Two Fat Ladies
Will the new super-casinos bring about the demise of the commercial bingo hall? Carolyn Downs traces the history of the game back to the eighteenth century and finds that then – as now – it had a strong attraction for women gamblers.
It must have seemed a good idea that the present Labour government should mark its second term by reforming gambling and alcohol laws. Social legislation is notoriously expensive, but this move would allow the government to show its liberal modernizing tendencies whilst increasing revenue to the Exchequer. The government could not have expected to arouse moral outrage of such dimensions that massive concessions were needed to get the Gambling Act (2005) through Parliament. Media coverage has almost entirely centred on the super-casinos the act will bring into being; it has been generally overlooked that the new legislation, and the concurrent smoking ban, will almost certainly change commercial bingo.
To continue reading this article you will need to purchase access to the online archive.
Buy Online Access Buy Print & Archive Subscription
If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in.
Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.
