Please gamble responsibly.
by Penny Walker
Ian Burke, CEO of bingo in the casino group Rank, the last Director of a long line in the world of the leisure industry, has stated �the ineptitude of the government in an open letter to The Telegraph.In the letter, MR.Burke harshly criticizes the irresponsible government's proposal to regulate and enforce the new tax rates in the world of recreation.Ian Burke, partly wrote: "Bingo is the one and only product of the gambling industry to pay two types of fees, gross product and VAT." And both he and the Rank Group have his reasons for such a complaint, as the Rank Group has provided entertainment in England since 1930 with over 100 bingo clubs and 32 casinos. With over 8,000 employees, the group has consistently generated sales for local and national economy.The Rank Group is one of the leading European gaming businesses that, placed in the UK, is listed on the London Stock Exchange. The group's main activities have to do with running casinos and bingo clubs in the country, apart from their on-line book marking and gaming websites.The Rank Group generated � 166 million to the government last year, by means of several taxes. The gross product, once applied rates, was � 33 million. The national smoking ban has also been a major factor which has harmed the traditional bingo halls and clubs. At the same time, the web has been a flooded by�online bingo�websites in the UK.However, Bingo is not the only area affected by the government regulations, according to the Association of Beer and Bars, a high number of bars closed down during 2008, and this number is going up in 2009. In consequence, the interested parties have claimed the suspension of the increase in those �taxes, and Punch Taverns has also called for the resignation of the Chancellor.