Mecca Bingo Information
Web Address: www.meccabingo.com
Operator / Owner: Rank Interactive Gibraltar Limited
UK Gambling Commission Ref: 37850
Licence Held: UK
Licensing Complaints: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/
Software: Playtech / Virtue Fusion
Networks: Virtue Fusion
Banking Options:
Mobile / Tablet Version: Yes
Mecca Bingo No-Deposit And Match Bonuses
No Deposit Required Bonus: No
First Deposit Welcome Bonus: Yes
Welcome Bonus Details: Deposit & spend £10 bingo get £40 bingo offer
This Mecca Bingo welcome offer is available to new players only. Simply make a qualifying deposit (excluding PayPal and Paysafe) and spend £10 in selected bingo rooms to receive a £40 Bingo Offer. The bonus comes with a 5x wagering requirement, and additional conditions such as maximum win limits may apply. Be sure to check the individual promotional terms and conditions for full details.
New players. Dep (exc. PayPal&Paysafe) & spend £10 on select slots for bonus & spins or in select bingo rooms for bingo bonus. Wagering, max wins & individual promo T&Cs apply.Bonus Promo Code: Not Available
We do not have a bonus code for Mecca Bingo but if you are new to the site, you can take advantage of the above welcome offer.Full Promotion Terms And Conditions
The full terms and conditions for the bonus offer can be found here.
Mecca Bingo Review
Mecca Bingo is an online bingo site by the people behind the land-based bingo clubs of the same name that can be found in just about every major town and city in the UK. Mecca Bingo uses the hugely popular Virtue Fusion bingo software to deliver US-style 75-ball pattern bingo, 80-ball shutterboard bingo, classic 90-ball bingo, Joker Jackpot, Marine Mayhem, 1TG bingo games and much, much more. Some bingo rooms at Mecca Bingo are local standalone rooms while others are network bingo rooms with more players and bigger prizes.
The Mecca Bingo homepage is instantly recognisable thanks to its colour theme and the distinctive Mecca Bingo logo. You will find everything you need, ranging from promotions and game details to bingo schedules and bingo bonus points details. The Mecca Bingo homepage also has details about the current jackpots and a real-time feed displaying winners…as they win!
As a new player at Mecca Bingo you will be treated to a welcome bonus. And, even though this particular bingo welcome doesn’t contain a free bingo bonus for simply registering, you will earn a deposit match bingo bonus when you make your first deposit at Mecca Bingo.
You can fund your Mecca Bingo account using a number of methods that include; Visa Debit, Solo, Switch, Maestro, Laser, MoneyBookers, Ukash and NETeller. There are numerous online bingo promotions available from Mecca Bingo that are updated regularly so check out the promotions page to keep up to date with the very latest bingo bonuses and offers from Mecca.
The list of games at Mecca Bingo is a substantial one, with a wide choice of bingo games and side games to play, each with their own features and reasons to play. You will find 75-ball, 80-ball and 90-ball bingo games accompanied by less conventional bingo variants such as Joker Jackpot and Speed Bingo. There are also many, many side games to play at Mecca Bingo that include some of the biggest online slots and progressive jackpot titles to be found anywhere on the internet such as Cleopatra, Chain Reaction, Big Top Tombola and more.
Mecca Bingo is one of the bingo sites that offer the Bingo Linx games, which are games of online bingo that have players from a number of networked sites all playing the same game for the same guaranteed jackpots. There are several Bingo Linx games each and every day at Mecca Bingo and they all offer impressive jackpots.
In short, Mecca Bingo is definitely one of the very best bingo sites on the internet, offering a massive choice of bingo games and side games, loads of generous bingo promotions and world class customer support. If you’re looking for a new place to play online bingo then Mecca Bingo is certainly worth a look.
Our Verdict:
Mecca Bingo is a name that you may recognise thanks to your local bingo hall and what the online version of the game does is make it accessible to everyone! Great gameplay and a trusted brand, what more could you want?
Mecca Bingo Contact Details
If you are having issues with the site or want to check anything with them, their support can be contacted via the following methods.
Telephone: 0800 083 1988
Support Email: support@meccabingo.com
Postal Address:
Mecca Bingo
c/o Rank Digital Services (Gibraltar) Ltd
Suite 3, Second Floor
Icom House
1/5 Irish Town
Gibraltar
GX11 1AA
Mecca Bingo Slots And Games
Mecca Bingo has quite the selection of instant win and slot games to choose from when you play at their site. The following are just a small selection of what is on offer.
Popular Slots Available:
Mecca Bingo News Posts
Any news or blog posts featuring Mecca Bingo on the Playing Bingo Blog will be listed below.
