The government is planning on making a dramatic u-turn over bingo legislation passed last year in order to stop the wave of closures that has swept the country's halls.
According to the Mirror, limits on the number of £500 jackpot machines allowed in bingo halls are expected to be loosened by the government, after it became known that the industry is losing as much as £30 million a year, a third of its profit, because of the new gambling laws.
The gambling limitations coupled with the smoking ban have caused punters to turn to the internet to play online slots and bingo, something that has led to 53 closures in the last month. The Mirror reports that there are now only 550 clubs in the UK.
Paul Talboys, of the Bingo Association, told the newspaper: "We are keeping our fingers crossed the government have changed their mind."
In January, senior members of the Bingo industry asked the Chancellor to remove the VAT on bingo products, claiming that bingo is subject to double taxation, Gross Profits Tax and VAT, unlike other gambling products.
Despite the mounting pressure being placed on bingo halls there were more than 77.5 million visits to licensed clubs last year.
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