Bingo helps to fight 'loneliness pandemic'

Boss of biggest chain lauds benefits as sector feels pinch

- BY GRAHAM HISCOTT Head of Business

BINGO halls are helping to combat a loneliness pandemic, the boss of Britain's biggest chain has said.

Dominic Mansour, who runs Buzz Bingo, formerly Gala, said: “Bingo has always been about more than numbers on a card - it builds community and provides a safe place to socialise.”

But he added: “It has been a tough sector to operate in for a few years.”

Buzz Bingo now has 79 sites, down from 137 before the pandemic, with admissions still well down.

A poll for the firm found while half of players were lonely before coming along, two-thirds left feeling less so.