Posted: When it comes to adverts for online bingo, we have seen quite a few over the years. Some have really grabbed our attention, and others, bored us to tears. It would be fair to say that the ones that have gotten a thumbs up from us are those that have… [More]
Posted:
As many of you will know, we’re old school online bingo players and have been since the arrival of our favourite game on the Internet. This means we remember things like the Foxy Bingo cruises way back in 2008. We were quite shocked to read the claims by Mecca Bingo… [More]
Posted:
Are Mecca Bingo in the process of cracking ‘it’? By ‘it’ we mean one of the biggest problems facing land based bingo operators, how to get young people through the doors and engaged in what is considered a bit of an ageing past-time. Perhaps inspired by the success of Bongos… [More]
Posted:
Click here to play at Mecca Bingo The past couple of decades have been tumultuous for the land based bingo industry. The only real reprieve came from the taxation reduction in the 2015 budget which was literally a lifeline for many struggling bingo halls. One main perceived threat to bingo… [More]
Posted:
We’re really pleased that land based bingo is still notching up the big wins in the clubs, as just like online bingo, the the allure of a life changing win is a real draw that keeps the players playing bingo. The latest big land based winner is an anonymous granny… [More]
Posted:
Over the past few years we’ve seen some strange promotional activities in bingo halls, strippers at Mecca Ayr is one that immediately springs to mind! And the latest one is also in a Scottish club, cute dogs to cheer up players with the winter blues in Mecca’s Glasgow Springfield Quay… [More]
Posted:
Mecca Bingo in Knotty Ash are ramping up the entertainment levels this weekend with a Wild West night. We’re guessing that the event is to attract younger players as the star attraction will be a real bucking bronco. Players will be able to compete to see who can stay the… [More]
Posted:
Poor old Mecca Bingo, they’re having a bit of a time of it recently. Firstly they have to forfeit just under a million pounds in profit following a ruling in a court case and then, as if that wasn’t enough, they have to make changes to their Christmas commercial. This… [More]
Posted:
One of the biggest problems with the offline bingo industry over the past few years has been the perceived ageing of its population of players. Whether the real or not, the perception is there, of players sporting horn rimmed glasses, their bingo wings flapping in strip-lit garish halls, and this… [More]
Posted:
The national Bingo Caller Of The Year competition sadly closed its doors in 2007, just as many clubs themselves were closing their doors for the last time. As a celebration of not just the callers but the players and halls themselves the competition’s demise was ominous. So, it’s good news… [More]
Posted:
Now we try and have pretty informed opinions here at Playing Bingo but even we’re the first to admit when we have got something wrong. When Mecca Bingo’s twerking cactus hit our screens in an ad campaign for the brand we were the first to say it was a lousy… [More]
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As bingo clubs have always has been closely tied to the communities in which they operate they have always done their bit for local charities. But, there is more to it than bingo halls doing a bit of ‘good PR’ by showing that they care, a lot of bingo halls… [More]
Posted:
If you are a regular bingo player, and you can do a bit of maths, you will know that the money you spend over the years combined with the chances of winning mean that the average player is in deficit over the long term. A night at the bingo is… [More]
Posted:
It’s official, Britain is now completely singing bonkers! The Voice is back, the X Factor has never gone away, and even Stars In Their Eyes has made a comeback with Harry Hill as the new presenter, although he replaces ‘Cowell-like’ TV judge nastiness with his own brand of surreal cheekiness… [More]
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The festive season is well and truly here, it seems to start earlier every year, and if it carries on at this rate there’ll be no need to take down the Christmas tree at all! And with holiday comes added expense, so any unexpected money is more of a cause… [More]
Posted:
If you haven’t heard of ‘The National’ then you may be playing in the wrong club, as their linked games can have some huge payouts. In one week alone, the game paid out over £300,000 to two lucky winners. We’re sure that you have heard of The National but for… [More]
Posted:
It is a sad fact of life that heart attacks are ‘relatively common’ in bingo halls. So common in fact, that several bingo halls have had defibrillators fitted, and staff trained for their use. The latest heart attack victim was Maria Carmichael 53, who suffered a heart attack in the… [More]
Posted:
In the year to June 30 Mecca Bingo’s attendance figures have fallen by 7% which is probably a bit alarming for the chain’s owners, The Rank Group. In some ways this was good news however, as the first quarter showed a fall of 10% which may partially been down to… [More]
Posted:
There have been hints over the past year that the Gala Coral Group who own the Gala Bingo chain were going to sell off their bingo halls in advance of a stock market flotation. And now it looks like the big sale is about to become a reality. The sale… [More]
Posted:
Two lucky ladies recently hit the jackpot at Mecca Bingo in Halifax with a £50,000 payout. The pair, Beverley Tinkler, 60 and Debora Sturman, 50 were obviously overjoyed, and have split the winnings between them. This was a huge surprise for the friends, as Saturdays at the club don’t usually… [More]
Posted:
This is the second bingo hall to close since the reduced bingo taxation announcement in the 2014 budget (to our knowledge). Despite the taxation reprieve, business is business, so if a club is not making money, it will close, and, this is particularly pertinent to small chains and independents who… [More]
Posted:
Bingo, and hypnotism? Sounds like a great night out! In fact, this will be the second time that Mecca Bingo in Catford will be hosting Adam Knight as the last appearance was obviously a success. It sounds like a real night to look forward too, as Adam has been voted… [More]
Posted:
The bingo tax reduction is now old news, but the Bingo Association feel that the support they received for their ‘Boost Bingo’ campaign should be rewarded. So, on Friday 16th of May, there will be free links games across the country in bingo clubs which are members of the Bingo… [More]
Posted:
Since the budget announcement we’ve been expecting less bad news when it comes to bingo halls. We’ve been expecting less closures and more success stories, but we haven’t really been expecting to hear of new clubs opening other than by either Gala Bingo or Mecca Bingo who have the financial… [More]
Posted:
