One of the fastest growing sectors in the digital space is online gambling and casino games, with Bingo being one of the most popular genres. But despite the obvious reasons behind the rise in the number of online and mobile bingo players such as the ubiquity of smartphones, the game has always been a popular pastime in the UK. So what is Bingo, and why is it so popular in the UK? In this post we take a closer look at this extremely popular game and how it captured the imagination of the British public:
A brief history of the game of bingo
Bingo is a game of chance thought to have been invented in Italy sometime in the 16th century. The game grew in popularity and made its way to other countries in Europe including France and of course Britain. In bingo, players have to mark off numbers on a specially numbered card as they are drawn at random by the games’ official caller. In its simplest form, the winner is the player who manages to have all the numbers on their card called first. That buzz may be one of the reasons why bingo is once again popular in the UK.
From its origins in the Italian lottery, the game has remained a firm favourite of players of all legal ages worldwide and with the arrival of digital games is experiencing a renaissance few games can match. Now whether it’s around the family table at Christmas or a mobile player on the go making the most of their Robin Hood bingo bonus, bingo is once again a firm fixture on the list of modern games people like to enjoy. While the versions played in the US and Britain are a little different, the games’ popularity is such that it transcends age and the platforms it continues to be played on.
Why bingo is so popular in the UK
The origins of the modern version of bingo are not entirely clear, but the game initially gained its popularity when it started appearing at fairs and carnivals in the 1900’s. In more recent years bingo became so popular that at one time dozens of purpose-built bingo halls were being opened every year until around 2005. Whether it was the simplicity of the game, its social nature as players came together for an evening of fun, bingo clearly had a grip on the nation.
After 2005 bingo venues began to see a marked decline in attendance and revenues such that many were forced to close down. Thankfully the digital revolution was just around the corner and many operators took their operations online first, then on to mobiles as smartphones and tablets became more common.
Now bingo’s revival has come full circle and in amongst the more popular online and mobile games, it is by far head and shoulders above the rest. This is evidenced by the game now being offered not only by traditional gambling operators such as Mecca Bingo but by any organisation with an audience worth monetizing. The list of providers now includes the Sun Newspaper, Sky broadcasting, and several new entrants into the market, and many others. This shows that the game of bingo is still extremely popular in the UK and will continue to be for the foreseeable future.
