source: google,.com Carlton Bingo has reported a fall in revenue and pre-tax profit after admissions dropped across its 10 Scottish bingo clubs, although the operator says increased customer spend helped it remain profitable.
Carlton Bingo Limited's latest accounts, covering the year to 29 March 2026, show revenue falling 1.9% from about £14.7 million to £14.5 million.
Pre-tax profit fell more sharply, dropping from around £1.9 million to £1.5 million.
The results provide a detailed picture of the pressures facing one of Scotland's largest independent bingo operators, with the company blaming inflation and highlighting the difficult trading environment for bingo in Scotland.
The company filed its accounts with Companies House on August 28, 2026.
Admissions fall 6.8% across Carlton's clubs
The biggest change in the latest results was not the relatively modest fall in revenue, but the decline in customer admissions.
Carlton said admissions across its 10 clubs fell by 6.8% during the year.
That means the company's revenue decline was considerably smaller than the reduction in visits.
On a simple revenue-per-admission basis, the figures suggest that the average amount generated from each admission increased by roughly 5% year-on-year. That does not mean every customer spent more, as the group's revenue also includes food and drink and online marketing, but it does highlight an important feature of the results.
Carlton has partly offset weaker footfall through increased customer spend.
Director Leslie Ross said the business had been affected by inflationary pressures but remained profitable.
“In spite of everything, staff turnover levels have improved,” Ross said.
The director also pointed to the different rates environment facing bingo operators north and south of the border.
“Yet again, the group (and sector in Scotland) did not benefit from extended non-domestic rates (NDR) relief during the year, unlike the sector in England and Wales.”
Carlton said it nevertheless generated a profit through customer spend growth, alongside a significant rates-related refund.
Gaming revenue falls while online marketing grows
The accounts show gaming remains Carlton's largest revenue source.
Gaming revenue fell from approximately £12.5 million to £12.3 million.
Food and drink revenue also declined, falling from around £2.2 million to £2.1 million.
However, one smaller part of the business grew substantially.
Online marketing revenue increased from approximately £33,800 to £82,000.
While still a relatively small contributor to overall turnover, the more than 140% increase represents a significant shift in the group's digital income.
The figures suggest Carlton's strategy is becoming somewhat broader than simply relying on traditional club admissions, although the physical bingo estate remains the core of the business.
£250,989 rates refund helps bottom line
One of the more unusual features of the year's results was a £250,989 refund relating to a 2023 non-domestic rates revaluation appeal.
Carlton specifically highlighted the payment when explaining how it remained profitable despite the difficult trading environment.
“Despite this, the group has been able to generate a profit during the year via spend growth, and receipt of £250,989 in 2023 NDR revaluation appeal refunds, demonstrating not only its own resilience, but also that of its loyal staff and customers,” Ross said.
The rates issue is particularly relevant because Carlton operates exclusively in Scotland, so it does not benefit from the same business-rates arrangements available to bingo operators elsewhere in Great Britain.
The company's latest results therefore provide another example of the different cost pressures facing the Scottish bingo sector.
Investment falls despite refurbishment plans
Carlton also reduced its capital expenditure during the year.
Capital expenditure fell by about 31% compared with 2024, according to the company's latest reporting.
That does not mean the operator has abandoned investment in its estate.
Instead, Carlton has identified specific areas where it intends to spend money during the 2026/27 financial year, with a particular focus on improving the customer experience and encouraging visits.
The company's plans include work on machine areas, a new bingo chat lounge partition at its Inverness club and a refurbishment of the Stirling club.
The Stirling project will include changes intended to improve seating and customer comfort.
Carlton also plans to complete preparations for a refurbishment of its Livingston club, with work expected to begin towards the end of the financial year.
“The group continues to look at opportunities to increase admission levels, enhance existing and new member experience and improve visit frequency and retention of its growing younger membership,” Ross said.
That focus on admissions is significant given the 6.8% fall recorded during the latest financial year.
Carlton operates 10 bingo clubs across Scotland
Carlton remains one of Scotland's largest independent and most popular bingo operators, with 10 clubs across the country.
The estate comprises:
- Buckie
- Dalkeith
- Dunfermline
- East Kilbride
- Elgin
- Fraserburgh
- Inverness
- Livingston
- Partick
- Stirling
Carlton also operates a Mall Café Bar at the Almondvale Shopping Centre in Livingston and a café within its East Kilbride club.
The company describes its estate as a mixture of larger city-centre bingo clubs and smaller venues serving local communities.
Employee ownership remains central to Carlton
Another important feature of the business is its ownership structure.
Carlton moved into employee ownership in March 2022, when ownership transferred to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT).
The company's latest accounts state that employees continue to benefit from the arrangement.
Carlton made a fourth consecutive EOT bonus payment to qualifying staff during the year, despite what the company described as significant commitments relating to vendor loan repayments.
The employee-ownership structure therefore remains an important part of the company's financial and operational story.
Rather than simply cutting costs in response to falling admissions, Carlton is attempting to balance investment in its clubs, employee rewards and debt commitments while dealing with inflation and weaker footfall.
A smaller decline in revenue hides a bigger footfall problem
The headline figures show a business that remains profitable, but the admissions figures provide a more complicated picture.
Revenue fell by only around £280,000 year-on-year, while pre-tax profit declined by roughly £400,000.
At the same time, admissions fell by 6.8%.
That gap is arguably the most revealing part of the latest accounts.
Carlton has protected a significant share of its revenue despite fewer visits, but it has not prevented a substantial profit drop.
The group's operating margin also weakened, with pre-tax profit equivalent to roughly 10% of revenue compared with almost 13% a year earlier.
For a bingo operator, the challenge now appears to be turning plans for a better customer experience, improved retention and increased visit frequency into higher admissions.
Carlton looks to younger members and increased visits
The company's outlook suggests that reversing the fall in admissions is now a central priority.
Carlton says it has seen growth in its younger membership and wants to increase both how often customers visit and their retention.
The planned refurbishments at Inverness, Stirling and Livingston are part of that strategy.
The operator is also continuing to look for ways to improve its existing clubs and enhance the overall customer experience.
That creates an interesting tension in the latest results.
Carlton has reduced capital expenditure while admissions have fallen, but management is now preparing targeted investment designed specifically to increase visits.
The next set of accounts will therefore test whether that strategy can turn higher customer spend into genuine footfall growth.
For now, the latest figures show a Scottish bingo operator that remains profitable and has a substantial 10-club estate, but faces the same fundamental challenge confronting much of the retail bingo sector: getting customers through the doors more often while controlling the rising cost of running physical clubs.
Carlton Bingo's latest accounts are for the year ended March 29, 2026, and were filed at Companies House on August 28. The group filed the previous year's accounts in September 2025.
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