The effects of the reduction of bingo taxation in the 2014 budget are already being felt. We’ve already noted how Crown Bingo in Portsmouth was saved from the chop as a direct result of the budget announcement, and week by week we are hearing more good news from the bingo… [More]
Posted:
Jobs come and go, but if you find a job you love it’s great if you can hang on to it, which is what bingo caller Blake Robson has been doing for the past 23 years. Mind you, if you’re a club with the man voted Bingo Caller Of The… [More]
Posted:
Coronation Street is the nation’s favourite soap (that’s official, it regularly outdoes East Enders in the viewing figures!). Bingo is one of the nation’s favourite games, and we’re talking about people actually playing, not watching the game. So it’s great when the two of them come together as they did… [More]
Posted:
After the very hot summer of 2013, it appears that Mecca Bingo clubs who suffered during the period did not make a comeback in the Autumn months. Profits were down 38% on the same period in the previous year which is a considerable amount. Owners the Rank Group, also showed… [More]
Posted:
It seems that support for the boost Bingo campaign is slowly gathering momentum. Over the weekend over 400 signatures were collected for the petition at Mecca Bingo in Bridgewater, and more signatures are being collected up and down the country. But time has moved on and now support is also… [More]
Posted:
We recently reported on an advertised night of stripping in Mecca Bingo in Catford, and although we don’t know how the evening went we’re guessing that it went well, as other Mecca clubs have recently been following suit. The Scottish based Fantasy Boys have recently been getting their kit off… [More]
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Halifax Mecca Bingo is the second club in the chain (that we know of) to launch a Christmas gift tree, the first one being Dudley Mecca Bingo. The idea is the same, patrons of the club take a gift tag from the club’s Christmas tree, and go off shopping, then… [More]
Posted:
Anyone in the know will know that over the past few years the land based bingo industry has been suffering leading to the closure of many bingo halls. The perceived causes of the problem are the smoking ban, taxation, image, and the poor economy. Obviously, nothing can be done about… [More]
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For most of us, Christmas is all about the children, if you don’t have them you won’t know what I mean, but if you do, you certainly will. The Nativity play, presents, the constant haranguing every time you walk into a supermarket, where there’s something to entice the kids at… [More]
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The last time we reported on a Mecca Bingo club in Bolton it was to cover a robbery of the Breightmetfold Lane club, so we’re pleased that this time the new is good news. Their sister Mecca Bingo club on Omrod Street have just recently held a Christmas fair, the… [More]
Posted:
Music events at bingo halls tend to be of the tribute variety, which is great as you get to hear your favourite tunes from the stars, played live, even if it’s not the stars themselves. But sometimes it’s good to hear the original band playing, and over the past decade,… [More]
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Last week Mecca Bingo in Beeston, Nottingham offered free Bingo to emergency service workers as part of their Emergency Services Week. Bingo halls tend to do a lot for charity, but this is the first time we’ve heard of a club extended their gratitude to workers who serve the community… [More]
Posted:
Gala Coral may be selling their Gala Bingo clubs in an effort to ‘clean up’ their operation. Whilst this summer has been one of the best for the past twenty years or so, the bad news for bingo clubs is that numbers have been down during an uncharacteristic run of… [More]
Posted:
Whilst you might not have known it, the competition that has been going on for domination of the bingo industry has been running parallel in the casino industry. The Rank Group, owners of Mecca Bingo clubs across the UK, have bought out nearly all of the Coral owned Gala Casinos… [More]
Posted:
In an effort to alter the demographic of bingo hall players, the Rank Group, owners of the Mecca Bingo chain, have over the past few years been investing in its ‘Full House’ concept. The idea was a simple one, make the venues ‘young person friendly’, and a younger audience will… [More]
Posted:
It’s great to hear of celebs playing bingo in a good old fashioned bingo hall, we’re sure a lot of them play online, but I doubt they are going to admit to that as they may fear it would ruin their credibility. While there’s nothing wrong with playing bingo online… [More]
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Mecca Bingo are running a search to find a great mother and daughter team. The idea is that they receive nominations of truly inspirational women. Although we don’t have the exact criteria, we are guessing that they are looking for women who have shown a certain amount of self sacrifice… [More]
Posted:
Click here to play at Mecca Bingo If you have teenage children then the chances are you will know what the Harlem Shake is. It is an Internet meme that went viral only last month with literally thousands of videos being made and uploaded to YouTube. Yesterday we found one… [More]
Posted:
Click here to play at Mecca Bingo Now that the snow has cleared and looks like it will not be coming back in any big way Mecca Bingo’s owners Rank are counting the cost. Their profits for the month of January are down by 3 million pounds. The downturn in… [More]
Posted:
The Bingo Association has announced that their current Chief Executive, Paul Talboys, has resigned with effect from today. Miles Baron is to take up the post as of Monday 8th October. Mr Talboys has been with the Association since May 2000, and has obviously seen the bingo industry through arguably… [More]
Posted:
Click here to play at Mecca Bingo For bingo halls, like any other business, the initial key is to get people through the doors. Once through the doors, you’ve got to make sure that players stay, and more importantly come back. But for many halls that initial ‘through the door’… [More]
Posted:
Click here to play at Mecca Bingo We get a lot of comments on this site about bingo clubs across the UK. The comments take various forms: often complimentary, sometimes complaining, and one of the more common complaints is about prize money. It seems that from a player’s perspective there… [More]
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One of the things that we love about bingo clubs is the sense of community. People tend to have common bonds that unite them, and one of the ways that we see this in action is through charitable events and donations. It’s especially heartwarming to see a club exceed its… [More]
Posted:
It was a Mecca Bingo hall that popped my bingo cherry when I was taken kicking and screaming along with a friend and her Nan to my first ever session. The family of four from York are currently celebrating a whopping £22,392.99 when after being the first to call the… [More]
