With the government refusal to change the current tax rate to the previous 15%, the Gala Coral group has been forced to face a nationwide closure of some of its bingo hall clubs.

Gala Bingo’s popular bingo hall in Aldridge closed down forever on the 1st of August. Regular bingo players of the club had all turned up on the fateful evening for one final, and rather emotional game of bingo. Doreen Wilson of Bentley Drive, a veteran bingo player at the Aldridge club for more than 25 years and also a proud winner of a handsome £42,000 jackpot said that she has very happy memories of the club and that a lot of people are going to miss it. Glenda Allinson, a retired nurse of Leighswood Avenue, commented: “I can’t understand the closure when this club has been making a profit. There have been people coming here for years and years, and this is the main centre of entertainment in Aldridge.” Besides the regular players, it was a somber moment for the staff members too – some having to loose their job after serving the club for ages. Among them were deputy controller Irene Geoghan who has been at Aldridge hall 32 years and bar supervisor Mary Eden a staff for 33 years.

A week earlier the Gala Bingo club in Pitsea, Essex faced a similar fate and played its last bingo session on Monday 27th July 2009. Another popular Gala Bingo hall, the Leven Gala Bingo hall has recently closed too. Gala Bingo stated that this is a direct result of the government’s refusal to reverse the increased bingo duties The government’s refusal to revise the tax rate will only invite more closures, job losses and continued damage of a popular from of social interaction. 

Visit Gala Bingo online gaming site here.

Written for www.londonbingo.co.uk by Irene

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