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October 10, 2007
The UK’s Bingo Association has published a study it commissioned which purports to show the social impacts of club closures throughout the country in the wake of anti-smoking laws and burdensome taxes. The land-based sector in bingo has also been under increasing pressure from the emerging online bingo industry which provides free online bingo games to players in the comfort of their own homes. The survey finds that “the vast majority (97 per cent) of people believe that traditional social activities in the UK help foster a sense of belonging in the community, nearly half (49%) say they are in decline and would prefer to stay at home, watch television, or spend time on the telephone with family and friends.” Highlights from the survey include: - Whilst 70% of all adults believe that going to church is an important community activity, only 31% actually attend.
- Social networking and emailing have now overtaken going to church or to the local sports club in popularity. Three times as many 16-24 year olds use the internet to interact with their family and friends as go to more traditional venues for meeting people. And social networking is fast approaching going to the pub in terms of its popularity amongst people in the UK.
- Watching television scored most highly in terms of preferred leisure activity, according to 85 per cent of women and 78 per cent of men.
- Eating out, emerges as a popular social activity, and a way of keeping in touch with friends and family, but still falls behind watching TV in terms of preference.
The Bingo Association is also publishing a report written by the Henley Centre Headlight Vision into the ‘Social Impact of Bingo Club Closures’. Online bingo players interested in reading the full report can download it at the Bingo Association’s website. The reports says an estimated 3.8 million UK adults play bingo with a 16% rise for people aged under 41 in the last six years. Also, in conjunction with the research conducted by GFK NOP, 48 per cent of the general population view bingo as an important venue for social interaction. According to the Bingo Association, the Henley Centre report reveals that: - Bingo plays an important role in promoting a sense of belonging to a local community. It is one of the few leisure pursuits that brings together people of all ages
- When a bingo club closes, former patrons can feel isolated and alone, and some even cease to leave their homes altogether
- In comparison with the general population, bingo players spend a great deal of time with their families – 82 per cent of bingo players see their families either every day or a few times a week, compared with an average of 54 per cent among those involved in other social activities.
Paul Talboys, Chief Executive of The Bingo Association, said: “Both of these pieces of research provide us with a fascinating insight into how traditional community activities and social pursuits are changing. Bingo players feel very strongly about their local clubs and the role that these clubs play is very important in terms of ensuring people retain a sense of belonging in their local community. Whilst bingo is a very popular game, the industry has been heavily impacted by recent regulation which could limit its ability to adapt quickly to the changing shape of local communities and nature of social interaction.” Dr Carolyn Downs, historian and sociologist at Manchester Metropolitan University, who contributed to the report, said: “Traditional bingo clubs may play an important role in maintaining a sense of connectedness to the local community amongst both players and staff. This is more likely to be the case in rural or more deprived urban areas. Where there are no alternative social networks, loss of a sense of belonging could have repercussions on both individuals and society as a whole, and might contribute to isolation and social dislocation.” Written by John Witherspoon – Playing bingo online is fun. Relax and play online bingo from the comfort of your home. We’ve collected the best online bingo games for you.
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