Bristol Bingo Hall Looking For Way Out Of Crisis

Tax hike has hit profits at struggling bingo venue in Bristol.

Staff at a bingo hall in Bristol are facing unemployment unless they can find a way to make the venue more profitable.

The Riva Bingo club has struggled to absorb the impact of the recession and attendance levels have been falling since the smoking ban was introduced, the Bristol Evening Post reports.

In addition, the government's decision to push bingo tax up from 15 per cent to 22 per cent has made it even harder for the club to make ends meet this year.

Simon Hannah, chief executive of the club's owner Mayfair Bingo, described the tax hike as "the final nail in the coffin".

He told the newspaper: "The club has been losing money for 18 months as a result of the changes in legislation.

"I'm working with staff to try to find a solution that stops the club closing. We need to find a way of getting more people through the door."

Riva Bingo also operates clubs in London, Newark, Leeds, Newcastle and Aberdeen.