Mintel Report Bingo Industry Findings
Costing over £19 per page, (78 pages in length X £1,500) the Mintel report would have to be one of the highest priced reports in the UK, if not the World, and one naturally questions whether the value is there at that price?
It all depends who would be purchasing the report and the reasons for them to do so? What exactly would the report be used for? For someone who is considering entering one, or more, areas of the bingo industry in a business sense it could be a deal breaker – i.e. a document that could serve as the main body of research and advice that business people normally consult before proceeding with a venture or not?
The Mintel report is a highly detailed document, and is most certainly an excellent introduction to the UK bingo industry and for that reason the very hefty price of £1,500 could not be too considered too high a price to spend for what it appears to deliver. Appropriate market research is an invaluable tool in the business decision making process – or it should be.
The Mintel organization are market research specialists, and this, their latest report on the UK bingo market, covers such important factors as the effect the smoking ban has had on UK bingo halls and how much bingo has been affected by the economic downturn. Yet another crucial subject (covered by the report) for many possible purchasers is Mintel’s study of the affect online bingo has had on land-based bingo halls
‘Numbers’ (figures/revenue etc) in the right hands (such as Mintel) tell an invaluable story, such as:
Land-based bingo has seen both revenue and admissions drop since the year 2006, with revenue between 2006 and 2009, falling by an estimated 26% in current terms, whereas admissions have dropped by about 22%.
While only 6% of hall bingo players have played online, the percentage of players dabbling in online play is constantly growing. Mintel have observed that there is now a constant flow of bingo players from land-based to online play, and that can only increase as time goes on.
A fascinating factor that connects with this point is that it appears that although 16% of players have stopped visiting bingo clubs due to the economic situation, only 10% have correspondingly changed their spending habits because of the smoking ban. So, what has happened to that 6%? If appears fairly clear.
It is well known in the bingo industry that between them, Gala Bingo and Mecca Bingo, control approximately 80% of income in bingo halls in the UK. The much more interesting, and somewhat surprising fact, that has now been unearthed, is the point that Gala Bingo, and Mecca Bingo’s, online presence is far weaker – with their combined market share sitting at only around 23%.
The Mintel Report makes the obvious forecast that both online and mobile bingo look to have the best prospects in the bingo industry. Major reasons being the aging and communal alignments within the player base.
Another very important point raised by the report deals with threats to the National Bingo Game (and subsequent consequences to many smaller operators). And that is the potential withdrawal from the National Game of Gala – this could be devastating.
