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UK's Bingo Clubs Growing7 June 2004UNITED KINGDOM – As reported by the UK Motley Fool: "…At the end of March last year, Britain boasted 699 commercial bingo clubs. Furthermore, those gaming halls collectively entertained over 3m paid-up members, with each member on average making 28 visits a year. "…Last year, bingo clubs raked in a whopping £1.2b in stake money, which is equivalent to £14.55 per visit by each member. In 2001, the average stake per visit was £13.69, up from £12.56 the year before that. "Interestingly, bingo stake money has been rising steadily since 1995, when it stood at just £844m. "…Gala, which is jointly owned by Candover Investment (LSE: CDI) and Cinven, is the biggest player in the UK bingo market. Gala operates 166 clubs throughout Britain and was formed by a management buy-in from Bass in 1997. "…Rank Group (LSE: RNK) is another major player in the bingo sector, with 121 Mecca bingo clubs around Britain. It also boasts a membership of some 1.1 million members. "…Rank's bingo division accounts for over a quarter of total turnover at its gaming unit, but over two-thirds of the division's operating profit…" |