Posted November 2, 2009 and tagged as Mecca Bingo.
Mecca Bingo have been at the forefront of the UK bingo tax fight since they learned of the bingo tax increase from 15% to 22% in the 2009 April budget and they are still continuing in their plight. The bingo association have reported that on average four bingo club closures have taken place since the budget. This has now put UK land based bingo in serious decline and club closures have left whole communities without a much loved local bingo hall.
Chief Executive of Mecca Bingo (Rank Group) Ian Burke, has now written to Sarah McCarty Fry (MP), Exchequer secretary to the treasury, expressing his concerns as to the negative impact that changes to the gaming tax system have had on companies such as the Rank group.
From a personal prospective it is hard to see how the UK Government can even begin to justify the increase in land based bingo tax duty from 15% to 22%, when many other gaming sectors including sports betting and the game of online bingo remain at 15%.
During recent years we have seen an unprecedented amount of bingo club closures, in fact over 100 of our bingo clubs are no more and 14 casinos have also bitten the gaming dust. This has resulted in thousands of UK job losses, yet at a time when the UK Government say they want to support businesses, they have kicked the game of bingo in the teeth and done nothing but to burden this industry even more.
Ian Burke is continuing the taxation fight, but as to whether this will be to any avail remains to be seen. In his letter to the exchequer Secretary Mr Burke said, “The current framework for taxation of Britain’s betting and gaming industry discriminates against the nations licensed bingo clubs by applying a level of duty 47% higher than the rate of general bingo duty. As a consequence of this system, which was introduced in April this year, Britain’s bingo clubs are closing at record numbers”.
Bingo is one of the most social forms of gaming available and it is one which enjoyed by many generations of the same family. It can also be a lifeline for our elderly, which is why it is such a shame to see UK land based bingo in serious decline, with the government doing nothing but sitting back on their laurels and letting bingo pass them by.
The team at Online Bingo Club will also continue to back bingo in their hour of need and we support whole heartedly a reverse of the absurd bingo tax law from 22% back down to 15%, which would bring it in line with other gaming sectors.
PLAY MECCA BINGO HERE
Posted October 30, 2009 and tagged as Gala Bingo.
Gala Bingo have always been very clever bunnies when it comes to their advertising campaigns and they certainly got a pat on the back when they teamed up with Mrs Obama just before her stepson Barak Obama become the President of the United States!
With thanks to this initiative Gala Bingo have just picked up the Converted chartered industry of public relations (CIPR) Gold Pride award for their very successful ‘Mrs Obama’ PR campaign. It was widely reported that Mrs Obama loves her bingo, which was a bit of a bingo marriage made in heaven for Gala Bingo and their team.
Gala Bingo run a number of different bingo themed events at their online bingo site including opening a Mrs Obama bingo room, all in the aid of raising awareness and funds for their choose charity Sue Ryder Care.
So through the love of bingo Mrs Obama and Gala bingo managed to raise thousands of pounds for a very worthwhile charity indeed. The Gala Bingo – Mrs Obama partnership grabbed the media by storm with nearly 200 news converges on the subject and that is without all the online hype which was going on at the time.
Commenting on the campaign the judges said: “Spotting the news that Kezia Obama, the stepmother of President Obama, was a keen bingo fan prompted this audacious fundraising campaign. Gala bingo capitalised on the intense media interest around the inauguration to promote its commitment to Sue Ryder Care. The judges liked the cheeky and imaginative stunt, which delivered well-measured results for galabingo.com and its charity partner.”
PR manager for Gala Bingo, Lesley Hall, said: “We’re delighted to win the CIPR Pride Gold Award as it recognises the success of this unique campaign. Its timely and quirky nature captured the media’s interest and was a great vehicle to raise awareness nationally of our on-going commitment to raise vital funds for Sue Ryder Care.”
One thing is for sure Gala Bingo saw a great bingo opportunity with Mrs Obama and they seized it with both hands, all in the name of raising money for charity of course. The campaign was hailed a great success for everyone involved and the CIPR award Gala Bingo have won, jus reiterates that fact.
PLAY GALA BINGO HERE
Posted October 28, 2009 and tagged as Gala Bingo.
By the looks of it Gala Bingo TV will be moving into the realms of fashion by teaming up with New ID Studios and bringing their viewers the chance to win a VIP makeover, which is said to be worth £5,000! Makeover bingo with be the new theme for Gala TV During November and this will be taking place every Friday night between 8pm and 9pm.
National trainer Michael Phillips and creative director Rupert Kingston from New ID Studios are due to be on hand dishing out all kinds of tips and advice during the makeover bingo show. Viewers will even be able to email or text in their questions.
