Report
Investigating the coherence and comparability of estimates from the GSGB with industry data from the Bingo Association
This report investigates the coherence and comparability of estimates from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) with industry data from the Bingo Association
What the data supplied by the Bingo Association tells us
As the trade body representing licensed bingo premises, the Bingo Association hold information on the number of admissions to licenced Bingo clubs in Great Britain. Admissions data was used to estimate participation in in-person bingo among all adults in Great Britain over the past 4 weeks. This was done by dividing the average number of admissions over a 4 week period by the monthly frequency of visits to bingo venues, yielding an implied number of unique players per 4 week period. This figure was then divided by census population estimates to calculate the proportion of adults participating.
Unlike the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB), which reported that 3.3 percent of adults had played bingo in-person in the past 4 weeks, the Bingo Association data showed a lower figure of 1.0 percent. However, the estimated frequency of visits to bingo clubs was similar across both sources, at 2.3 visits per month (GSGB)4 and 2.5 visits per month (Bingo Association) (as shown in Table 1).
Table 1: Differences for bingo in-person participation
| Criteria | Gambling Commission (GSGB), 2024 | Bingo Association, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Past 4 week participation amongst adults aged 18 and over (percentage) | 3.3% | 1.0% |
| Frequency of visits to bingo venues per month (number) | 2.3 | 2.5 |
Why could these differences be present?
The Bingo Association collects data from their members on the number of admissions to traditional bingo clubs and have used this to calculate the implied number of players per average 4-week period. In 2024, their data was drawn from 86 percent of large land-based operators in Great Britain and focuses solely on admissions to traditional bingo clubs. In addition, an admission is only counted as such when a player is visiting to play a game of traditional bingo, and not if they were attending to take part in one of the more social games of Bingo such as Bonkers Bingo organised by Mecca. Where data was missing or incomplete, the Bingo Association modelled the remaining 14 percent using responses from other operators who completed that section.
In contrast, the GSGB collects data through a self-completion survey5, asking respondents whether they have played bingo in-person during the past 4 weeks6. As the survey is self-completed, responses will reflect a consumer’s understanding of what constitutes a bingo venue. Unlike the Bingo Association’s data, which focuses solely on traditional clubs, the GSGB may capture a broader range of in-person bingo activity.
References
4 The frequency of bingo club visits was calculated only for respondents in the GSGB who reported playing bingo in person during the past 4 weeks.
5 Read more about our GSGB methodology in the Gambling Survey for Great Britain - technical report.
6 Question wording on the GSGB: 'During the past 4 weeks, how often, if at all, have you spent money playing bingo at a venue e.g. a bingo club, social club?...'
Bingo report - What the landscape of land-based (or in-person) bingo looks like Next section
Bingo report - What we did to create a closer comparison
Last updated: 9 April 2026
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