Operator News

UK – British Bingo Association highlights role bingo plays in the community

By Phil - 6 January 2021

The British Bingo Association is highlighting the supportive role bingo plays in the community, with nearly a third of regular bingo players saying that going to their local bingo club is the highlight of their week.

One in 10 players go so far as to say that they cannot imagine life without bingo.

The Association stated: “During the pandemic we have seen loneliness levels increase to record levels. For many people, especially those who are less able to travel, a visit to their local bingo club is the only social interaction they may have all week and provides a vital source of companionship. Quite simply, bingo clubs are a lifeline for a huge number of people and communities across the country.”

Bingo Association CEO Miles Baron specified: “Playing bingo isn’t just an incredibly popular activity for all generations – it is also a safe place for people to meet friends and family and is a vital community hub not only for our customers but our colleagues too. With loneliness on the rise, many people need COVID-19 safe spaces to overcome social isolation and connect with others.”

This past year, 100s of bingo club players have spoken out via social media to highlight both their love of the game and the sense of community that it and the clubs provide for so many people.

One customer from Sheffield said: “Bingo is a lifeline for me because It is a great way to relax in these very stressful times and it helps me to know that the bingo halls are COVID secure and I don’t have to worry about any risks to my health. It helps to maintain positive mental health for me and my husband.”

Bingo is not only a lifeline to its patrons. The bingo industry has also been a lifeline to so many charities. Indeed, The Bingo Association through their members and their customers have changed the lives of thousands of disadvantaged children throughout the UK with their support for Variety, the Children’s Charity.

Bingo Club operators have raised over £1.6m for Variety over the last four years. Their target was to reach £2m in 2020, but due to clubs being closed this has not been possible. Bingo is also a lifeline not just for those who play the game but for those who benefit from the generosity of Bingo customers through their generous charitable donations.

They have already funded 32 Variety Sunshine Coaches, enabling children to participate in fantastic days out, integrating them fully into their local communities, experiencing places and activities that are normally closed to many of them as a family unit. For example, some of the children have never travelled in a car before or been to the seaside to play in the sand.

When asked what the support from the Bingo Association meant to Variety, Lyn Staunton, Northwest Development Director at the charity said: “Although Thank you is a lovely word; it just doesn’t seem enough to express what it means to Variety to have the support of the Bingo Association and all its members. Lives have been changed, the unachievable was achieved, friends were made through family great days out, hope was given to those who had given up, all this because Bingo clubs made it happen. Thank you to each and every one of the staff who work in all the clubs and each and every customer”