The UK is just starting to open back up again after the coronavirus pandemic. As part of the reopening process, the government is taking a phased approach, allowing certain businesses to reopen at certain times. But are bingo halls in the UK allowed to reopen yet? You can find out when you read below…
Are Bingo Halls Now Open?
In short, bingo halls in the UK are now allowed to open. Whether they decide to reopen yet is really down to them though. The best-known name in the world of UK bingo halls, Mecca Bingo, has decided to stagger openings of their venues. 34 of them opened on the 4th July, and many of their venues will open throughout July. Owners Rank Group have warned that some of their venues might not reopen again though.
Buzz Bingo, another major name in the UK bingo scene, haven’t reopened their clubs yet though. They’re planning on reopening 12 venues on August 6th, while the rest will open at some point afterwards. Beacon Bingo, Club 3000 Bingo and Apollo Bingo have opened some of their venues as well, with others to follow. All four Crown Bingo venues have all now reopened.
Precautions at Bingo Halls
As with all other venues in the UK, there have been a number of precautions put into place at reopened bingo venues. The biggest is the implementation of social distancing, ensuring that visitors to clubs keep a good distance from each other. To ensure social distancing, the number of people allowed into a club will be limited, plus seating will be more spaced out and some slot machines will not be on.
Other precautions that are being taken in some clubs include hand sanitiser stations being put into place and the mandatory wearing of face masks. Venues will also encourage contactless payments, as opposed to paying for tickets and other items using cash. Many bingo clubs will also be extending their hours, ensuring that as many people as possible can play, despite the restrictions to the number of people allowed into venues.
Will Bingo Venues Manage Post-Lockdown?
It’s unfortunately the case that many businesses simply won’t survive post-lockdown. This could be the case for some bingo halls. The social distancing measures will mean that not as many players can be inside at the same time, which will significantly impact on the money a bingo hall makes, despite the extended hours. The result? They might not be able to work through the financial implications of dwindling takings and will be forced to shut their doors.
There’s one thing you can do to help this not happen though, and it’s this: head to your local bingo hall and spend your money there! They need every bit of help they can get and are relying on the bingo community to come back and play bingo again.
