Number's up at smoke ban bingo halls
ALMOST half of Scotland's bingo halls face closure as the smoking ban takes its toll on revenues.
Five clubs have closed already, including one in the Capital operated by Carlton Bingo, while a further three are expected to shut in the next few weeks.
The Bingo Association today warned that between 30 and 40 bingo halls are at risk of closure in the longer term. The warning comes just three months after the ban came into force.
Scotland currently has 86 venues, with the industry employing around 3500 people north of the Border out of a total UK workforce of about 21,000.
Bingo halls are worse affected than bars and pubs, which have coped with the smoking ban by creating gardens or erecting awnings, because players are banned from using electronic terminals outdoors. The Bingo Association said some operators had seen takings slump by as much as 27 per cent. Industry chiefs are now calling for tax breaks.
Sir Peter Fry, chairman of the Bingo Association, said: "The severity and speed of impact that the industry is currently experiencing in Scotland is alarming.
Carlton managing director Peter Perrins added: "Short of applying for an outdoor gaming licence, if such a thing were available, it is impossible to secure efficient play when half your players are standing outside."
Another Carlton club has closed in Dunfermline, while KE Entertainment recently closed clubs in Kirkcaldy and Denny.
