NEW GLASGOW – Bingo halls in Nova Scotia got a little quieter this year.
The province has reported that the total charitable bingo wager dropped by about 11 per cent this year and is down by about $6 million from the 2008/2009 year.
On top of this, there were 14 fewer bingo licences issued this year.
“We have been in a downturn,” said Allan MacQuarrie, chair of bingo for the Kinsmen Club in New Glasgow.
The Kinsmen run two different bingo events, one of which is televised on East Link.
He said they saw the drop at the beginning of the year.
“We’re making some changes to it though,” he said.
They have changed their game formats a bit as well as their scheduling in hope of drawing more participation.
The decline in bingo can have an effect on more than just the Kinsmen Club itself.
“If we make money, it goes back into the community,” he said.
Money raised by the Kinsmen’s bingo can go to causes such as Summer Street Industries to breakfast programs that they offer. It doesn’t just accumulate.
