A major UK bingo operator is permanently shutting 26 retail venues due to pandemic uncertainty while UK casinos continue to press their government for the right to resume operations.

On Wednesday, Buzz Bingo announced that 26 of its 117 bingo venues wouldn’t be reopening when the other 91 halls reopen to the public on August 6. The sites, which previously operated under the Gala Bingo brand, were all shut on March 21 after the government ordered the closure of all non-essential retail operations to limit further COVID-19 transmission.  

Around 573 jobs will disappear along with the 26 venues targeted for termination. The company said the decision was regrettable but necessary given the “unsustainable operating environment for the foreseeable future,” which includes not only social distancing requirements and capacity restrictions but also a general wariness among consumers, particularly older demos that patronize bingo halls.

UK casino operators have also yet to reopen their shuttered venues, despite betting shops having been cleared to reopen over one month ago. Matt Rudd, who manages the Grosvenor Casino in Broad Street, Birmingham, recently penned an op-ed for the Betting & Gaming Council (BGC) in which he said “the longer we remain closed, the more anxious I become.”