Haven Applies for Bingo License at Hafan y Môr Holiday Park

_{Hafan y Môr Holiday Park near Pwllheli is a flagship Haven destination and a popular choice for families. (Image: Haven Leisure)}

One of Wales’ biggest holiday parks is aiming to add a new bingo hall to its entertainment lineup. The bingo trend at holiday parks was thought to be a thing of the past but now with the advent of high-tech allowing players to compete with people across the country for very substantial jackpots, it has taken on a new lease of life and holiday parks are capitalising on Bingo’s popularity once more.

Haven Leisure Limited has filed an application for a Bingo Premises Licence at Hafan y Môr Holiday Park in Pwllheli. The proposed venue would be located within the park’s Boardwalk complex and fall under the regulations of the Gambling Act 2005.

According to the official notice, Haven submitted the application to Gwynedd Council’s Licensing Unit, based at Council Offices, Shirehall Street, Caernarfon.

Have Your Say: Residents Can Comment Until 19 February

As required by law, the application has been made publicly available for review. Interested parties, including residents living close to the site or those with relevant business interests, can submit written objections or feedback to the licensing authority by 19 February 2024.

All comments must be sent in writing to the council’s Licensing Unit or emailed to [email protected].

Submitting false or misleading information in relation to the application is an offense under section 342 of the Gambling Act 2005.

Bingo Will Extend Holiday Park’s Arcade and Gaming Offerings

Hafan y Môr is one of Haven’s flagship sites, offering over 500 acres of accommodation, activities, and entertainment. The addition of licensed bingo would expand its existing arcade and gaming offerings, which already include amusements, slots and indoor play.

The park’s family-friendly branding highlights activities like Dragon Lakes Adventure Village, multiple play areas, and Splashaway Bay, an indoor pool complex with flumes and a four-lane water slide. Adding a bingo facility would further diversify its adult entertainment options, a growing trend among holiday parks nationwide.

Haven, headquartered in Hemel Hempstead, operates more than 35 UK parks. Its move to expand gambling activities at Hafan y Môr reflects a broader industry pattern of integrating more varied entertainment experiences on-site.

A spokesperson for Haven said: "The license enables us to offer Linked Bingo, where participating holidaymakers play a linked, simultaneous game across 37 of our parks, with bigger prizes available. The license means payments can be made via debit card, alongside cash." 

"We continually look to improve our offering for new and returning guests, and as Bingo has been a long-time popular game onsite, the addition of Linked Bingo adds another fun and sociable entertainment option for our holidaymakers to enjoy."

The bingo facility will be land based only and all games will be linked to Haven. 

A spokesperson for Haven told Casinos.com "Haven has operated Bingo for many years across all sites, but in 2024, we decided to license our parks to offer Linked Bingo." 
 

Bingo’s Rising Popularity in UK Holiday Parks

Haven’s licensing push comes amid a broader boom in bingo’s popularity at UK holiday parks. More than 100 sites across major operators now use Event Entertainment’s linked bingo platform, which delivers daily games and pooled jackpots worth thousands of pounds.

According to Event, holiday parks like Parkdean Resorts and Park Holidays are embracing the technology’s flexibility, offering custom-themed games powered by Willow’s BiGD bingo engine, a system long used in traditional retail bingo clubs.

Parkdean’s “Holiday Happy Giveaway,” for instance, gave players the chance to win free holidays through a themed, free-to-play bingo game. The promotion saw nearly 100,000 tickets played over Easter weekend alone. Park Holidays also upped the stakes during Easter with a daily £10,000 jackpot on its “Super 7s” game.

The tech underpinning these games includes EPOS integration and cloud-based management, allowing operators to scale and customise bingo experiences for seasonal events. As competition for guest engagement heats up, bingo has become a cornerstone of family-focused evening entertainment.