Why Are Bingo Halls Closing? A Simple Clear Look at The Quiet Collapse
Why Are Bingo Halls Closing?
Bingo halls are closing because a perfect storm of problems has hit them all at once. The COVID-19 pandemic, soaring energy costs tripling in some places, the cost-of-living crisis, online bingo competition, and the 2007 indoor smoking ban have made many halls unable to make money. Buzz Bingo, the UK’s largest bingo operator, announced plans to close 9 of its 91 clubs across the country, affecting over a dozen jobs in east Manchester alone.
The COVID-19 lockdowns closed bingo halls for months, and players never fully returned. About 55 bingo halls closed permanently due to the pandemic, and many never reopened their doors. Dominic Mansour, CEO of Buzz Bingo, said the leisure and hospitality sector simply has not seen customers come back like they did before COVID-19. Five bingo halls in Saskatchewan temporarily closed during the pandemic, putting roughly 100 people out of work in that province alone.
Energy costs have exploded for bingo hall operators, becoming a crushing financial burden. Energy bills for heating and lighting have increased about 300%, with some clubs seeing their bills triple overnight at the start of 2023. Miles Baron, chief executive of the Bingo Association, reported that one club had absolutely no choice but to close after its energy bills trebled. Since 2022, approximately 20 more halls have closed just because of these increased energy prices.
The cost-of-living crisis has squeezed family budgets, forcing people to cut back on fun activities like bingo. In 2019, a basic bingo package cost around £30, not including drinks and food, making it expensive for many families. When inflation rises and people worry about recession, bingo gets pushed to the bottom of household spending lists as families count every penny. This means regular customers are playing less often or stopping altogether.
Online bingo sites have created fierce competition that traditional halls cannot match. The rise of digital play has changed how people gamble, with younger generations playing bingo on their phones instead of visiting physical halls. Online bingo offers convenience—you can play from home at any time—which traditional halls simply cannot compete with. This shift in customer behavior has dragged foot traffic down significantly.
The 2007 indoor smoking ban created a huge problem for bingo halls because many regular players smoked. The Bingo Association says this ban, combined with online bingo’s rise, created a perfect storm. Many players enjoyed smoking and playing bingo together, but when smoking became illegal indoors, they chose to smoke elsewhere rather than sit through hours of non-smoking bingo. This drove away a large portion of the regular customer base overnight.
Bingo halls now face a serious demographic problem because their player base is aging without replacement. The industry has a reputation as a game for old people, and existing players are dying out without young people to replace them. Young people don’t want to be associated with bingo’s outdated image and see it as a game for “old biddies”. This means the customer base is literally shrinking as older players pass away.
The bottom line is that even big companies like Buzz Bingo cannot make all their locations profitable anymore. Buzz Bingo’s decision to close 9 of 91 clubs shows that if the industry’s biggest players must close locations, smaller operators will face similar problems. These 9 closures represent 10% of their locations, which they are cutting to preserve the remaining clubs and secure long-term survival. With energy prices still high and online competition growing, more closures seem likely in the coming years.
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