Online Bingo Popularity in the UK

BINGO IN THE UK

“Bingo” has always been a much enjoyed game that dates back to the 1600s.  In the UK, Bingo has been a classic game in recent decades and has, in fact, been a very large part of the social life of the British people for a great many years.  The UK is comprised of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The game originated from the Italian lottery, Lo Giuoco del Lotto D'Italia.  The game is also known to have been played by the French aristocracy, and was known as Le Lotto in France.  Later, In Germany, the game was used by school teachers as a teaching aid.  Following the conclusion of World War II, British soldiers brought the game back home with them.  The popularity of Bingo arose so much that commercial Bingo halls were established in the UK following the Betting and Gaming Act of 1960. 

MODERN BINGO

In modern times, Bingo is played using tickets or cards that contain numbers on a grid.  A typical Bingo ticket contains twenty-seven spaces.  The spaces are then arranged in nine columns and in three rows. Each row contains four blank spaces and five numbers.  Each column contains one, two, or occasionally, three numbers.  In the first column, numbers 1 to 9 are used.  The second column uses numbers 10 to 19.  The third column uses numbers 20 to 29 and so on through the ninth column, which contains numbers 80 to 90.  A “caller” presides over the game and calls out numbers which are randomly drawn. As each number is called, players check for the number on their tickets. If it does, they mark it. When the first player marks off all the numbers required for winning a prize, the player shouts “Bingo!” so the caller can validate the numbers and award a prize.   

BINGO, A UK PHENOMENON!

In the late 1960’s 1970’s and 1980’s, playing Bingo flourished in the UK and became something of a cultural phenomenon in the UK in particular.  Much of this is attributed to the impact of television shifting people’s entertainment choices away from more public forms of entertainment.  Many dance halls, theatres and movie houses closed, but they became perfect venues for becoming Bingo halls where people could have fun and socialize.  In recent years, however, UK Bingo halls have suffered.  This is due to an indoor smoking ban that was passed throughout the UK.  Within three months of implementing the ban, five Scottish Bingo halls found the need to close due to a decline in business and further expected declines of 17 to 27%.

BINGO AND THE INTERNET

Online Bingo is the game of Bingo played on the Internet. With the rise of the new millennium and the availability of high speed broadband, playing Online Bingo has also become a cultural phenomenon. The online version of Bingo was introduced as early as 1996.  Online Bingo websites use a random number generator. Some operators require players to download free software to play their games while other operators use technologies that allow immediate play online after registering a player account. Its popularity started in the US and quickly spread to the UK and the rest of the world. The US, Japan and the UK are the three places where Online Bingo is most popular, with the UK the third largest Online Bingo market worldwide.

ONLINE BINGO IN THE UK

Although the UK is the third largest Online Bingo market worldwide, with bingo popularity in the US making it the leader, of the three largest markets, the UK market is the growing the fastest.  By some estimates, over 600 million pounds is spent annually by people in the UK for Online Bingo tickets.  Remarkably, some studies have shown that of all Bingo players in the UK, only 1 percent plays Bingo online while the remaining 99 percent play in land based Bingo halls as the game has traditionally been enjoyed.  For this reason, Online Bingo marketers see the potential for explosive growth in the number of people playing Bingo online and are seeing Online Bingo as quite a lucrative business opportunity.  Currently there are more than 250 Bingo websites offering the game to enthusiastic UK Bingo players. 

UK BINGO DEMOGRAPHICS

Current estimates show that at least 3 million people now play Online Bingo in the UK.  Market research has shown that Online Bingo is most popular among women between 20 and 25 years of age.  Some recent market research indicates that Online Bingo seems to be rapidly gaining in popularity among men as well. This market research showed an increasing participation from the full spectrum of age groups as well.  90 percent of Online Bingo players were found to be below the age of 50 years old, and of these, 85 percent of players are women.  Over time, trends have shown that the popularity of the game is gradually spreading and expanding to other age groups.  A few years ago, players under the age of 35 years old accounted for the majority of Online Bingo players.  The current trend, however, is showing that people over the age of 46 years old are participating in the Online Bingo market in the UK. 

WHY IS ONLINE BINGO SO POPULAR IN THE UK?

There are multiple reasons for the immense popularity of Online Bingo in the UK.  For players of the game, immediate access to play and the ability to access play conveniently from home anytime are two of the biggest reasons for its popularity.  Since Online Bingo websites function much like social networking sites, people can still enjoy affiliating and socializing with other people, and with people outside of their everyday social network.  Online Bingo may offer more mental stimulation to players than traditional Bingo hall play, which may hold appeal especially for younger people who have grown up in the Information Age.  Not least among the reasons for the popularity of Online Bingo is the monetary and material incentive associated with prize winnings.  For purveyors of the game, there is tremendous opportunity to create revenue both from what players pay and from internet advertising.

Before Online Bingo was launched onto the internet, one had to physically go to a Bingo hall to play.  Many more logistics are involved to prepare to play in a Bingo hall, and a greater element of planning and preparation is involved. People like being able to spontaneously engage in Bingo online, and many are coming to prefer it.  All that is needed is a computer and an internet connection instead of waiting for session times at local Bingo events in town halls. Many Online Bingo sites are open 24 hours a day so there are always games available whenever one has the time or inclination to play.

More than a leisure activity, Online Bingo is a means of socializing and making friends. Almost all Online Bingo providers host a chat room where players can interact with each other in a friendly and competitive manner.  Social networking technologies make this possible.  Just like in the traditional Bingo hall, people can still interact socially, exchange their views with others and build potentially more interesting friendships since there is such a wide circle of people to interact with online.

For young, very computer literate people, the level of mental stimulation and the pace of the play of Online Bingo may hold greater appeal than that offered in the traditional Bingo hall. Bingo, though not a complex game, demands concentration and patience. The more tickets played at the same time, the truer this is.  While arranging the cards, players have to be quick and intelligent and there is definite strategy involved to maximize one’s winnings.  There are many free Online Bingo sites that offer free “sandbox play” practice opportunities to players.  This has been found to be appealing to both novices and to those serious players who want to increase their winnings. 

MEGA BINGO PRIZES AND BONUSES!

Online Bingo sites are offering quite lucrative prizes.  They regularly offer cars, TV’s, laptops, show tickets, weekend breaks and the like as prizes.  One Online Bingo site made news in 2009 by awarding 100 brand new cars over 100 days to celebrate the achievement of giving away £100,000, 000 in prizes.  New homes, a holiday home in Europe and new kitchens have also been given away as prizes.  In order to be eligible for the most substantial prizes, users are required to fund an account.  Free Online Bingo games are also available that offer players a way to win smaller amounts of money with the lowest amount of risk.  Most sites accept a standard range of electronic funding options, and many provide incentives to deposit funds like matching bonuses whereby the player will be rewarded by the site reward players by matching a percentage of their deposit.

ONLINE BINGO IN THE UK - FAIR AND REGULATED

Since Online Bingo is considered to be a form of gambling, it is regulated by the Gambling Act of 2005 and is governed by the Gambling Commission, which is part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.  The Gambling Act of 2005 places a premium on gaming fairness, crime prevention within the industry and keeping vulnerable adults and children safe.  Since the Remote Online Gaming Tax was set at 15%, it is notable that much revenue is generated that is used to benefit the common good of the people of the UK.  So as Online Bingo expands, the potential to enhance the common good will also expand.