Bingo boss salutes visionary Chancellor

(PRESS RELEASE) -- Nick Harding, Chief Executive of Praesepe, owners of the Beacon Bingo chain which includes Europe's largest bingo club in Cricklewood north west London, has praised the government for having the vision to halve the rate of duty on bingo to 10%.

In a statement issued after the budget speech Nick Harding said: "At last we have a government which has had the vision to support the UK Bingo industry and who recognises how important it has been to generations of players for over fifty years. Reducing the unfair tax burden which the previous government had imposed on UK Bingo plc means that clubs all over the country will now be able to start to reinvest and provide their players with the modern facilities that they deserve. I have no doubt that millions of UK bingo players will be raising a glass to George Osborne over the coming weeks and will be making him their 'Caller of the year'.

"Bingo provides a source of gaming entertainment for millions of citizens of all ages throughout the country. The Beacon Bingo clubs play an important role in the communities they serve and Conservative MP Brian Binley, whose constituency includes the Beacon club in Northampton, has gone on the record stating the bingo sector plays a more useful role in society than some social services that the Government provides. The decision to reduce the duty by 50% represents a ringing endorsement of the sector and a victory for common sense."

Larry Kehoe, Operations Director responsible for the development of the Beacon Bingo brand said: "We were delighted to be part of the Boost Bingo campaign organised by The Bingo Association and many thousands of our customers signed the petition which was taken to Westminster. The decision will allow us to implement more of the initiatives we have been working on to improve further the bingo experience for our customers and to continue to deliver fantastic value for money entertainment in a safe, secure and socially responsible environment."