Buzz Bingo Explores Sale Amid Gambling Tax Fears
ICG, the London-listed asset manager, are exploring a sale of Buzz Bingo, the UK's biggest bingo-hall operator, as the gambling industry warns that a Budget tax raid could threaten bingo clubs and betting shops across the country.
ICG have appointed Oakvale Capital, a specialist sports and leisure finance adviser, to oversee a possible sale process and approach potential investors, Sky News first reported on October 11, 2026.
The Nottingham-headquartered chain operates more than 75 bingo clubs across Great Britain and employs more than 2,000 people. ICG bought Buzz Bingo for an undisclosed sum in March 2021 and are understood to be seeking a new owner able to provide fresh investment to back further growth. Both ICG and Buzz Bingo declined to comment on the reported process.
Industry Lobbies Against A Machine Duty Hike
The sale process comes as gambling operators lobby chancellor John Healey ahead of the Budget over a possible increase to Machine Games Duty, the tax charged on gaming machines found in bingo clubs, arcades and betting shops.
Industry figures have urged the Treasury to raise the duty on higher-stake machines from 20% to 40%, a move they say could raise as much as £458 million but risks pushing gambling activity away from regulated venues.
Buzz Bingo chief executive Dominic Mansour has previously warned that such a tax hike would have a knock-on effect on the UK's bingo halls. "Unless bingo clubs are protected from such reform, the viability of bingo in the UK will be at risk," he said. "The numbers for Britain's bingo could truly be up."
Bingo Duty Is Gone, But Machine Duty Isn't
The timing is notable because the government abolished Bingo Duty entirely from April 1, 2026, a change it described as support for bingo clubs and lower-risk gambling activity.
That relief does not extend to Machine Games Duty, which covers a separate taxable activity and would still apply to the slot machines found in bingo venues if rates rise as the industry fears.
Casino Games Hub
A Growth Story Clouded By Tax Uncertainty
Buzz Bingo's push for a buyer comes despite what dealmakers describe as a period of renewed customer and revenue growth for the chain, driven in part by surging interest in bingo among younger players.
A sale, if it proceeds, would need to balance that growth story against the uncertainty hanging over machine taxation until the Budget is confirmed.
No buyer, valuation or timetable for a completed transaction has been confirmed, and the process remains at an early, exploratory stage.
