Bingo Caller Cancelled
The 2008 Bingo Caller of the Year competition has been cancelled. The competition, which is organised by the National Bingo Game Association, is a high point in the calendar of both bingo fans and industry insiders, and the news that this year’s event will not go ahead has disappointed many.
A statement on the National Bingo Game Association web site said: “Due to the considerable challenges and issues facing the bingo industry at present, it has been decided to suspend the National Bingo Caller of the Year Competition for 2008.”
The statement goes on to say: “It is fully anticipated that the competition will be reinstated in an even more exciting and further reaching format next year and we look forward to re-launching our search for Britain’s premier bingo callers at that time.”
Although the lack of a competition in 2008 is disappointing, it could help to highlight the plight of the bingo industry in the UK. The Bingo Association, which is the trade association for licensed bingo industry in this country, has recently pointed out that it has been more than fifty days since Gerry Sutcliffe, the Minister for Sport, said that there would be soon be an announcement offering assistance to the industry. Mr Sutcliffe’s definition of the word “soon” obviously differs from the one everyone else has, because bingo insiders are still waiting for that promised announcement almost two months later.
The whole offline bingo scene has been struggling for some time, and even the National Bingo Game received a blow several weeks ago when Gala Bingo announced that it would not be participating in the nation’s biggest bingo game from September 2008.
At that time, Paul Talboys, the National Bingo Game Association Chief Executive, said: “I am surprised and a little saddened by Gala’s decision to withdraw from the National Bingo Game at a time when the industry, collectively, faces such critical challenges. However, I recognise that our member companies face their own specific challenges and may have short term issues that drive these decisions.
“The National Bingo Game will continue to work with other members, including Mecca, Buckingham, Castle and a broad range of independent operators, to offer their players excitement in playing for life enhancing cash prizes and substantial jackpot prizes, all of which will continue to be available post-September, just not at Gala Bingo.”
The only silver lining that we here at UK Bingo can see in the cloud of industry-wide bad news is that online bingo is proving increasingly popular, and is providing players with plenty of opportunities to play their favourite game even when bricks and mortar bingo halls are closing down in record numbers.
24th June 2008
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Article Last Updated: 05/10/2011 11:19:02
