E Bingo Open Today
Read an updated post on bingo hall reopening here. Bingo establishments can open again from the 4th July with social distancing.
As more and more of us are either self isolating or keeping our social distance from one another this week, it’s very uncertain now as to what lies ahead for our UK bingo halls. Many clubs are closing their doors temporarily one by one, and those that aren’t are just awaiting the call, so to speak.
597 likes 2 talking about this. Sports & Recreation. 10,000,000+ players already LOVE BINGO POP - an exciting Bingo game on Android! Enjoy bingo games free to play!!! If you enjoy playing bingo with friends then our bingo multiplayer feature is perfect for you. Our bingo games are always getting better with new events and collectibles. Customize your dauber - Have fun & PLAY BINGO TODAY! NEW FEATURE: BINGO BATTLES Defend your cities monuments. HUGE $500.00 CASH GIVEAWAY TODAY at BIG TEX BINGO Nighttime. Don't miss out Be A Winner EXTRA DOOR PRIZE BONUSES → 1st 75 Customers get a shot at WINNING More CASH and a FREE TAB-E Bingo Computer. Two sessions at 7:30pm and 9:00pm. Come on out and bring your family and friends!. Face Masks Required.
With the rapid rise in Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases now here in the UK, the government are advising against all social contact in entertainment venues. This has seen the closure of many pubs, clubs and theatre venues all over the country, or some have at least chosen to undertake huge deep cleaning measures in order to remain open and safe.
As the global health crisis is ever changing by the hour, it’s uncertain as to whether your local bingo hall will still be open from one day to the next at the moment. There have been no official closures as yet other than the odd venue here and there, but no brands have made statements yet about national closure as a whole.
Again this could all change at any given time however, as government officials are nearing more towards a nationwide lockdown each day so it’s best to check.
Unfortunately since the introduction of online bingo here in the UK, a lot of a bingo halls and clubs were already closing or struggling to keep their doors open anyway. Could this Pandemic see the UK bingo hall scene come to an end completely? It’s something only time will tell I guess.
Mecca Bingo Hall in Chesterfield Reopens Following Coronavirus ‘Deep Clean’
On Monday 16th March at 8pm, Mecca Bingo in Chesterfield announced that they would be closing the building down entirely for a total deep clean on the premises. The staff said it was just a precautionary measure, however it’s since been released that there was a possibility of direct contact to the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
The initial statement given by the club read:
Following advice from Public Health England, we have taken the decision to temporarily close Mecca Chesterfield.
The health and safety of our customers and team is our number one priority and so, as a precautionary measure, we will be undertaking a full deep clean of the premises with immediate effect. The club will be reopened once we have followed guidelines issued by Public Health England.
They apologised for any inconvenience caused, and encouraged players to continue enjoying bingo over on their online bingo site meccabingo.com.
The decision came swiftly after the Government announced that new measures that should be taken to combat the COVID-19 outbreak here in the UK. The Prime Minister made a statement just hours before the club decided to close, which advised all members of the public to avoid any pubs, clubs, theatres and leisure facilities from that moment on.
Club Reopens 24 Hours Later – But For How Long?
On Tuesday 17th March just under 24 hours later, the club issued a statement saying that the club had now reopened and that normal service had resumed.
A spokesperson confirmed that a ‘deep clean’ had been undertaken, and that members were now safe to return to the club as normal.
The statement read:
We believe it is likely that this venue came into direct contact with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) though we are unable to confirm on which dates this may have happened.
The deep clean has now been completed, and we will be reopening the club again from 5:30pm today.
Please be reassured that our Mecca venues have elevated their already high standards of hygiene, providing increased accessibility of hand sanitiser and further enhancing our cleaning regimes.
They then asked that all customers follow any further advice given by Public Health England, of which you can find in detail here.
No more information has been released as yet regarding the club, so I assume that it will remain open now until any new government guidelines arise.
What’s next for UK Bingo Halls?
As I mentioned earlier, it’s unknown now as to whether this, or any UK bingo hall for that matter will continue to operate as normal now over the coming weeks throughout this Pandemic.
Although this particular Mecca club has assured that all customers can feel safe on their premises, the future of all UK bingo halls is now very unsure.
As the world is currently changing literally by the hour these days, we really don’t know what lies ahead at the moment.
Most countries who are suffering from mass outbreaks of COVID-19 have gone into total lockdown now, which is something that I think the UK will now experience very soon too.
At present there are no official ‘Lockdown’ government guidelines in place, however it is still strongly advised to keep social distance at all times now. One by one we may see clubs temporarily close over the coming weeks and months, but let’s hope it’s not for too long and we can get back to business as normal soon.
Some of the smaller clubs may not make not make it through this crisis I fear, especially if we end up in lockdown for months at a time. If the government ensure financial support then that could help, but some bingo clubs may sadly never open their doors again.
It was on March 20 that British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson opted to make a speech regarding the lockdown in the United Kingdom. As part of that speech, he ordered that multiple different businesses close their doors in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus, including bingo halls and bookies.
Pubs, restaurants and leisure centres were also ordered to close their doors “as soon as possible” to try and curb the spread of the virus. This has been the scenario with bingo halls across the world, though. Plans are in place for some of these locations to re-open, with Fort Worth, Texas suggesting that they were opening their doors on Friday, May 8.
E Bingo Open Now
On the 23rd June the Prime Minister announced that leisure businesses could reopen from the 4th July 2020, this includes bingo halls. Some big companies, including Mecca, have announced they will be reopening 36 halls on the 4th July, Buzz bingo are reopening on Monday 6th with others to follow through the month. Beacon announced they will start opening halls from Monday 6th July too.
