No one likes paying taxes but most people recognize that paying taxes are a necessary part of life. Governments would not be able to function and provide necessary services with the revenue generated by taxes. Americans are fond of saying that the only things certain in life are death and taxes. In the UK there are several taxes paid by citizens and industries. Many businesses take evasive actions to lower their taxes and take advantage of loopholes not available to private citizens. In the UK Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs agency is responsible for collecting taxes and implementing tax policies.

Recently gaming giant Rank Group is calling for a flat tax to be applied to bingo in the UK. Currently live bingo halls must pay a 20% tax and internet bingo operators are required to pay a 15% tax. In addition live casino operators must pay VAT taxes and a special tax on each gaming machine. Since Rank operates Mecca Bingo halls across the UK the call for a flat tax is not surprising. Rank also operates the Mecca online bingo site. Bingo is taxed at a much higher rate than other forms of gambling such as sports betting and horseracing. Most live bingo operators consider the higher tax rate unfair and discriminatory.

Basically Rank would like to see the same rate paid by live bingo operators reduced to the rate paid by online bingo operators. If the rate is reduced live bingo halls would realize greater profits creating more jobs. Rank is pushing for tax parity between the online and live bingo industries. If the tax rates were the same Rank could gain an advantage over their competitors. Although the argument for parity is sound if tax rates increase the player will ultimately pay the difference. Major corporations always find a way to pass along increased costs to consumers. If costs are lowered the money usually stays within the company or corporation and consumers do not benefit.

Next year online bingo sites accepting wagers from UK residents may be in for a rude awakening. Several MP’s have proposed that any gaming forms and bingo operators accepting wagers from the UK be required to acquire a UK gaming license and pay current gaming taxes. Obviously the idea is not popular with offshore bingo sites which have long enjoyed a competitive advantage from lower offshore tax rates. Many industry observers say that gaming tax issues will be dealt with when the new budget is submitted in March 2012.

Bingo Players at a Mecca bingo hall in Dundee got an extra thrill in addition to the usual exciting bingo games. Many players saw more than they bargained for after a twenty something scientist decided to remove his trousers and underwear and walk around in a parking lot outside the Mecca bingo hall. The slightly demented scientist said that only “old people with bad eyesight” could see him as he walked through the parking lot for a “cheap thrill.”

Stefan Morrocco took off his pants and underwear before walking around outside the hall. Two bingo players informed the staff at the bingo hall who, in turn, notified police. Morrocco holds a PHD from St Andrews University and is certainly no dummy. When police finally arrived the found Morrocco in his car with his pants undone. The Dundee Sheriff Court was told by Chris MacIntosh “Two females were leaving the Mecca Bingo and were heading towards a vehicle and observed the accused moving towards a vehicle. They observed that he was not wearing clothing on the bottom of his person. The witnesses told colleagues inside what they had seen. A member of staff walked out and saw the accused standing beside his vehicle. He was wearing a T-shirt only and had bare legs. He got back in to the vehicle at that time. Police attended and found the accused in the vehicle and saw his trousers were undone to the verge of coming off. Police asked him what he was doing and he said ‘cheap thrills’.”

Amazingly enough Morrocco defended his actions to police and said that he thought there would be nobody around to see him except “old people with bad eyesight.” Morrocco pleaded guilty to committing a breach of the peace during the incident which took place on January 20th 2011. Defense attorney Gary McIlravey stated “This is a bizarre incident. He chose the location because there would be few people around. He was suffering from underlying anxiety and depression at the time. He has sought assistance in relation to his problems and has sought counselling. The counsellors take the view that he didn’t take sexual gratification from this and that it was a release of some sort. He holds a senior position as a geomorphologist.” For those who don’t know geomorphology is the study of landforms and the processes that shape them.

In the UK bingo players certainly have an odd way with words. Bingo players in the UK have honed ‘bingo lingo’ into a fine art. Many new players at bingo halls have trouble understanding some of the calls but most adapt and become fluent in ‘bingo lingo.’ The UK is the only country where this unusual and colorful phenomenon takes place. Generally the slang takes the form of creative nicknames and descriptive phrases to describe individual numbers. What makes bingo lingo truly amazing is that each number has its own descriptive phrase or word. What makes things confusing for new players is the fact that individual numbers may have many descriptive or rhyming phrases attached to them. Here are several examples of bingo lingo used in British bingo halls.

