Would Makkah Bingo be as successful as Mecca

One of the most interesting features of any new year is the opening of 30 year old state files under the Freedom of Information Act that reveal what went on behind the scenes in Government offices that remain secret for that length of time. Of interest to us in the files of 1981 is the fact that in the same year that Margaret Thatcher was secretly advised to abandon Liverpool following the riots there, the opening of the Mecca Bingo clubs was causing offence at the other side of the world.

While some Government ministers thought there was no way back for Liverpool from the devastating riots and were advising the then Prime Minister to let it go its own way and disintegrate without intervention, the Sunni Mufti rulers in Beirut were scandalised that an organisation had been allowed to name a gambling establishment after the holy city of Mecca, branding it 'blasphemous'.

However, in a reaction that would probably not be repeated today, the complaint was treated in a very common sense manner and was treated quite light heartedly. The relevant ambassadors remarked that it looked like “the silly season has definitely arrived” and correspondence was discussed in the corridors of power 'with a chuckle'.

The fact that the complainants were looking to have the spelling changed to 'Makkah' also caused amusement - a compromise was reached that in dealings with the Saudi government this spelling would be used, but no actual changes to the company usage would be required.

If more bureuacrats today injected some humour into their day to day dealings there might be less friction across the world and common sense could once again be a valuable asset and possibly save millions of pounds in needless and pointless changes in all sorts of areas.

Mecca Bingo has of course gone on to be one of the biggest bingo providers both online and on land in the last 30 years - it could have been very different in the name had been changed by government instruction back in 1981.

Anyone wanting to investigate the present day Mecca Bingo online offering can get up to £50 free play bingo bonus when they sign up for the first time by way of a first deposit match.

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Mecca Bingo

Mecca Bingo may have been around for 50 years in one form or another, but its offer is as fresh today as it was when it first launched on to the high street all those years ago. Play on land, online or on mobile, but if you have to make one choice for bingo make it the WhichBingo Site of the Month for May, Mecca Bingo.

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