Bingo: The story of a dying culture – by those who know it best
A short film by Margot Douglas
Several months ago, up and coming filmmaker Margot Douglas produced a short five-minute film entitled simply “Bingo”, which told “The story of a dying culture – by those that know it best”. Intrigued by the characters and culture of bingo halls, Margot set out to document the lives of the people still involved in this industry.
The film shows the ins and outs of a bingo hall through the eyes of Dave, a bingo operative at Walkers Bingo. Dave has been working in the bingo industry for years, and he notes that he’s seen a great decline in the once-thriving bingo culture.
When Walkers Bingo opened in 1989, bingo was everywhere. Now, his bingo hall is populated only by a few dozen regulars. Dave says that there are many factors that have affected the popularity of bingo halls, and among them is the fact that people
do many other things now. “People play on their phones — that’s the future,” He says. “I don’t think it’ll ever come back in the same way it was years ago.”
There are now so many online bingo sites and derivations from traditional bingo, that bingo halls have become obsolete, and perhaps even archaic. They simply don’t offer the same things that modern bingo does.
Accessibility is something they very rarely have to offer. For instance, Cheeky Bingo makes a name for itself by constantly interacting with its players on Twitter, updating them on current promos and contests; Walkers Bingo has directory listings. Companies have mixed up traditional bingo by adding elements of rock and roll; Walkers Bingo has plain bingo cards and a clientele comprised of widows.
It’s not just the waning interest that is to blame. In the UK, Chancellor George Osborne also raised taxes for slot machines — one of the main attractions in bingo halls in the UK. Miles Baron of the Bingo Association said, “The level of tax is critical to the survival of many clubs,” as nearly 200 bingo clubs are now facing possible closure.
On March 2014, after years of pain, Osborne rewards the British people by making significant changes to the Budget for 2014. This move includes slashing bingo taxes from 20 percent to 10 percent with promise of bigger prizes for players.
For being such a short, simple film, Bingo puts the plight of traditional bingo halls into perspective. Dave is set to retire by this Christmas. A sociable man who deeply enjoys serving Walkers Bingo’s clients, he’s become a sort of figurehead for the institution. Walkers Bingo, like many other bingo halls before it, will find itself at a crossroads.