BAD NEWS FOR LAND BINGO
14 March 2008
British budget holds little comfort for bingo
owners as double taxation remains
British land bingo operators saw little to celebrate and
much to criticise in Chancellor Alistair Darling's
budget this week, which maintained the controversial
double taxation regime on an industry already reeling
under public smoking bans.
London media reported that most operators viewed the
Chancellor's decision not to remove VAT from bingo
charges, but rather to increase the tax burden for bingo
through higher rates of amusement machine licence duty (AMLD)
"with disbelief"
Bingo Association chief executive Paul Talboys
characterised the decision as a "slap in the face for
bingo players across the country. There is no reason why
they should continue to be penalised by double taxation
when other gambling products pay only a single tax," he
said.
Bingo operators had complained that they are the only
gambling industry to be hit by double taxation in the
form of a gaming duty of 15 percent and value added tax
of 17.5 percent. They say bingo is one of the softest
forms of gambling, often played for low stakes by
relatively older and poorer people.
The industry had warned that hundreds of clubs could
face being closed if double taxation continued. Bingo
clubs have also been hit by the impact of the smoking
ban and the loss of lucrative slot machines because of
changes to industry regulation.
Rank Group plc, operator of Mecca Bingo, and Gala Coral
have led a concerted effort by the industry to bring
about change. Between them, they operate 270 of the
country's 600-plus bingo halls.
Online Casino News courtesy of
InfoPowa
More news here.
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