There are major protests taking place around Ireland over fears new gambling laws will have a devastating impact on bingo halls, with armies of bingo players taking to the streets to voice their concerns. Among the worried protestors is a Dublin mum of six who is currently battling brain cancer who believes that bingo is a lifeline which communities cannot do without.
The Gambling and Lotteries (Amendment) Bill 2019, is due to be signed into law this week and this would have a major impact on prize money for bingo players. The new law would result in prizes being capped at 50% of the takings instead of the current 75-85% and this will certainly have an impact on visitor numbers.
If the prize money is less, the number of people playing will be less and this in turn will have a detrimental effect on the bingo operators who offer bingo games throughout Ireland. But Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is having none of it and is insisting that nothing in the new law will result in bingo hall closures:
“I want to reassure people that there are no plans in this legislation at all that would cause the closure of any bingo halls in Ireland. Rather the legislations seek to ensure that bingo halls – many of them big commercial operators – actually provide money to charity as they are required to do.”
And it would seem the Minister of State, David Stanton agrees with Mr Varadkar, insisting that the “modest” legislation would not force any bingo halls to close: “I am proposing that a maximum of 25% of proceeds can go to bingo operators while a minimum of 25% would go to charity and 50% would go to prize-winners. Given its social appeal, people do not play bingo based solely on the prize level. If they did, they would likely gamble elsewhere.”
Prizes Will be Slashed:
Digging into the fine print of the new bingo rules reveals that rollover jackpots would also be scrapped – this means no more life-changing cash on offer. Bingo jackpots are incentives for many a bingo player, but the lawmakers are having difficulty in understanding that. The proposed changes will see prize funds slashed and campaigners are working tirelessly to get their point across.
Jane Keating has undergone major brain surgery and has told local news that being able to play bingo has helped her cope: “I’ve six kids. This is the only thing that helps me take my mind off things. I’m from Coolock in Dublin but I go to Whitehall. I walk down, it takes me 25 minutes but most nights I have a lift home. I’ll be devastated if it goes. I’m going to Whitehall bingo 14 years, since I was pregnant with my second child. It’s been a part of my life.”
Kathleen Reynolds, a 66-year old disabled bingo lover added: “I go to Drimnagh but I come all the way from Blanchardstown, because it’s wheelchair-friendly for toilets and you can get hot food there. It’s the only thing I have. I used to do sport and I retired. I used to do table tennis and I traveled all over the world. It’s great to have it for people with disabilities and it’s International Disability Day.”
It will be a sad day for bingo (in Ireland) if the new law is passed.
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