1=Kelly’s eye
2=one little duck or me and you
3=cup of tea or you and me
4=knock at the door
5=man alive
6=Tom Mix (A star of the silent screen, known for cowboy roles)
7=lucky for some (7 is a lucky number in several cultures)
8=Garden gate
9=doctor’s orders (Number 9 was a laxative pill given out by army doctors in WWII)
10=David’s den (reference to Prime Minister David Cameron)

As can be seen by these examples in most cases the phrases and words rhyme with the numbers of contain unmistakable British references to objects, political figures and other cultural references. The above examples are not complete by any means. There can be many phrases and words used in local bingo halls and the ‘bingo lingo’ used can vary by region and location. For example the number 1 can be referred to as;
“At the Beginning”
“B1″
“Baby of Bingo”
“Buttered Scone”
“First on the Board”
“Kelly’s Eye”
“Little Jimmy”
“Nelson’s Column”
“Number Ace”

There are no set standard nicknames for any particular number and new ones are constantly added.  The recent royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton inspired Mecca Bingo to sponsor a contest to create a new bingo call. To celebrate their 50th anniversary Mecca asked players to come up with a new bingo call based on the royal couple and other famous personalities. Players came up with the following phrases; William and Kate, 8, Harper Beckham, 7 and Angelina v Jen, number 10. Claire Osborne from Mecca stated “The suggestions we’ve had from our customers were really diverse, from the sublime to the ridiculous. But what we found interesting was how they reflected modern times.”

Mecca is one of the most well known names in the UK bingo industry. Mecca operates a chain of local bingo halls throughout the UK and also operates an online bingo site.  One local Mecca bingo hall offers much more than bingo games; there have been several reported sightings of ghosts in the hall. Recently the Rosehill Mecca bingo club was the site of a séance to contact the spirit of the ‘Grey Man’ who haunts the popular club.

Ghost Hunters Invade Mecca Bingo

After being contacted by the Ghost Club the club’s management agreed to open their doors for an overnight stay by ghost aficionados who want to get to the bottom of the mysterious sightings. The group used a crystal ball to contact the ghost and asked some questions before hearing a noise that the group believes was made by the ghost. Laura Teakle, who works in the 1930’s era building, said she could identify many of the noises heard by the ghost hunters but when the group approached the Circle Area of the hall she heard noises she could not explain. Ms. Teakle stated “Last time I came out with the group a door slammed behind me, and this time I heard unexplained noises. I’m usually quite cynical about these things.”

Bingo Player Haunts Hall

There have been other attempts to communicate with the spirits haunting the bingo hall. In April the group claims it was contacted by the spirit of a former bingo player who was believed to have committed suicide in 1965. Laura stated “I saw a bright light move quickly in an arc shape as I sat in the top row looking downwards go across the wall on my right. Several of us saw this from different areas of the auditorium. Apparently on one of them if you zoom in you can make out a face.”

Phantom Organ Music

At their bingo hall séances the group has used a crystal ball and a planchet. A planchet is a board with a pen in the middle of it. The management and staff welcomed the group and allowed them to remain overnight. Three separate ghosts have been reported. Neighbors have complained about organ music coming from the hall late at night but there is no organ on the premises. At one time the bingo club was a cinema and the group believes the sounds may be a remnant of the days when the cinema was in operation.

The results have been inconclusive and the reports of the club’s haunting have not frightened away any players. For players afraid of ghosts Mecca operates an online bingo site guaranteed to be free of ghosts.

In seems like every time we turn on the news all we hear about is the current recession. Most of us are tired of hearing words like economic crisis, recession, credit crunch and high unemployment. Factories have shipped millions of jobs overseas never to return and the foreclosure rate on both sides of the Atlantic is at record highs. The US may default on their debt unless some sort of agreement is reached between two warring political parties. In the EU deficits in Greece, Spain, Italy and Portugal threaten to undermine the Euro. Believe it or not there is one industry that has consistently posted positive figures throughout the ongoing recession; online bingo.