Gala Bingo are one of the most popular bingo channels on our small screens and they broadcast live interactive bingo from 6pm to 2am every day. Automated bingo runs at all other times. Gala Bingo also webstream their live bingo show direct to their online bingo site, so their online players are able to join in and play along with their TV players direct from their computers.
New ID Studios have establishments throughout the UK in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Cardiff, so the VIP makeover winners will be able to select the nearest venue to them. The full prize package is set to include a wash, cut and blow dry with a Burlington stylist, professional make up application, clothes styling, a photoshoot as well as 10 complimentary A4 size photos and the entire photoshoot collection on CD, with copyrights.
Gala TV manager, Kevin Loman, said: “This is a great promotion ahead of the Christmas celebrations. By offering the tips, advice and VIP makeover, we can hopefully help ensure our players look their very best and wow their family and friends.”
Gala Bingo TV is broadcast on channel 861 for both Sky and Freesat, alternatively viewers can access gala by pressing their red button on their remote controls. Playing bingo from your front room seems like it has never been so entertaining as it is in the present day and what we are now able to do on the TV box is has come on a long way since television in the UK was first popularised.
PLAY GALA BINGO HERE
Posted October 26, 2009 and tagged as Bingo.
Bingo loving pensioners are said to be currently in a standoff with officials after declaring a boycott off their weekly sheltered housing bingo sessions, due to an alleged incident which took place last week. 59 year old Donna Marriot is at the centre of the bingo mayhem row after claims that she terrorised other bingo players with a knife during a game of bingo, she however rebuffed this, stating that the bingo disturbance which took place was due to a personal disagreement she had with a third party more than a year ago.
Speaking to the courier, Ms Marriot said, “She was an innocent victim in the row and claimed that a clique of people at the centre had been inciting trouble based on unfounded rumours.”
The boycott by other bingo members came about after Donna was allowed back to the sheltered housing bingo venue, as they believe she should be banned for good. Since the Sun picked up on the story however, Ms Marriot has been asked to stay away from the lounge room at Russell Place complex where the bingo games are held until this dispute has been resolved.
A letter from the council’s housing service team leader Gary McKenzie, which has reportedly been seen by The Courier, confirms that Ms Marriott is able to attend activities in the lounge at Russell Place.
Donna also went on to say “I know they probably don’t want me but I’ve got the right to go back. I’m determined—I can’t give in to them because I’m totally innocent of this charge. I’m just as entitled to be there as any of the residents.”
Speaking to the Sun about the alleged incident 68 year old Mary Morris said, “All we want is our lounge back. The council let this person back in but no one approached us to find out our views about it. We don’t want to go around putting horns on people – we just want the situation resolved.”
Playing bingo albeit at a land based bingo club or social bingo club has always remained one of the safest environments for a night or afternoon out over the years, so it is somewhat a shame to see this kind of bingo pensioner mayhem taking place.
Posted October 23, 2009 and tagged as Mecca Bingo.
Mecca Bingo is now in the second year of their (wheels for mobility) campaign, where it is their aim to make a wheel of a difference for hundreds of disabled children in the UK and this time they will be trying to turn shoes into cash with their ‘heels for wheels’ drive.
Whizz Kidz is a disabled children’s charity and they are all about trying to give disabled children the chance to lead a more independent life by providing mobility equipment, advice and training, which is not always available on the NHS.
The star picked up on the Mecca Bingo heels for wheels initiative and they spoke to Chris Hart, who is the manager of Mecca Bingo in East Laith Gate, where this latest campaign is spearheaded from.
Chris said, “This latest fundraising scheme is part of the very successful ‘Mecca Wheel Difference’ campaign – now in its second year here at Mecca Doncaster. We’ve set up a collection point in the club for people to drop in their old footwear and are looking forward to collecting mountains of shoes – but we’d advise customers to bring an extra pair to wear home, and while playing a game of bingo, of course!”
So if you live in the vicinity of the East Life Mecca Bingo club, your unwanted or unused shoes really could make a heel of a difference for Whizz Kidz. Mecca Bingo have already raised over half a million pounds since their wheels for mobility campaign began in January 2008 and they have done this with the aid of their members through numerous fundraising events, with the heels for wheels initiative being the latest in a long line of charity themed activities.
All monies raised by each Mecca Bingo club no matter what kind of charity fundraiser they are on will go into one big pot and be given to Whizz Kidz. Mecca Bingo players are also being given the chance to win a VIP night out for four people at their local Mecca Bingo club and they can win this by simply uploading a photo of themselves on the photo sharing site ‘flickr’ wearing the shoes that they have donated to the ‘heels for wheels’ fundraising event.
The person who is picked out by Mecca Bingo for wearing the most outlandish pair of donated shoes will win the prize.
PLAY MECCA BINGO HERE