We are still waiting to hear from Gala and others but we can assume they will want to reopen as close to that date as possible. Halls will have to follow social distancing guidelines, which may prove a challenge, although that distance is now set at 1m instead of 2m and that should make things easier. Guidance does still however say that 2m should be used where possible.
When and How Will Bingo Halls Reopen?
While it’s currently unclear as to how bingo halls (and indeed, other businesses) will operate once they re-open, suggestions have been floating around about seating any potential players at least one metre apart. Granted, this isn’t a difficult thing to do within most bingo halls, but do players really want that sort of setup?
Generally speaking, when people meet up in a bingo hall, they do so not just to play the game, but also to engage in a bit of a chat, too. Is this really such a possibility with being seated in such a way?
It’s common for bingo halls to attract people from the older generation as well, who are considered to be most at risk from contracting the disease in a fatal way. There’s the potential for some establishments to reduce the number of people they allow inside, though.
With regard to the aforementioned Fort Worth, suggestions have been put forward to admit a 25% ratio of people into the bingo halls. At the same time, gamers would be asked to wear masks and only one to two people would be seated at each of the tables. Another necessary process would see chairs, tables and counters be sanitised and cleaned frequently.
Issues surrounding use of daubers and other materials usually provided in halls may mean people have to bring their own, or will be given their own to keep. There are also potential issues around the use of toilet facilities while maintaining distance as well as bar service. There may be restrictions around the use of games cabinets often featured in bingo halls due to cross-contamination.
It is not known yet whether people will need to wear masks or whether some establishments may ask them to do so even if it is not general policy.
Halls may also have to pay more staff to ensure safe social distancing and with the prospect of reduced capacity it may prove difficult for some halls to afford this easily. Other options that are possible include perspex screens between players.
Preparations For Re-Opening
Preparations to reopen bingo on the 4th of July began some time ago, but what we can expect on the long awaited day of opening is anyone’s guess.
The government have now said that the 2 metre social distancing rule will be relaxed soon so there is a chance that players can sit closer together, perhaps two chairs apart or, as with poker, with Perspex glass between them.
At least that is how it is looking.
Two Metre Rule
The big brand bingo halls such as Mecca Bingo, Beacon Bingo and Gala Bingo have announced their preparations for reopening through social media accounts.
What we know is that each of these will be switching from glass to plastic for their drinking vessels and that chairs will now be positioned at least two metres apart.
Hand sanitizers are going to be plentiful going forward and will, it looks, be placed throughout the bingo clubs with patrons encouraged and expected to use them regularly.
From now on, cashiers will now be shielded behind Perspex screens and numbers will be restricted during busy times, while the walls will be covered in posters and social distancing restriction reminders.
Enhanced Cleaning Regime
A spokesman for Mecca Bingo said;
”We are encouraging all customers to use contactless payment wherever possible, but we will still accept cash.
We will have signage throughout the club to help direct you and some tables and slot machine may not be in use, but there will be signs to show which ones can be used.
There will be an enhanced cleaning regime in place with our team cleaning on the go with all touch points such as tables and machines cleaned.
To ensure social distancing within the club, there may be times when customers are asked to queue outside to respect this and we would recommend that people arrive in good time ahead of their preferred session.”
The move comes after the UK government, wrongly or rightly, lowered its coronavirus alert level from four to three.
As for dabbers, no information has yet been released but, in the bigger halls at least, you would think that customers would be encouraged to purchase new ones on entry at the door, or given them for free.
Reopening Not Easy For All Bingo Companies
Traditional bingo halls tend to be large venues with big internal spaces, the clue is in the word ‘hall’. This will make implementing social distancing relatively easy compared to smaller premises like bookmaker shops. The nature of bingo also means you don’t need to sit or stand together to play, this is not true in the likes of a casino where players congregate around tables.
On balance, therefore, most bingo halls will have relatively little problem in reopening compared to most leisure businesses. This is not true of all bingo companies however.
In recent years a new type of bingo has emerged that combines bingo with a nightclub rave, designed to attract younger audiences. The biggest of these is Bongos Bingo, who host bingo around the country, often alcohol fueled and raucous with live music and a party atmosphere.
E Bingo Boutique Open Today
Bongos Bingo proved incredibly popular prior to lockdown, with most nights selling out in hours. The nature of this type of bingo, however, makes maintaining social distancing near impossible in its current format. This type of bingo will either need to change significantly or wait a while longer before returning.
Will People Want to Mix with Others in Bingo Halls?
There’s little doubt that bingo halls provide some people with what could be considered a second family. After all, it’s common to meet up with friends while there and sit at the same table during gameplay. But is that something that people will still want to do…at least, so swiftly after lockdown measures are reduced?
During lockdown, residents of some locations have been engaging in playing bingo via the Zoom app that has become popular recently. This is the case for residents of a retirement estate in Essex, UK where over half of the people living are over 75 years old. Potentially, these are the people who will want to stay away from land-based bingo halls once lockdown restrictions are lifted. So, maybe halls shouldn’t expect such a huge upsurge in people looking to enter their premises again so soon.
On the other hand, staying indoors and at home has been difficult for many people who would previously go out and socialise with others. Bingo halls provided such opportunities to people before the virus outbreak, and the likelihood is that people will be wanting to return to that semblance of normality. It would be necessary to try and get a good balance in place, though.
When bingo halls do open in the coming weeks, it would most likely be better to expect things to improve on a steady basis. In the same instance, it would be a lot better for such establishments to ensure that stringent cleaning processes are in place to begin with, and that halls aren’t filled to capacity.