£10 Million Tax Rebate Wanted for UK Bingo

by Hollie Sanders

The British Bingo Association is set to demand £10 million in respect of tax rebates to offset the cost to UK bingo from the recently enforced smoking ban in Scotland. The Chairman of the British Bingo Association, Sir Peter Fry wants Gordon Brown – The Chancellor of the Exchequer to cough up this amount to compensate for a 20% drop in income for Scottish bingo clubs, caused by the ban. Sir Peter Fry is about to commence on a campaign to meet with the media and politicians in order to set this in place.

It has been said that the smoking ban has had a far greater negative impact on the bingo industry than was initially anticipated and should the campaign in Scotland come to fruition it could mean that Bingo in England and Wales might just set their sights on an amount in the region of £100 million.

It is important to note that the reason for the drop in income has not at all been attributed to market trends, but by government legislation. It is very frustrating to the industry that the country feels it has the independence to call for and promulgate the ban but not to allow any tax breaks for the impact that it has had on the bingo industry.