Every bingo operator in the UK has been affected by higher taxes, an expert has said

A trade association for bingo in the UK has said it is lobbying the British government "almost daily" to cut current levels of tax on the game.

The battle between the gaming industry and the government echoes situations seen closer to home in recent weeks, when four casinos in Pennsylvania teamed up to lobby for a reduction in the licence to hold table games.

Cherry Hosking, administration manager at the Bingo Association, the trade body of the UK's licensed bingo industry, said that the increased tax has affected every operator in the country.

She said that the current Gross Profit Tax (GPT) on bingo gaming in Britain is "entirely unfair" and added: "We have had a lot of meetings … with the Treasury to point out that we think their figures that they based their increase in GPT on are incorrect."

Ms Hosking's comments come after the latest government Budget report in the UK increased the GPT on bingo to 22 per cent from its previous level of 15 per cent, an overall rise of 47 per cent in tax.

It also decided to increase the costs of licensing amusement gaming machines.