(Monday 28th of December 2009)
Everybody knows about the three wise men but have you heard about the three well-meaning bingo games? In the pretty seaside resort of Tenby, bingo proved to be the perfect fundraiser for the season of goodwill. Hospitals, healthcare centres and schools all benefited from the triple whammy. The Lewy Body Dementia Association was also chosen after the organiser's father-in-law was diagnosed with the mental health disorder. The Tenby trio continues bingo's fine track record when it comes to supporting good causes.
(Monday 21st of December 2009)
Free bingo is again proving its ability to bring together people of all ages. A youth club and an over 50s community group are meeting at a Devon bowls club to play some free bingo games and nibble a few mince pies. Both organisations are celebrating a successful first year in which they have helped to improve the area and had plenty of fun along the way. And it's by no means the first British bingo session to bridge the generation gap.
(Monday 21st of December 2009)
North America is the birthplace of bingo so it's fitting that one of its bingo clubs may have given us a glimpse of the next big thing. It's called e-bingo and it's entirely automated. Every player sits at a high-tech terminal that marks off numbers the instant they are called, meaning you can chat to other gamers without fear of dropping behind. Moreover, these terminals can offer a selection of exciting electronic games besides e-bingo.
(Tuesday 15th of December 2009)
It's a fact of life that nobody likes paying taxes. But this week, the bingo sector received not one but two massive tax boosts that could secure the finances of many British bingo clubs. Everybody knows about the so-called bingo budget, in which Alistair Darling pledged to cut bingo duty by two per cent. However, the chancellor's announcement overshadowed a separate statement by HMRC. It means other forms of bingo games besides bingo machines could now be exempt from VAT.
(Monday 14th of December 2009)
Bingo club taxes should be further reduced, it has been claimed. Last week, Alistair Darling decided to drop the rate from 22 per cent to 20 per cent after months of criticism from MPs and players. Although The Bingo Association's chief executive Paul Tallboys welcomed this move, he argued that the chancellor needed to go further and slash duty to 18 per cent. This would bring bingo clubs into line with operators in similar industries.
(Wednesday 9th of December 2009)
The campaign to reverse the bingo tax hike has gained another supporter in parliament. Edward Timpson, MP for Crewe and Nantwich, has pledged to fight on behalf of the thousands of bingo players in Crewe. He argued that raising bingo club duty from 15 to 22 per cent "makes no sense". And he has added his name to an Early Day Motion opposing the plan, which was set out in April 2009 by chancellor Alistair Darling.
(Tuesday 8th of December 2009)
We like to look after our players here at Bucky Bingo and nothing says we care more than a fantastic free festive treat. So we've teamed up with Harrods to give away a selection of their ultra luxurious hampers to lucky online bingo players this December. We've already handed out the decadent Regents and Belgravia bundles and now there's Knightsbridge and Chelsea hampers up for grabs too. To be in with a chance of winning just deposit and stake £10.
(Saturday 5th of December 2009)
A couple that became famous for staging charity bingo games has bowed out after 45 years in the spotlight. Phyllis and Jim Martin have been putting on an average of three bingo sessions per year since 1964. In that time, it's thought they have raised an astonishing total of £130,000 for charities, schools and surgeries. The final event alone raised £2,380, which will be donated to a specialist ward at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire.
(Friday 4th of December 2009)
More than any other time of the year, Christmas is a time for giving. And a bingo night is aiming to tap into this season of goodwill to raise funds for Grampound Road Pre-School. All the action takes place at the Robert Harvey Memorial Hall where there will be plenty of reminders that Christmas is just around the corner. A glass of mulled wine will be given to every bingo player to wash down the delicious homemade mince pie they get on the door.
(Tuesday 1st of December 2009)
Bingo is 80 today. The game may have been around in one form or another for hundreds of years but we had to wait till 1929 for the version everybody knows and loves. Edwin S Lowe, a travelling toy salesman, is the man credited with bringing joy to millions of lives. He adapted a bean-based game that he stumbled across at a carnival in Georgia. When one of the players mistakenly yelled out "bingo" instead of "beano", a legend was born.
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