Not only has the bingo industry managed to survive it has actually created thousands of new jobs during the recession. The online bingo industry has been described by some financial experts as ‘recession resistant.’ At the height of the global recession bingo operators expanded their operations into new markets such as Scandinavia, Spain and Italy. In the UK, which is the world’s largest online bingo market, new bingo sites are launched almost weekly. The bingo industry has attracted big investors as evidenced by the recent takeover of Rank Group by Malaysia-based Guoco.

The Rank Group whose operations include Mecca Bingo and Grosvenor casinos has announced plans to add an additional 1,400 new jobs. Mecca is one of the most well known bingo brands in the UK and the company also operates an online bingo site. The new recruitment initiative will take place over the next three years as part of a plan to operate the company’s new G-Casino format. Rank’s plan is to build on their already large casino portfolio and hope to have 45 casinos in operation in the UK by 2015. Locations for the new G Casinos include Stockton-on-Tees, Manchester and New Brighton in Merseyside. The new casinos will have poker rooms, casino tables and bars and restaurants. The casinos will be designed to appeal to younger players and may also feature live entertainment.

The bingo boom is not limited to Rank. Recent bingo news reports indicate that Tombola bingo has added 30 new employees and is actively looking for 30 more. Dawn Clayton, marketing manager at Tombola said that the new jobs are proof that the bingo industry is thriving. While the recovery in the general economy has been slow at bingo sites it would appear that the recession is over at last.

Online bingo sites will use just about any excuse to launch promotions. The recent royal wedding is a case in point. Hundreds of bingo sites launched royal wedding themed promotions in hopes of attracting players during the long wedding weekend. Unfortunately things did not go as planned and most of the royal wedding promotions at online bingo sites were a big bust. Most online bingo players were caught up in the many celebrations taking place around the UK and were too busy to play online bingo. Even though the wedding promotions were not a success most bingo players are huge fans of the royal family.

While most of the promotions at bingo sites were a big bust land based bingo halls had a field day with the royal wedding. Bingo halls across the UK invited players to watch the royal nuptials on big screed TV’s while playing a few games of bingo. The land based promotions were a big success for bingo halls it would appear that land based bingo players can’t get enough of the royal family. One Gala bingo hall in Tooting declared itself the “Unofficial Sponsor of the Royal Wedding” and held 11 days of events and giveaways in advance of the royal wedding. Similar events took place at bingo halls across the United Kingdom.

At Mecca bingo the fascination with the royal family continues. Mecca has adopted a ‘a right Royal knees up’ theme for an upcoming charity event. The event will be held at the Wallsend branch of Mecca Bingo. The hall is hosting a ‘Blooming Great Tea Party’ on June 15th and the proceeds will go to the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity. The Marie Curie Cancer Care is the 2011 charity partner for all Mecca bingo halls. Attendees at the event will dress as their favorite royal. Many attendees will undoubtedly be wearing glamorous hats similar to those worn at the royal wedding. Participants will be encouraged to dress as their favorite royal or as historic royal figures. Many expect participants to attempt to replicate Queen, Prince Charles or even younger members of the royal family.

Although the Marie Curie charity addresses a very serious cause, sometimes a lighthearted event is the best way to raise funds and a party is a perfect solution. It would appear that for many bingo players the royal family can do no wrong.

Many older bingo players have never used the internet and have no idea how to operate a computer. Statistics in the UK have shown that how a person plays bingo is determined by age. Younger players prefer to play at online bingo sites while older players prefer live bingo halls. Surprisingly there are many older online bingo players. A few years ago when the national smoking ban was imposed on bingo halls many older players learned how to use computers and play online. After the launch of the smoking ban bingo sites reported a 63% increase in player numbers. Today a clear majority of players at bingo sites are women between the ages of 18 through 35.

One Mecca bingo hall in Dagenham UK plans to offer free internet and will help people learn how to use the internet. Dotcom pioneer Martha Lane Fox launched the Mecca bingo program and will provide club members with free internet access and lessons on what players can do on the internet. The lessons will help players learn how to use email, Skype, shopping online and how to surf the internet. Fox told reporters, “So many companies only want to talk to you online, and for a lot of people that just isn’t possible. Getting people online is really about communication – seeing people Skype their family free, shop around for deals and email their friends and family is amazing.”

