Bingo in Britain is smaller than it was in 2008-09 in terms of games played, yet bingo halls earned more in 2025-26 than in any year since the pandemic. These bingo statistics UK readers can check against the source use Gambling Commission data for halls and online bingo, plus Rank’s 2026 report on Mecca, to show where the money now comes from.
Bingo market size in 2025-26
The Gambling Commission reports land-based and remote bingo separately. In April 2025 to March 2026, bingo premises generated gross gambling yield (GGY) of £703.8m, up 8.2% on a year earlier, while remote bingo produced £147.8m.
Taken together, that is about £851.6m, with online bingo accounting for roughly 17.4% of the total (our calculations). Bingo is a small part of the wider market, as our guide to UK land-based casinos and bingo venues shows.
| Bingo GGY | 2024-25 (R) | 2025-26 (P) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bingo games in halls | £226.3m | £242.1m | +7.0% |
| Machines in halls | £423.9m | £461.7m | +8.9% |
| All bingo premises | £650.2m | £703.8m | +8.2% |
| Remote bingo | £171.4m | £147.8m | -13.8% |
The caveat matters: bingo-hall GGY includes gaming machines on bingo premises, so headline hall figures overstate how much is spent on bingo itself.
Bingo halls UK: venues and operators
There were 714 licensed bingo premises at the end of March 2026, compared with 688 a year earlier and 641 in March 2009. Through 2025-26 the quarterly count moved between 706 and 716.
The number of operators holding bingo licences has fallen, from 214 in 2009 to 157 in March 2026, a drop of 26.6% (our calculation). Fewer firms now run more premises.
Rank, which owns Mecca, gives a different picture of traditional clubs. Its 2026 annual report says there are 240 operating bingo venues and 52 operators in the UK, of which Mecca operates 41 clubs.
The two counts use different bases: the Commission counts every premises holding a bingo licence, while Rank refers to operating bingo clubs. Rank also notes an oversupply of bingo clubs since the COVID-19 pandemic and closed nine Mecca venues in the year to June 2026.
| Operator data | 2024/25 | 2025/26 |
|---|---|---|
| Rank (Mecca) venues like-for-like NGR | £136.9m | £143.0m |
| Mecca underlying like-for-like operating profit | £4.3m | £8.9m |
Mecca bingo venues grew net gaming revenue by 4% and more than doubled underlying profit, with Rank crediting machines and cost savings. Its financial year runs to 30 June, so it does not line up exactly with Commission data.
Machines in halls: where the money is
The biggest change in bingo premises is the rise of gaming machines. In 2008-09 machines produced £213.5m, or 30.4% of hall GGY; in 2025-26 they produced £461.7m, or 65.6% (our calculations).
Over the same period GGY from bingo games halved, from £489.6m to £242.1m, a fall of 50.5% (our calculation). Total hall GGY of £703.8m is almost exactly the £703.1m recorded in 2008-09, without adjusting for inflation.
There were 74,694 machines in bingo premises in 2025-26, up 3.4% on the year, compared with 19,212 in 2008-09. Category B machines made up 20.5% of the estate but produced £359.6m, or 77.9% of machine GGY (our calculations).
Category C machines, the lower-stake type, numbered 54,510 and earned £93.8m. For the full machine picture, see our article on gaming machines UK.
Rank reports the same pattern at Mecca, where machines accounted for 42% of net gaming revenue. Betting shops show a similar reliance on machines, covered in our FOBT statistics.
Inside the bingo games
Bingo games turnover in halls was £767.6m in 2025-26, up 5.7%. Main stage bingo took £488.8m of stakes and £101.5m of GGY, against £769.7m and £176.0m in 2008-09.
Mechanised cash bingo, played on electronic terminals, had lower stakes but higher yield. Turnover of £268.8m produced £135.0m of GGY, about half of stakes, against about 20.8% for main stage games (our calculations).
Prize bingo is now marginal, with turnover of £10.0m and GGY of £5.6m.
Online bingo: a shrinking slice
Remote bingo has gone the other way from halls. Online bingo GGY fell 13.8% to £147.8m in 2025-26, and turnover fell 17.1% to £882.2m.
Online bingo GGY peaked during lockdown at £189.0m in 2020-21 and held at £188.7m in 2022-23 before falling to £150.8m in 2023-24. Quarterly GGY in 2025-26 ranged from £35.3m to £38.7m.
These figures cover only operators licensed by the Commission. Players using non-UK casino sites fall outside the statistics and outside GB player protections.
The same applies to European online casinos that do not hold a GB licence, so the true size of online bingo play in Britain is uncertain.
Trend: duty change and recovery
Bingo halls were hit hard by COVID-19. Hall GGY fell from £576.3m in 2019-20 to £246.3m in 2020-21, then recovered to £444.2m, £594.9m and £628.0m in the following three years.
The 2025-26 figure of £703.8m is 22.1% above the pre-pandemic level (our calculation). Bingo Duty was abolished from 1 April 2026, according to HMRC, and Rank expects an annualised benefit of about £6.4m in 2026/27.
The Commission’s figures will not show the full effect of the duty change until the 2026-27 release. Unlicensed offshore casinos pay no British gambling duties and are not included. For context on another venue type, see our article on betting shops UK.
FAQ: bingo in Britain
Short answers to common bingo statistics UK questions, drawn from Commission and Rank data.
How many bingo halls are there in the UK?
The Commission counted 714 licensed bingo premises in March 2026. Rank’s 2026 report puts operating bingo venues at 240, using a narrower definition.
How much does online bingo make?
Online bingo GGY was £147.8m in 2025-26, down 13.8% on the year.
Do bingo halls make more money from machines than bingo?
Yes. Machines produced £461.7m of £703.8m hall GGY in 2025-26, about 65.6%.
How many clubs does Mecca run?
Rank says Mecca operates 41 clubs, after closing nine venues in the year to June 2026.
Is there still bingo duty?
No. HMRC guidance says Bingo Duty was abolished from 1 April 2026.
Gambling Commission figures are official statistics for Great Britain, financial years April to March; 2025-26 is provisional (P) and 2024-25 revised (R). Hall GGY includes machines in bingo premises. Rank figures are for its financial year to 30 June 2026 and are like-for-like. Shares and changes marked as our calculations are derived from these sources.
- Gambling Commission, Industry statistics, April 2025 to March 2026 (xlsx), sheets 2, 3, 7, 7a, 7b and 10c.
- The Rank Group Plc, Annual Report and Accounts 2026.
- HMRC, Bingo Duty guidance.
Responsible Gambling in the UK
When the fun stops, STOP. 18+
Only gamble with money you can afford to lose. National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133 (free, 24/7).