Gala Coral See Losses More Than Treble

As some of you already know, times have been difficult for the privately owned Gala Coral Group. The Guardian newspaper reported yesterday that the Gala Coral Group have seen losses more than treble as trading at its casino and bingo divisions has continued to slow sharply, leaving the business straining to service its huge debts.

Guardian states "Gala's difficulties stem from a string of unexpected tax and regulatory changes that have hit the casino and bingo industries, amplifying the impact of the recession. In particular, the smoking ban in public places, caps on bingo hall slot machines and a surprise jump in taxation on provincial casinos have hurt Gala."

All this news has not helped Gala Coral, which has seen some of its casino and bingo halls shut due to the impact of the smoking ban and slot machines cap. Some of these bingo halls were they very fabric of peoples social lives and it really does have a big impact on people who so dearly love the game. Closures include the Gala Bingo hall in Cheltenham that opened barely a year ago.

However, in a contrasting article from the Times Online, Dominic Harrison who succeeded Neil Golden recently as chairman-designate, said that trading had started to recover from the impact of the smoking ban and the scrapping of big-jackpot gaming machines. This is definitely welcoming news for the staff and bingo lovers alike at Gala Coral who have so far seen 13 bingo halls and 4 casinos shut since the smoking ban came in to effect. He was also quoted as saying that they were "predicting a modest increase" in bingo next year!

Don't forget though that unlike their landbased counterparts, online bingo is unlikely to see clubs shut, and with the smoking ban in effect, it is now becoming a more appealing place for the internet sceptic bingo players.