Worksop Palais Bingo – Newcastle Avenue

Palais Bingo kept its original name on the building: it was a Palais de Danse, built as a dance hall in the 1920s, long before anyone shouted “house” in it. We haven’t found an opening date, architect or capacity, and there’s no sign of a cinema or theatre past. In the bingo era it was a Top Ten Bingo club, which closed on 3 November 2013. Rather than let the hall go dark, Steve Race, who had managed it for three and a half years, approached the landlord about taking over the lease. After a roughly four-week refurbishment (the downstairs bingo area redecorated, a lower ceiling and new lighting and signage), it reopened as The Palais in December 2013 with all ten staff kept on. It later traded as Palais Bingo or Palais Star Bingo, and stayed proudly old-school, with paper tickets rather than electronic terminals, plus fruit machines, a bar and a diner.

The independent chapter ended in 2026. A local report on 17 August 2026 said the club had closed earlier that year, with a company statement of affairs dated 1 April showing debts of around £93,000 and a liquidator appointed that month. The Gambling Commission shows the licence as lapsed from 6 July 2026, though that isn’t the date of the last session. Bassetlaw District Council approved a change of use in August 2026 for commercial, business and service use, with the ground and first floors combined and changes to the entrance. Nobody has been named as the next occupier.

Other Lost Halls In The Area

• Rotherham Coral Bingo – Doncaster Gate
• Rotherham Mecca Bingo – Corporation Street
• Sheffield Mecca Bingo – Flat Street
• Sheffield Mecca Bingo – Penistone Road
• Sheffield Mecca Bingo – Queens Road

Michael Hess: Top Ten Bingo, Worksop

Taken as a part of the Playing Bingo commission of Michael Hess to shoot a follow-up to his book, Bingo and Social Club. Find out more about the project here.

Palais Bingo is located in what was once the Palais de Danse. It is difficult to tell how much the building’s interior has changed over the years. We have to wonder whether or not the ceiling was a recent bingo addition, as the we think the venue was on two floors (we have an exterior shot on the club page showing two levels of windows). The stage is still there, and whilst there may not be much dancing going on, there’s certainly plenty of bingo.

Photographs copyright Michael Hess April 2013. They cannot be reproduced without the permission of PlayingBingo.co.uk.

More photos

These were images of the clubs interior were supplied by the owners and are reproduced here with their kind permission.