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Bingo has always had a reputation as being for the older generation with references often made about “purple rinses” (or blue for that matter) and bingo wings but for quite some time now land based bingo halls have been working to attract the younger generation through the doors. The world… [More]
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The Underground Rebel Bingo Club Feels like an age ago that I last spoke of the Underground Rebel Bingo Club, and how retail bingo could take some pointers from their anarchic, non-traditional take on bingo. I was searching around for something else and our paths crossed again, and I was… [More]
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Online bingo has been rife with takeovers and buyouts recently, and this latest one sees one of the best online bingo providers bought by a wider gaming operator who’s bingo offering is far from satisfactory. Virtue Fusion have in the last couple of years become one of my favourite bingo… [More]
Posted:
The evening of Friday the 29th January saw the 2nd Bingoport.co.uk Player’s Choice Awards, held during the 2010 London Affiliate Conference. I was able to attend last year’s event, but due to the pending birth of our 2nd child, I had to miss this event. But fear not, I sent… [More]
Posted:
If you follow the bingo news then you can’t help but have noticed a couple of stories the last week revolving around taxation and the bingo industry. With last week’s pre-budget report, the industry had hoped to see the Chancellor reduce his prior rise on the bingo tax which shot… [More]
Posted:
It’s been a long time since I heard anything about the case of Jean McCullagh and the disputed million pound Mecca Millionaire prize that was won back in October 2007. The problems arose as she was playing with 3 other family members and had denied she had agreed to split… [More]
Posted:
One of the highlights of the 4th Online Bingo Summit for me was the talk given by Angus Nisbit of Mecca Bingo, in which he spoke about Mecca’s growing ability to promote between their online and retail arms. During the talk he gave a glowing insight into the success of… [More]
Posted:
It’s not all doom and gloom in the retail world. Beacon Entertainments are showing their commitment to bingo by rebranding themselves alongside adding a number of improvements to their halls. During the rebrand, the company will improve its existing Beacon clubs and re-name 3 others to expand the Beacon name.… [More]
Posted:
Following my last post about the success of Mecca Bingo at their High Court appeal about their tax rebate, Bingo Supermarket has an interesting take on the ruling. Rather than saving the industry, it could actually cause some operators severe difficulties as banks take the rebate’s straight off them to… [More]
Posted:
There’ll be some happy people in the Rank Group HQ today. In fact they may even be having a little party to celebrate their victory in the High Court, where they found out they could keep the £62million VAT repayment they received last year. Reading the comments left here when… [More]
Posted:
Just a quick post to mention the video report from Which Bingo shot at the new Mecca Beeston club. It’s interesting to see inside the club and how swanky it’s all looking. There’s an interview with the Jay Murray, the manager of the club who believes it to be a… [More]
Posted:
I have to start by saying that I find this story particularly shocking. According to the report in the Daily Mail, pensioner and longtime member of the Mecca Bingo, Rosalyn Clemson has been banned from every single Mecca Bingo in the UK. Her crime was organising a trip for other… [More]
Posted:
One other thing that’s caught my attention as well the last couple of weeks is the movement of sites from the St Minver network to Virtue Fusion. Rather than throw it in with the other rash of stories in the last post, it’s something I wanted to look at in… [More]
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It’s been a busy month for me, I’ve had a number of work related things to sort out, and spent almost a week in Amsterdam rubbing shoulders with operators and fellow webmasters at a couple of conferences targeting affiliates. There’s been a lot happening that I just haven’t had the… [More]
Posted:
There’s been a lot of ripples following the budget for the gaming industry. I have to say I missed the news about the raise in gaming duties in the general news on TV Tuesday, but there’s been plenty on the web since. I also missed that the contentious VAT issue… [More]
Posted:
A couple of nice little stories today that would indicate Mecca Bingo are thinking a bit outside the box and expanding the ways they market the game and broaden its appeal. First up, news from Leeds that Mark Walsh has invented what sounds like a cross between bingo and pop-quizzes,… [More]
Posted:
Bit of a grab bag of recent stories I’ve been to busy to focus on, but which I think are worthy of note. First up, the Foreign Secretary David Miliband had a stint as a bingo caller alongside the still reigning Bingo Caller Of The Year Blake Robson. The MP… [More]
Posted:
It’s good to see Mecca Bingo are fighting back against the malaise in the retail industry, bucking the trend of club closures and the lack of imagination in where to take the game. Their prime weapon is a new club to be opened in Beeston, Nottingham. This is what they… [More]
Posted:
There’s been a few stories the last week of interest to Playing Bingo readers out there, and I’ll give you a quick round-up and overview of the stories involved. First up is news from The Rank Group about their end of year trading figures. They’ve seen a slip in profits,… [More]
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The ongoing financial crisis for land based bingo seems to be deepening at the moment. I’ve recently featured stories looking at Gala Bingo’s finances and their problems. but today it’s the turn of a smaller player, The Buckingham Bingo chain. The Telegraph carries a report about the chain’s current debt… [More]
Posted:
Having just got the CAP Euro event out of the way, and the BingoPort.co.uk player awards, I’m now turning my attention to the next big event in the online bingo world, the 4th Annual Online Bingo Summit, which is due to be held June 16th ? 17th at the Millennium… [More]
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The Bingo Association have posted a couple of news posts the last couple of days that will be of interest to the operators out there. First up, there’s a reminder that all VAT Reclaims for the period between 1973 – 1996 have to be lodged by the cut-off deadline of… [More]
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Well, I’ve been caught up in all the fun and games the season has to offer, and let a few stories slip. Rather than go into depth, here’s a quick round up and links to further information on a few stories that caught my eye over the last couple of… [More]
Posted:
