Alistair Darling unveiled the 2009 Budget yesterday and initially their were cheers from the UK Gaming Industry as campaigners for the abolishment of the ‘unfair’ VAT bingo were rewarded when the news that the participation fees for bingo would no longer be subject to VAT. However as the Government gave with one hand it quickly took with the other and then some by announcing that bingo gaming duties would rise from 15% to 22%.

As well as the rise in gaming taxes, the UK government also increased amusement machine licence duty to all categories of gaming machines which will be introduced in the Finance Bill 2009. These increases will bring in an estimated £55 million to the government off setting the £50 million it was going to lose by scrapping bingo VAT.

A spokesman for Rank, one of the largest Bingo companies said “This change has been imposed without prior indication or consultation. In Rank’s recent meetings with HM Treasury there had been no discussion of increases to taxation for bingo or poker,”