, Wednesbury.

Following the smoking ban, many land based bingo halls have seen membership plummet. The plans were conceived to counteract this trend and lure players back to their local bingo hall. Although other clubs have been successful in their applications, Wednesbury’s was rejected on the basis that the materials proposed were too flimsy and it was feared the shelter would interfere with parking facilities. Company bosses have lodged an appeal with the planning inspectorate over the scheme, which is considered vital to the survival of the club.

A nearby hall in Kidderminster, S hipley’s Bingo Hall, were one of the first to construct outdoor facilities in November 2007.  The covered hut included a loudspeaker PA system, gaming machines and heated lamps to keep smokers warm. Bingo gaming machines came complete with buttons, allowing players to inform the caller to verify their numbers. Many other bingo halls around the area, and indeed, up and down the country, are seeking to follow suit with similar plans, amid dwindling levels of custom.

In light of the recently announced hike in taxation aimed solely at bingo halls, the news comes as another blow to the land based bingo industry, which has suffered considerably as a result of the smoking ban and recession. Many bingo clubs across the UK have been forced to close their doors despite loyal customer bases as online bingo has surged in popularity.