Bingo Caller of the Year Cancelled

The National Bingo Game Association has announced that this year, the Bingo Caller of the Year competition has been cancelled.  To the disappointment of many, the annual highlight of the live bingo industry will not take place this year.

The NBGA has however said that they will be back in 2009 with the competition, bigger and better than ever.  The cancellation is due to big changes happening within the lnd-based bingo industry in the UK.

When Gala recently pulled out of the national game, their callers also became ineligible for the Caller of the Year awards.  Since Gala makes up around a third of UK bingo halls, this was a big hit for the national game and drastically reduced the number of callers who could take part in the competition. 

Gala's withdrawal also dealt a heavy blow to the national game, slicing into their revenues, and raising doubts about the game's future.  It stands to reason then that the NBGA is now cutting costs and that the Caller of the Year competition is the first casualty.

This is a shame, since bingo callers are the life and soul of the live bingo industry and the competition serves to reward those who have contributed to their clubs.  The NBGA says it will open the awards to television callers when it returns in 2009 to broaden the appeal of the competition.

Last year's Bingo Caller of the Year was Blake Robson from South Shields Mecca who won a trophy and a trip to Las Vegas.