Last week, it was revealed that Mecca Bingo had taken the shock decision to close its bingo club in Halifax, West Yorkshire, leaving the town with zero bingo halls. Now, the land-based and online bingo operator has announced that it potentially plans to permanently shut at least two other venues.
Which clubs are closing?
Aside from the Halifax branch (which is set to shut on 14th August 2022), the Mecca Bingo hall in Bridgwater, Somerset and the Mecca Bingo hall in Plymouth, Devon will also cease to operate. In addition, the future of the Mecca Bingo club in Andover, Hampshire looks uncertain following the sale of the site.
Why are Mecca Bingo hall closing?
Mecca has blamed the closure of its Halifax branch on the COVID-19 pandemic which meant that “the last few years have been tough” on bingo halls, as well as other hospitality and entertainment businesses across the UK.
The Bridgwater Mecca Bingo club has yet to finalize its official closing date but says that it will be in August 2022. The club has been operating for 48 years, and while no reason has been given for the upcoming closure, it’s likely to be due to similar reasons as the brand’s Halifax branch.
The bingo hall in Devonport, Plymouth is likely to shut up shop this summer as well. Mecca Bingo’s Operations Director, John Dyson says that the company is “currently in discussions with our team about the proposed closure” of the club next month. It’s also said that the 18 employees that work at the venue have been informed that they will be made redundant.
Mecca Bingo in Andover is also likely to close in August after the site was sold off.
It’s obviously a sad time for UK bingo fans, as the number of British bingo halls has plummeted since the introduction of the smoking ban. The past 2 years have continued to take their toll on footfall and profits, leading Mecca Bingo rivals Buzz Bingo to close 26 of its clubs across the UK in the summer of 2020. It may well be that Mecca Bingo announces additional closures in the coming days and weeks, so watch this space for further news.
Update 26/2/24
The bad news just keeps on coming and it now seems that Mecca Bingo Hanley is on a closure list, despite being a popular venue since the mid 1990s. 17 staff are affected and consultations are under way and should the closure go ahead people would have to travel to Crewe or Burton to play.
Update 24/1/23
Further announcements of Mecca Bingo hall closures keep coming and the latest have marked out Anlaby Road in Hull as closing at the end of February 2023 and that the future of Mecca Bingo Chester is in doubt, although no formal announcement has been made. However, staff are under consultation about the future so it doesn’t look good.
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