The Government have provided a disappointing outcome for the bingo industry after they rejected a proposal to amend the taxation levied on the industry.

Bingo halls across the UK are taxed 22%, which is 7% more than any other gambling sector in the country. The unfair taxation makes bingo the exception to the rule in the Finance Bill which taxes all gambling industries at a high rate in order to generate revenue from the sector.

As bingo clubs are experiencing difficult times, with 31 halls in the UK closing over the 2008/2009 period, Scottish National Party MP Stewart Hosie proposed that an amendment be made on the unfair taxation and brought the debate to the House of Commons yesterday. Alongside a rally of support and demonstrations outside the Houses of Parliament last week, the Bingo Association provided their support on reversing the decision to place such a heavy tax on the bingo industry.

MP’s in the House of Commons rejected the proposals, refusing to support any amendment of the bingo tax and claimed that the revisions to the bingo tax had already been made as VAT was removed for the industry in April.

The reaction from the bingo industry and MP’s outside of the labour party has been one of disappointment, with Stewart Hosie commenting that Labour had ‘hung the bingo industry out to dry’.
Former Tory cabinet Member, John Gummer said that this rejection to even consider repealing the taxation was a way for the Government to ‘vent their snobbishness’ at the bingo industry, failing to recognise it was a worthy outlet and form of entertainment for many people across the UK.