Gala Coral founder returns to lead bingo drive

Gala Leisure has appointed John Kelly, founder of the Gala Coral Group, as non-executive chairman.

Kelly returns to the UK bingo chain having most recently served as chairman of Ladbrokes-Coral, prior to its takeover by GVC in March.

The appointment comes after Gala Leisure last week announced plans to re-launch all of its Gala Bingo clubs as ‘Buzz Bingo’ as part of a two-year £40m (€45.8m/$53.5m) investment project.

The initiative will also include expansion into the online bingo market.

According to the Telegraph newspaper, Chris Matthews, chief executive of Gala Leisure, said: “As we begin our new strategy and look towards online in the future, we are delighted to bring John back to where he started, having founded the Gala operations.

“He shares my vision for the potential of Buzz Bingo and his deep knowledge of the sector is unparalleled.”

Kelly added: “I believe we have a strong strategic plan and a strong team, led by Chris Matthews, and that he will lead this company to success in the
future.”

Related article: GVC completes Ladbrokes Coral takeover