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UK
Casino Times
> Casino
Articles
12 November
2006
Bingo In The UK
For many of us, the fun
of bingo is equivalent to playing football or having a pint.
Over three million Brits play bingo regularly at more than
650 bingo clubs spread around the country and at online
sites.
Bingo
is one game that attracts more women than men and 10% of the
female population, versus 8% of the male population play the
game religiously. Bingo is also big money maker in the UK.
The industry churns out GBP 1.1 billion in revenue per year
and employs tens of thousands of people. The British
government clearly benefits greatly from the millions of
pounds in taxes generated by the National Bingo
Game.
Bingo arrived in the
United Kingdom in the 1960s with the passing of the UK
Gambling Act. During this decade, following the introduction
of TV into the leisure lives of Britons, a major shift in
entertainment culture occurred - for the first time in
decades, people preferred to stay at home and watch telly
than go out to the dance halls and cinemas. The once-packed
dance halls stood empty and in a clever move, it was
suggested that they should be transformed into bingo halls.
People began pouring into these ex-dance halls to have a
night out on the town and play bingo. By the 1980s there
were not enough dance halls to be filled and custom-made
luxury gaming halls were bingo constructed around the
country.
Bingo used to be
associated with a church charity event, but the past few
decades have changed this image in the UK. Bingo is the most
popular leisure activity in the country and people in their
20s and 30s are responsible for this change in image –
they simply love the game and play it just as religiously at
the old folk!
Online bingo is just as
popular as the land-based version for different reasons.
Some people still prefer to frequent a bingo hall and
socialise with their friends, while others love to stay in
the pyjamas and play bingo from the comforts of their home.
The social aspect of bingo can still be experienced in the
online form due to recent additions such as the chat
feature, allowing plays to communicate with each
other.
The Gambling Act that
comes into affect in August 2007 may change the gambling
culture in the UK, but most analysts believe that these
changes will only be for the better. The industry is moving
towards regulation, but will be more established and better
controlled. It is clear, however, that the law will not
change the reality that Britons love to play bingo, and will
continue doing so for many years to come.
See our Online
Bingo section for
recommended online bingo sites.
Also see:
US
Online Casinos
Online Casinos where USA players are accepted.
UK
Online Casinos
Reviews of the leading, approved UK online casinos. Includes
details of the free money welcome bonuses offered to new
players by the online casinos.
Euro
Online Casinos
Online Casinos where you can play in Euros
currency.
British
Online Casinos
The best in British online casinos for UK
residents.
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