Another bingo club has closed its doors for the last time with 14 staff facing redundancy. The Pavillion Bingo in Roose Road, Barrow has been closed as a result of “difficult trading conditions”.

As a result of the smoking ban and taxing legislation bingo clubs up and down the UK have been closing their doors as they struggle to operate profitably. Records show that while the number of clubs closing has declined it is still significant:

2007 – 34 closures

2008 – 25 closures

2009 – 29 closures

2010 – 12 closures

2011 – 12 closures

The latest bingo club to close was ran by Malcolm Fleming and his wife for the last 11 years. He revealed the sad news to customers earlier this week at the club and added to the local paper: “The way things are with the leisure industry, we decided we couldn’t go on any longer and had to close down.”

His announcement to the bingo customers was very brief: “Due to difficult trading conditions, the Pavilion Bingo is no longer a viable business and we are left with no alternative but to close it down.

“We would like to thank our superb staff and very loyal customers for their great support in the past but under the present economic conditions, this is the only route we can take.”

Fleming confirmed that the 14 staff that faced redundancy included some full-time and some part-time positions.

A Bingo Association spokesperson commented: “The rate of closure has slowed down in the last five years, but it’s proved increasingly difficult for those that remain in the industry to move forward with their business.

“Lots of people want to relate it to the smoking ban, but the primary driver is a tax regime which is punitive for the bingo industry.

“It’s about the most highly taxed gambling activity in the UK.”

He said: “Barrow is losing a community and social facility, as well as an employer, never mind the loss individual players will feel.

“There will be regular players who will greatly miss being able to go to their regular club and interact with people.”