The Mecca bingo program is part of Fox’s Race Online 2012, her project to help the 9.2million adults in the UK who do not have internet access. Fox wants to make learning fun for participants. Fox stated, “We are talking to bingo halls, pubs and everywhere else people go, and we’re so pleased this has finally happened. People’s reaction has been amazing. It’s not about computers and the internet; it’s about people having fun.” The manager of the Mecca bingo hall said he hopes other Mecca clubs will adopt the idea.

Although the lessons will take place in a live bingo hall many players will probably go online to check out the hundreds of bingo sites targeting the UK market. Many bingo sites offer free bingo which is a perfect opportunity for these new computer users to learn how to play online bingo. Computers are a necessity nowadays and the program is sure to benefit pensioners and older citizens.

In the United Kingdom the two most recognized names in the bingo industry are Gala and Mecca bingo. Both companies operate bingo halls across the UK and have been at it for over fifty years. Despite the troubles experienced by land based bingo operators both companies are still going strong and have added operate online bingo sites to remain profitable. Gala is the UK’s largest land based bingo operator followed by Mecca bingo.

Mecca bingo has a long history and extensive experience in the bingo industry Way back in 1937 the hottest bingo spot in London was Kilburn Mecca Bingo located in the largest movie theatre in the country at that time. In 1961 Mecca Bingo was officially established and operated more than 100 bingo halls across the country with five million members who regularly attended games. In 1986 the National Bingo Game was launched offering players huge jackpots. National Bingo games were part of a network which enabled the operators to offer players substantial jackpots. The national bingo game has created several bingo millionaires in the UK.  Like many land based operators Mecca went online when the national smoking was passed. Mecca’s bingo site made up for the loss of revenue from smokers who stopped attending games after the ban was passed.

Gala bingo is probably the most well known bingo brand in the UK. Gala bingo operates 148 bingo clubs across the UK and has a 24% share of all land based clubs and accounted for almost 40% of all national bingo game sales until Gala withdrew from the game in 2008. Gala has five million members and about 1.2 million are active regular players. In 2007 62 year old pensioner Pauline Clarke became Gala’s first bingo millionaire. Gala is part of the Gala Coral Group Ltd. and operations include their bingo site, betting shops and casinos. A 2005 merger with Eurobet made Gala Coral the third largest bookmaker and the UK’s largest bingo operator.

Both companies were hit hard by the smoking ban and double taxation by the government. Mecca and Gala put their extensive bingo experience to work and launched their individual bingo sites. Both companies have remained competitive through marketing campaigns and extensive television advertising. Both companies receive consistently good online bingo reviews on an online bingo blog. Both sites were well capitalized when they were launched and have remained competitive ever since.

So it’s Saturday night, and you’re stuck at home alone. You’ve already seen a ton of movies, everyone else seems to be out having a good time, and you’re looking for something really fun you can do to pass the time. Lucky for you, the fun you’re looking for is only a mouse click away. When you visit the MeccaBingo.com website, your evening is going to change for the better.

Mecca Bingo is hot, according to many bingo reviews. All the sights and sounds of an actual bingo hall are included. You’ll be able to select from numerous different games, from bingo to slots to keno. You have nothing to lose, because you can try any game to see how much you love it by playing a free demo version. If you do decide to play for real, the registration process is quick and easy. Following your registration, you’ll be able to play for big jackpots. You probably wouldn’t object to a little extra cash right now, would you?

All of the games on the Mecca Bingo site are fast-loading, so you won’t waste a lot of time sitting around waiting for games to download. You’ll be able to jump into the action quickly and start racking up the wins. Every online bingo game, as well as the other games available, has clear, easy instructions, and you can continue playing game after game with a simple click of your mouse. Nothing could be easier or more fun. Every time you enter the Mecca Bingo website you’ll find an action-packed opportunity to welcome you in.

If you’re alone and feel like playing against other people, you can choose a game like Mecca Fortune which allows you to pit your skills against other players. If you’re into slots, there are over 30 different slot games for you to choose from. Don’t games such as Creatures of Rock and Caribbean Nights sound absolutely intriguing? For those who love other types of casino games, there are blackjack, craps, and roulette. All the fun of a real casino is yours for the taking. So what are you waiting for? Go to www.meccabingo.com and start raking in the cash today.