A cohesive association of online and traditional bingo is needed

Online bingo in the UK has grown into a multi-million pound business within last few years. The industry now needs its own association to voice its concerns and represent its interests. However there are many operators who are not in favor of this idea. The majority of online bingo operators in the UK are unregistered and hence, do not fall into legislative purview. They are registered in foreign countries where gambling laws aren’t so stringent like those in the UK. Operators are apprehensive that formation of an online bingo association will isolate the industry from the UK government.

Many traditional bingo operators are also opposed to such an association since they feel it will undermine the credibility of registered bingo operations in the UK. They apprehend the government will treat both forms of bingo as one entity and traditional bingo will be at the receiving end.

The existing bingo association mainly comprises of traditional bingo operators of the UK and its main objective is to safeguard interest of those registered. It believes that online bingo operators are ineligible for the association’s membership because they are registered in foreign tax havens.

The online bingo industry can form its own association, but might lose out on the benefits of the strong presence and experience of the existing bingo association.

A cohesive association which will safeguard the interests of both online and traditional bingo operators against rising taxation, the smoking ban and the global recession, is the need of the hour.