Following on from Gala’s recent news of slight improvements in its Bingo business, there’s more cautiously good news from their biggest rival, Mecca Bingo. The Times reports that trading has been up slightly for Mecca, who’ve seen a rise in their like-for-like sales of 1%. It appears that maybe the… [More]
Posted:
News from the Bingo Association that Gala Bingo have pulled out of the UK trade body. I suppose it’s not surprising, following their departure from the National Bingo Game, it seems Gala Bingo are intent on going it alone at the moment. It was interesting to see the Bingo Association’s… [More]
Posted:
Some good news in these times of credit crisis and financial turmoil for Rank. They’ve seen an improvement in sales, with a rise in spending per person of 8%, and better overall sales of 2%. I won’t go into the financials here too much, you can get all the figures… [More]
Posted:
As one of the smaller chains in the UK, it’s not very often I see news about Stylus Sports Bingo arm, Deluxe Clubs. However, today there’s two separate stories on the wires, and unfortunately, neither of them are positive. Both highlight the continuing problems in the industry in the retail… [More]
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It’s no secret that one of my favourite online bingo sites is Sun Bingo, which runs on the tombola bingo platform. They have since the start stood out for their value, the strength of their Bingo community and their focus on good old fashioned Bingo over slots and casino games.… [More]
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With so much doom and gloom in the retail industry, the last few months have had a few beacons of light in the shape of the ‘potential’ tax rebate for Mecca and the change in the amount of Class B3 machines allowed in clubs. Well, I’d like to continue that… [More]
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There’s been a lot in the press this last week about a pensioner who was mugged leaving a Mecca Bingo club in Manchester. Lees Bins was attacked from behind as he left the club, and had £1,000 of winnings on him at the time which were stolen. It was a… [More]
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Here’s on appeal case we’ll all be hoping gets thrown out for the good of the industry. In a statement the Rank Group has said the HMRC will appeal against the VAT and Duties Tribunal ruling that would give the company a £36 million VAT rebate. It’s not expected the… [More]
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The Bingo Association posted yesterday that it was impatient at the lack of a response from the Government. It’s been more than 50 days since to the Minister for Sport’s promises of good news for the industry with regards to change the limits of £500 jackpot slots allowed in Bingo… [More]
Posted:
With the Online Bingo Summit this week, and the run-up to it previously, I’ve let lots of little stories slide under the radar and go unmentioned. So, to right that wrong, here’s a bit of a headline blast for you. First up I wanted to flag a couple of Bingo… [More]
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The online bingo comparison site Bingo Port has released an interesting set of figures around the sales of online bingo tickets in the UK. They’ve set about researching the UK Bingo market, an area where there’s few definite figures that quantify the size of the market, with the aim of… [More]
Posted:
I’m just back off holiday and catching up with the news. Talk about bad timing, the one week in the year I’m away from the PC for any length of time, two of the largest Bingo news stories of the year break! Midweek I found out about Gala Bingo’s withdrawal… [More]
Posted:
Brett was on the ball with this story, he published news on Gala’s decision to pull out of the National Game earlier today. This has come out of the blue for me, it’s a pretty staggering decision. Gala’s reasoning is that they will enhance their High 5 game and use… [More]
Posted:
An interim trading report from Rank has some good news for the company’s future. It’s showing improved trading figures. According to the report, trading was down on the same period as last year (prior to the introduction of the smoking ban) as was expected. On like-for-like sales there was a… [More]
Posted:
Just a quick note to say that the National Bingo Game have added to their site the entry forms and details for entry into this year’s competition. If you’re a regular Bingo Caller at a club that’s a member of the NBGA, and fancy your chances in the competition, you… [More]
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I’ve covered a couple of stories recently about big Bingo prize wins going to court as they’ve been disputed, with the winner refusing to share with their Bingo partners. Well, another one has just been through the legal system in Chester, and this time the judge made the winner split… [More]
Posted:
Just a quick mention of the news from This Is Wiltshire about the closure of Swindon’s Mecca Bingo. The club closed on Saturday, much to the dismay of its members who’d set up a petition to try and save the club. Once again, it’s a smaller old style of club… [More]
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The Financial Times have a piece on the Rank Groups profits for last year, that sees the trend of losses continue. Rank chief executive Ian Burke mentions that 2008 will be a “challenging year” for business. As a part of their plan, the group has sold their pension plan to… [More]
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I had an idea to do a new section of the site towards the end of last year, and got around to actually doing it this last week. This new section is called Lost Bingo Halls, and the idea is I will over time add new pages, dedicated to those… [More]
Posted:
Been a few interesting stories around the last week or so that I haven’t touched on, so I thought I’d just quickly mention them all in one go, headline style. First, news of the fate of two old halls, both of which have been closed for some time. Firstly, the… [More]
Posted:
Near enough 4 months after it was first launched, the National Bingo Game’s million pound Big ‘N’ Prize has finally been won. Congratulations go out to Christine Bradfield from Bargoed at the Merthyr Tydfil Castle Bingo club who won herself her a massive £1.1 million prize. If you hadn’t noticed… [More]
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I just spotted news from the FT that Ladbrokes have decided against moving into the casino market in the UK, and will not be bidding on any of the 16 licenses for casinos that have come out of the failed super casino plan of the UK government. You might be… [More]
Posted:
Well, lots of news the last week around the industry about potential takeovers. Firstly, the FT reports that the Rank Group have another party interested in them, the latest of recent months to declare a major interest in buying the UK group behind the Mecca Bingo chain. The Asia based… [More]
Posted:
