There was certainly excitement in the air when the Government announced that bingo halls could re-open from 4thJuly. But sadly the effects of Covid are now coming to the surface as Buzz Bingo have announced that 26 of its venues will be closing, with 573 jobs now at risk.
Company restructure
Buzz Bingo’s Chief Executive Chris Matthews, explained the closures were part of the company voluntary arrangement restructure, in order to secure the future of Buzz Bingo. He said:“The ongoing pandemic has had far-reaching consequences for the entire leisure and hospitality sector and an immediate and significant impact on our business. Following a thorough review of our options, the proposed CVA (company voluntary arrangement) will restructure our retail portfolio to ensure we are well positioned for a return to growth, while adapting to the ongoing, challenging environment as we start to reopen the majority of our clubs.“The restructure will, very sadly, impact a number of our colleagues and my priority is to support all those affected and keep them fully informed as we continue with this process. I would like to thank every single one of our colleagues for their continued understanding and commitment over this period.” 
Venues to close
Buzz Bingo announced that on 6th August, twelve of their venues would open immediately, with further venues gradually reopening throughout the month. However, the following 26 venues will now permanently close.
- Antelope Park
- Banbury
- Boston
- Bournemouth
- Bridlington
- Carlisle
- Chatham
- Chorley
- Cramlington
- Derby Foresters
- Edinburgh Westerhailes
- Harpurhey
- Hereford
- Kilmarnock
- Milton Keynes
- Oxford Kassam
- Salford
- Salisbury
- Stockland Green
- Tamworth
- Wednesbury
- Weymouth
- Wigan Robin Park
- Wolverhampton
- Worcester
- Wythenshawe
Sadly, this means that 573 jobs are now at risk and the effects of the Coronavirus crisis on the bingo industry, is now becoming apparent.For the 91 venues that are re-opening, a full programme of cleaning and covid-secure measures are being undertaken to ensure the safety of both players and staff and Buzz Bingo are looking forward to welcoming their players back. If you can’t wait until then, take a look at some of the brilliant new online bingo sites available to play right now.