England and Wales
In 2005 the UK overhauled its approach to gambling law, loosening restrictions on many forms of gambling while seeking to protect the vulnerable and prevent crime. Different gambling sectors have been affected unevenly by this change in the law. However Westminster policymakers recognise that they have a knowledge gap with regard to commercial bingo. This gap extends to the non-profit, social, and charitable bingo sector as well: very little is known about how this sector experiences the regulatory environment. Through fieldwork and interviews in London, Blackpool, Manchester, Newcastle, and South Wales we aim to explore the impact of new regulations on various stakeholders (e.g. local licensing actors; councillors; commercial hall operators; social clubs; holiday parks, etc.).
In October 2015 the Bingo Project held a public debate in London exploring the regulation of Bingo. Videos of the event can be viewed below. The event was also covered in Bingo Life; to read the article please click here (magazine pages 22-24).