More on the political movement to get VAT scrapped on Bingo revenues this weekend, as the former Home Secratery Charles Clarke has joined the cause. The Eastern Daily Press has a report on Charles’ photo-op when he turned Bingo caller at the All Saints Green Mecca Bingo in Norwich. Mr… [More]
Posted:
There’s been more movement in the chase for Mecca the last couple of weeks that I’ve yet to catch up with. Just before Christmas, the private equity group Duke Street Capital made an offer to buy Rank. Speculation about a take over at Rank continues, and Duke Street Capital join… [More]
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News and speculation around Rank continues to grow as the Times reports on a secretive share buy out by the Malaysian group Genting. Genting already have a stake in a number of UK leisure businesses, and their 10% stake in Rank is considered to put them in a place to… [More]
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Last week I reported on the legal action around the 2nd £1,000,000 Mecca Millionaire prize, which is currently in dispute because of an argument over shares on the prize. The BBC has news of the resolution of a similar dispute, this time over a £100,000 National Bingo prize. The outcome… [More]
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The results are in, and I’d like to say congratulations to Blake Robson of the South Shields Mecca Bingo – winner of the title NBGA Bingo Caller Of The Year 2007 alongside his victory as the North East region winner. Blake beat off some stiff competition from the other five… [More]
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It’s here! This weekend, the six regional finalists meet in London to fight for the title of the NBGA Bingo Caller Of The Year. The competition will be held at the Wood Green Mecca Bingo tomorrow afternoon as soon as soon as we get the result, it will be featured… [More]
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The UK’s third largest Bingo train is suffering profit and share troubles. ICWales Business reports that the chains profits have halved in the last 6 months, with the foreseeable future set to be equally difficult. Top Ten Holdings have also seen their share price slump as well. Top Ten have… [More]
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Following the Kerchingo game, Gala Bingo are back on the big prize money ladder after their first ever Gala High 5 main jackpot has been won, with a jackpot prize of £874,208. The Gala prize is a bit different to the Mecca Millionaire and Big N though, because that prize… [More]
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For those of you interested in the art of calling Bingo, we have a double whammy of content to enjoy today. Our regular columnist and the reigning Bingo Caller Of The Year, Brett Hyrjak, is back with his latest piece. It sees him writing about his part in the current… [More]
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Well, the stage is now set for an epic showdown of Bingo calling talent in London on the 25th November. The last two regional heats of the NBGA Bingo Caller Of The Year were held in the last week – so we now have the full line up for the… [More]
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I can’t keep up with these million pound games! Mecca were expecting 1 winner every 45 days with their massive new Mecca Millionaire prize. It’s been a bit busier than expected though, this Friday saw the third million pound prize go to an unnamed player at the Mecca Bingo Club… [More]
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Following on from the recent post about Rank’s share price slide, there’s more bad news on the shares front. Given the current state of their shares and uncertainty over profit levels for the rest of 2007, the HSBC has downgraded the stock from overweight to neutral. It’s not good news… [More]
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Well, just days after all my fuss over the 2nd Mecca Millionaire, the story has taken an unexpected turn for the worse. The previously unnamed pensioner has now been named as Jean McCullagh of the South Lanarkshire village Uddingston. According to the BBC’s news report, she’s in dispute with the… [More]
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Well, this is just an awesome story – the 2nd Mecca Millionaire prize has been won. What makes it amazing is that it was won at the same club as the first one – Mecca’s Glasgow Forge. The £1,000,000 prize has been won there twice in 21 days, which considering… [More]
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Rank’s shares have taken a bit of a tumble to hit their lowest point in almost 20 years. Bloomberg reports that the company behind the Mecca Bingo chain’s shares have slipped 21%. The impact of the smoking ban and the change in gaming machines brought in with the 2005 Gambling… [More]
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As I’ve been busy preparing for and attending the Online Bingo Summit, I’ve been a bit neglectful of the news, so here’s a quick round up of some other interesting Bingo news from the last week or so. We’ll start with some big jackpot news. Mecca Bingo can claim the… [More]
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The NGBA Bingo Caller Of The Year is well and truly under way now, and the first couple of results are in. The North West head was held on the 19th at the Mecca Bingo Club, Moor Lane, Bolton. The heat was won by Allen Musa from Preston’s Buckingham Bingo.… [More]
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icWales have an article on the Bingo industry in south Wales, where, 6 months into the smoking ban, a clearer picture of losses related to the ban is appearing. According to a survey carried out by the South Wales Echo, many clubs are reporting a loss of between 15 and… [More]
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It’s come around again like a shot. The annual competition to find the best Bingo caller in the UK, the NGBA Bingo Caller Of The Year 2007 begins its competitive stages with the regional finals on September the 19th. The first regional heat will be to find the North West… [More]
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It seems like the Bingo world is going big money bonkers at the minute. We’ve just had the Kerchingo game from Gala Bingo, which created the UK’s first online bingo millionaire. There’s been an alternative multi site pooled million pound prize floating around before that, despite being what I feel… [More]
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I’ve spotted a couple of stories in the news the last week featuring Bingo callers. Unfortunately, both the stories were a bit short in the good news stakes. First up, news that Mecca Bingo caller Ricky Denton failed in his bid to become a boot camp attendee when he failed… [More]
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Well, been busy with a few more holiday things, and a few stories have slipped under my posting radar. Without further ado here’s a quick round up on the interesting stories from the last week. First up, not long after Gala’s Kerchingo created the first online bingo millionaire – there’s… [More]
