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BINGO LINK The only magazine produced for the UK Bingo Industry Issue 78 July 2007 AGM 2007 report Legislation Bingo for Breakthrough Encouraging outlook for online Gaming Act latest Meet Midge the monkey Heather Richards, Ian Sir Peter Fry, Burke, Carly Richards chairman of The and Iris McNeill at 10 Bingo Assocation, Downing Street wheels the completed petitions down Downing Street A special delivery for No. 10 ore than 230,000 people across the MP with a bingo club in their constituency, to role of clubs as a key community facility. country signed the petition to urge notify them of the petition’s delivery and the The campaign and attendant media and Mthe Government to Stop Destroying number of their constituents that had lobbying activity has produced interest and My Bingo. Following receipt of more than participated. Clubs were also provided with support from a number of MPs who have 380 completed petitions in 17 boxes from a draft letter to send to their local MP, recognised the significance of bingo, both clubs across the country, the process of reiterating the number of local players who locally and nationally, and the inequitable plight compiling results got under way, logging the had signed the petition and inviting MPs to that the industry faces. number of signatures delivered by each and visit the club. Led by John Hemming, the MP for every single club. The central message of the campaign has Birmingham Yardley, an Early Day Motion The petition was delivered to 10 Downing remained consistent, calling on Government to has been put down, with MPs now being Street on Tuesday 24 April and was handed remove VAT from bingo, which in conjunction called upon to support it and force the issue over by Association Chairman Sir Peter Fry, with other Government policies, is placing up to to be debated. Rank Chief Executive Ian Burke and three 200 clubs under threat of closure. Bingo remains one of the most highly taxed generations of one bingo-playing family – The campaign and the supporting issues gambling activities and the industry is awaiting grandmother Iris McNeill and mother and have been well reported in both broadcast constructive input from the Government to daughter Heather and Carly Richards. It took media and press producing more than address the unfair tax anomaly. Taxing bingo four trollies and all available hands to make this £500,000 worth of media coverage. in the same way as other gambling activities very special delivery. A number of stories in the media have also would help prevent closure of clubs and Following the handover of the petition, the focused on the unique position that bingo holds enable the industry to more readily face its campaign concentrated on further local and in communities, highlighting the social challenges and a brighter future under the new national political engagement, contacting every significance of bingo for many players and the Gambling Act. news The National Game Diary Quarterly news and update from Chief Executive Paul Talboys Dates Looking to the future July Summer 2007 brings the final start for clubs later this month and Ban on smoking in public introduction of a ban on smoking begin with players in late August. places now effective in all in public places. We are used to a Your existing customers will be parts of the UK. slow-down at this time of year, able to play for free, for a however, the smoking ban looks two-week period, before a September 1 set to drive those figures lower national launch on 15 September, The Gambling Act 2005 than in previous summers. from which date players will be comes into effect The ban is here to stay and the required to pay to play. Prize www.gambling industry must look to the future. money during the free period will commission.gov.uk Throughout bingo’s history in the be at a much reduced level, but UK we have faced change and the offer allows us to introduce the October 21–27 always moved forward, evolving new game to existing customers, Bingo For and adapting. The largest change using to of their all time favourite Breakthrough 2007 was in 1986, when The Bingo Act words – FREE and Cash. www.breakthrough.org.uk made the creation of the National The new game is a very Bingo Game possible. It is exciting opportunity for the November 13-15 therefore apt that as the National legislation does not come into industry and there will be a Global Gaming Game turns 21 and comes of age effect till 1 September, full live substantial amount of Expo (G2E) that the challenges of change are testing is not legally possible communication coming from the The Convention Centre again very much with us. before this. NBGA and its agencies, as we Las Vegas Bingo is set to operate under The software will enable the work to prepare for introduction www.globalgamingexpo.com a new regime, as the 2005 National Game to offer players a and launch. Tme is against us, Gambling Act comes into effect new and exciting cumulative and to ensure that your club is Please remember to notify us of on 1 September. While some of jackpot that is an add-on to their ready for the biggest thing in your events so we can include the freedoms explored and National Game purchase. The bingo, it is essential that them here. Email us at anticipated under the new act game will have four levels of prize information and materials are not [email protected] failed to materialise, benefits have fund to be won each time the lost, but read and acted upon. arisen, the most significant being National Game is played, the the ability to retain stake. This, largest of which is likely to reach and the opportunity it offers the more than £5 million – the largest licensed bingo industry, is vital to ever single prize in UK licensed Bingo in the media our future and development, for it bingo! It is essential that the name will enable the industry to create of the new game immediately and As is usually the case in the first month of a new year, bingo kept a substantial prize funds, the like of simply conveys it is the biggest low-ish profile in the media during January, but rose rapidly in February which have not been seen before, prize in bingo and is part of the and March, to give an exceptionally high showing. A significant amount of and allow us to offer customers a National Game. The name must this rise was due to increased activity by the Association and operators in more exciting proposition. also reflect the fun nature of bingo relation to lobbying issues. The development of new and the humour of bingo The most significant change in monthly media coverage as we move software (JLS) to enable the culture – something that the into 2007 has been the type of media delivering the coverage. Regional industry to take advantage of working title of Golden Balls has daily and weekly papers continue to be a primary source of coverage, stake retention, at various levels, not quite captured! delivering some 60 to 75 per cent of each month’s total. However, it is being rolled out to all NBGA In introducing the new game to is the growth in coverage from electronic media that has shown the members for testing in August club staff and players there is a biggest change. Twelve months ago electronic media only accounted and use in September. As the huge task ahead of us, which will for 10 to15 per cent of total coverage in any month and already now stands at 20 per cent. NB: Key game statistics can be found on page 11. Number of press hits by month BINGO LINK is published by The Bingo Association, Lexham January February March House, 75 High Street North, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU6 1JF. Consumer press 4912 01582 860921. Fax: 01582 860925. Tel: Electronic media 16 43 74 Email: [email protected] 71834 Editor: Steve Baldwin National press Regional press 114 139 112 Produced by Associa Ltd, North Gate, Uppingham, Rutland LE15 9PL. TOTAL 269 222 302 Tel: 01572 824600. Email: (editorial) [email protected] Quarter 1 total: 638 Year to date: 638 Email: (advertising) Wendy Rose: [email protected] Ignoring electronic media, which by its nature is available nationally, the Tel: 01427 668662. regions delivering the most coverage for January, February and March were Reproduction in whole or part is strictly prohibited without the permission of the publishers. Scotland and Northern Region – joint at 14 per cent – the North West Region Views expressed are not necessarily those of The Bingo Association or Associa Ltd. Prices and Scotland, respectively. and information correct at date of publication but subject to change. National Bingo Game Regional Press Office 01438 718500 National Bingo Game National Press Team 020 7553 3700 2 news Gala has a good laugh and boosts Comic Relief ala had a good laugh and raised more than G£220,000 for Comic Relief in March this year. Gala Bingo in all its forms – club, online and TV – worked hard earlier this year to raise funds for Comic Relief 2007. In total, more than £222,000 was raised towards the national total of £63 million by It’s hard to playing dedicated Comic Relief concentrate games and by hosting a wide in pyjamas PJ party at range of humorous events across and gunge Belle Vue The Keighley News highlights the the UK.