With the 2010 election campaign coming to an end and the possibility of a new government, how will this impact on the Bingo industry.

The labour government have not been particularly kind to land based bingo with recent tax changes that have caused hardship not to mention the smoking ban.  However, BingoSupermarket believes that the smoking ban did have cross party support and the UK was put under pressure by policies across Europe, so perhaps inevitable regardless of party.  Gambling reform was instigated by the labour government and learning from the mistakes whilst in parliament it is fair to say that more consultation takes place, whether the views of the industry are taken into consideration is another question.  Earlier this year, the Government did lower the duty on bingo profits by 2 percent to 20 percent that still remains higher than other forms of gambling and online bingo at 15 percent.  Going forward, the Government recognise that Bingo is taxed unfairly and it they are committed to finding ways of taxing online bingo through advertising, so beware online bingo fans.

The Conservatives remain tight lipped on their intentions and should really be feared.  At a recent Bingo Association meeting, a shadow Minister from the Tories announced that the duty on bingo was unfair and when the time is right they will address the issue and ensure that bingo gets a level playing field.  When the time is right is anyone's guess and does not really offer any commitment whatsoever.  The MP would not confirm if that meant lowering bingo taxes or raising everyone else to come into line.  When it comes to online bingo, Bingo Supermarket rather get the impression that the Government don't seem to understand it, which can be a double edged sword.  Will they just leave it alone and allow operators to carry on their business? Will they see it as a lucrative revenue stream to plug the country's deficit?  Will they pretend to know everything and wade in legislate and ruin the industry? Who knows?  That's the problem, until they get into power we will never know.

The Liberal Democrats have been very vocal and supportive of the land based bingo industry and rightfully see it as a valuable asset to the local communities.  However now they have a realistic chance of being part of the government and may be called upon to balance the books, many of their well intentions will be much easier said than done.  The Liberal have not been particularly vocal on any other forms of Gaming including online bingo and their stance is similar to that of the Conservative Party.

Overall, in our experience gaming is always a target for more constraints and taxation.  BingoSupermarket believes that the UK offers quite liberal laws and is very easy to trade abroad without paying high taxes.  The online bingo industry and other online games will at some point probably become a target for any Government that comes to power.  Bingo Supermarket is going to cross their fingers for a hung parliament.

A hung Parliament will make it difficult for legislation to be put through in particular when it comes to taxation. Gambling reform will be a nightmare for any two parties to agree on and the next 4 years and this could give many online bingo companies free to operate and enjoy the benefits of being in a relatively liberal and relaxed trading environment.

Return after the election, whilst BingoSupermarket reflect on the results of the 2010 election and the impact this will have on the future of Bingo.