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Gala Bingo are already the biggest brand in the UK when it comes to Bingo, both online and on the high street. They continue to impress me with the innovations they continue to bring to the game and its marketing. Recent examples of member emails with promotions to tempt online… [More]
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At 6am yesterday morning England joined the rest of the UK with the introduction of the smoking ban. It’s now illegal to smoke in any enclosed public spaces anywhere in the UK – including the 600+ Bingo halls around the country. We’ve been covering this for a while now, the… [More]
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You might have spotted we’re carrying a banner in the site’s navigation for the 2nd Annual Online Bingo Summit. A lot of interesting stuff came out of last years event, so this year I’m going attending and reporting back. This year’s event (once more organised by Bullet Business) takes place… [More]
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The Tottenham, Wood Green and Edmonton Journal feature and article on Ricky Denton, the main-stage caller at the Lordship Lane Mecca Bingo in London. He’s through to the last 200 of the popular TV talent competition the X-Factor and will be trying to impress Simon Cowell enough to get himself… [More]
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The online bingo site Bingo Scotland have a new press release out talking about their experiences of picking up customers following the start of the Scottish smoking ban. Whilst many in the industry are talking about an explosion in players come the start of the ban, Bingo Scotland are urging… [More]
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Mecca already has the one all electric Bingo hill, but now it’s looking to trial the technology in more halls. There’s news from the makers of the cards, Electronic Game Cards Inc. that they’re supplying Mecca with a lot more of them. I’m wondering how long it’s going to be… [More]
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We featured the plight of the Essex Road Mecca Bingo in Islington a few times the last couple of months. The club was one of the unlucky nine Mecca halls closed, became a rallying point for the ‘Stop Destroying My Bingo’ campaign before closing in March. The now empty hall… [More]
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There’s been a lot on Bingo in the mainstream media the last week. We already mentioned the Guardian’s piece on St Minver’s survey, but there’s been a couple more notable items since then that I’ve not had a chance to mention and catch up on. First up, the business section… [More]
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The Guardian website run an article yesterday on the returns from a recent Bingo survey run by the online bingo network St Minver. The results show that as many as one in ten Bingo players will give up playing at Bingo halls because of the smoking ban – and one… [More]
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The Rank Group, the company behind Mecca Bingo are set to further cut back on their Bingo holding with news that they plan to sell off around 10 of their 103 Bingo Halls. This news is on top of the nine clubs closed in recent months. The clubs are the… [More]
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A year after the smoking bans introduction in Scotland a year ago, Mecca has revealed it’s seen a 10% drop in admissions. It’s also seen a like-for-like drop in sales of 17%. Things are starting to improve as the spending per customer is increasing. The news follows Carlton Bingo’s announcements… [More]
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Smokers at the Mecca Bingo on North Street in Exeter are set to get rained on as their local council has rejected plans for an external smoking shelter. They were concerned that the shelter wouldn’t compliment Grade II listed building. [More]
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The smoking ban’s been with us a couple of weeks now, so I thought it would be a good time to have a look at some related articles. Firstly, there’s been all sorts of plans for a smoking shelters outside Bingo halls. This story from Bristol on the Mecca Bingo… [More]
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The day the Bingo industry in Wales has been dreading has arrived – from today it’s illegal to smoke in any of the countries Bingo halls (or pubs, clubs or any enclosed public places). Prior to its introduction, the ban has already had effects in Wales with one of the… [More]
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The Islington Gazette run a story on the closure of the Essex Road Mecca Club. It’s a sad time for many of the regular elders – even with a bus service being laid on, there will be no replacing what’s been lost. It will have been like a second home… [More]
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Following the news of the 9 Mecca Bingo clubs closing, Rank are suffering with their earnings dropping by 12% in 2006. Despite the problems with the Bingo area of the business, the chain’s Grosvenor Casinos are doing well, so much so that Rank are planning to bid on the upcoming… [More]
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As one of the ill-fated nine Mecca clubs whose closure was announced last month, the Mecca Bingo club on Essex Road has attracted a lot of press attention. The club is the regular haunt of Birds Of A Feather star Linda Robson and her mum, and Linda has added her… [More]
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Wales Online have an interesting article that looks in-depth at the closure of the Mecca Bingo in Swansea, and further facts and figures on the Bingo and the smoking ban. Will the smoking ban be the death of bingo? (Dead Link) [More]
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Following the news from Mecca yesterday of the planned closure of 9 Bingo halls, Get Reading have an article on the closure of the Reading Mecca Bingo. Readers may recall the club has a royal member on its books, as Prince William played there back in October 2006. The club… [More]
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It seems the England and Wales smoking ban is already starting to bite at Mecca Bingo. The company has announced the closure of nine Bingo halls around the UK today. Clubs in Fulham, Islington, Kingston-upon-Hull, Liverpool, Reading, Sheffield, Swansea, Welling and Wolverhampton have all been earmarked to be closed and… [More]
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News of a top award for Stuart Booth the manager of the Mecca Bingo Club on Hartlepool Marina. Managing to beat of the challenge of another 100 competitors, he won the Sunrise Customer Service Champion award consisting of prize money of £2,000 and a trophy. I have to say, it… [More]
