Last month, Scotland based Premier Bingo submitted a petition signed by 1,400 people to the Scottish Parliament. Following the Scottish example, UK clubs and players have launched a country-wide petition to press the government to focus on a range of policies that are having a serious impact on the Bingo industry.

A devastating combination of taxation, licensing, overburdening legislation and the impact of the smoking ban is threatening bingo halls and for that reason, clubs and players decided to join forces and ask the government to “Stop Destroying My Bingo”.

The petition submitted by Premier Bingo underlined the fact that Bingo clubs face the burden of a punitive tax regime, which forces Britain’s three million mainly female bingo players to pay more to the Treasury than their male counterparts at the bookies.

Since the introduction of the smoking ban in Scotland last year, attendance to Bingo halls has dropped by almost 17% and profits suffered an average drop of up to 44%. The smoking ban in England and Wales is expected to have similar consequences.