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News from Mecca Bingo in Fishergate, York that they’re in the process of getting permission to erect a large smoking shelter at the front of the club in preparation for the ban in July. Read more… Sigh… They’re just not getting it are they? I hope they have more planned… [More]
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Well, Happy New Year to all our readers – been as it’s the time of year, I thought I’d share some of my selected highlights from 2006, and thoughts for what will happen in 2007 for Bingo in the UK, off and online. In 2006 the biggest news has been… [More]
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Interesting financial report from the Guardian that William Hill are considering bidding for The Rank Group after they sell off their Hard Rock Cafe part of the business. The Rank Group run the Mecca chain of Bingo halls, so it’s perhaps fitting that one gaming business with a large high… [More]
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Tessa Jowell, the Culture Secretary is hoping that with new gaming licenses, the UK can become a centre of respectability and a shining example of good practice for the online gaming world. Speaking at the opening of the first international summit to discuss the global impact of online gambling, she… [More]
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Wow, not long after having Prince William come play at their Reading hall and the reams of great publicity it generated around the world Mecca get more nice press. The online version of their game will be getting some great PR value from the story of a women driven online… [More]
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Following on from my earlier post about the pending Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, US operators are not only turning their attentions to the UK, but to the far east as well. UK based FC Group will be holding a conference on the 31st October to explore the burgeoning market… [More]
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The annual competition’s into its 12th year. The regional heats are gone and the winners will be going forward to the grand final on Nov 26th at Gala Bingo’s Surrey Quays club. For a full list of the regional winners and finalists check out the National Bingo’s page on the… [More]
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Could this be just the sort of celebrity endorsement that the Bingo industry in the UK needs? Forget Sharon Osbourne’s chat show, or Kerry Katona celebrity Bingo branding, nothing says modern, young, smart and intelligent Bingo players than a handsome young British Prince. According to reports, Prince William stunned the… [More]
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I’ve had a bit of a flurry working on new pages here – first up is a quick guide to help people who’ve always wondered about the difference between the UK and American versions of the game. So to give you a quick insight, I added an article – The… [More]
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Well, out in Bingo land, it looks like the penny is starting to drop. The message is, attract a new audience or go under come the smoking ban. We’ve mentioned the National game’s rebranding before on this blog, but there’s more detail here on the £2m rebrand. Getting in on… [More]
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The oncoming smoking ban and decling position of Rank as a Bingo giant will see 200 jobs going across the UK in the Mecca Bingo chain. The 200 job losses are a premptive cut to ofset the UK wide smoking ban that will be coming into effect next year. Once… [More]
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News from Southend that the Greyhound Way Mecca Bingo Hall has been granted permission to add a casino, resturant and bar to the club by the local council. In return, Mecca have to improve the local bus stop and pay to improve local bus routes. Sounds like a great deal… [More]
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With fears of club closures in Scotland thanks to the smoking ban, Mecca is doing it’s bit to fight against the trend. It has just opened a massive 1000 seater club in Saucel Crescent, Paisley. [More]
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The Palais de Danse building in Edinburgh is now looking like it will be demolished. Mecca had been trying to get planning permission to update the site for a while now but have had previous submissions rejected. The current plans rely on their sister company Grosvenor Casinos getting a license… [More]
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Interesting, now this I’d like to visit. The Fountain Park Mecca Bingo club in Edinburgh has gone fully electronic. This has seen visitors double and revenue’s increase. ‘Bingo has not changed from a manual, pen and paper-based game in more than 500 years,’ said Mario Vilela, director of electronic gaming… [More]
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News that Mecca Bingo aren’t happy about competition from a rival chain in a neighbouring area (and who could blame them?). The Morden Mecca has filed a complaint against Mayfair’s plans to open a Bingo hall in Sutton. Mayfair Chief executive Simon Hannah believes it is just delaying tactics from… [More]
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Rank, owners of the Mecca Bingo chain as well as a number of casinos and resturants are in discussion about selling off a prestigious casino from their portfolio – The Clermont Club. According to the article, the London casino is famed for its glamour, and for being a haunt of… [More]
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A few stories popped up this last couple of days that I didn’t mention as I was heads down spending some dosh and reviewing Bingo sites for the review section. There’s now a review for Crown Bingo and Bingos UK if you’re looking for an insight into online bingo. A… [More]
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TOP STORY: Reunited Via Online Bingo Game – 02 March 2006 Showing the global power of Bingo, a woman from Ellesmere Port is reunited with old Bingo pal in Auckland via Think Bingo’s online bingo site. Read more…(Dead Link) Dancing On Ice, Winning At Bingo – 01 March 2006 A… [More]
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TOP STORY: Bingo Appeals To A Wide Audience – 16 December 2005 Gala club assistant manager pleased at the wide range of people form all walks of life now attending his club on a regular basis. Believes more men than ever are taking up the game. Read more…(Dead Link) Scottish… [More]
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TOP STORY: Smoking Ban Set To Cause Bingo Halls Major Problems – 18 November 2005 Plans to impose a smoking ban in pubs and clubs could damage bingo clubs. The average smoker population is 60% in most major clubs. Read more…(Dead Link) Top Rank Ripe For A Take Over –… [More]
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