Bingo is a gambling game where players mark off numbers on a ticket as they are randomly called out, in the hope of achieving a winning combination. In the UK bingo is slightly different from US bingo. A typical UK bingo ticket contains twenty seven numbers, arranged in nine columns by three rows. Each row contains 5 numbers and four blank spaces. Each column contains one, two or sometimes 3 numbers. The first column contains numbers 1-9, second column is 10-19 and so on.

The game is presided over by a ‘caller’. The caller’s job is to call out the numbers and validate any winning tickets. The prize is normally declared by the caller before the game begins. The familiar ‘Eyes Down’ is called just before the game starts. ‘Eyes down’ is now iconic to bingo and is used throughout the UK and Northern Ireland to start a bingo game.

The numbers are randomly selected during a game; this can be done in a number of ways. An electronic Random Number Generator (RNG) is now commonly used in large bingo halls, smaller venues often use counters which are drawn from a bag or balls in a mechanical draw machine.

Numbers are called out using a standard framework, “Both the fours, Forty Four”, or “one and nine, Nineteen”. However some numbers have special calls, such as ‘one little duck’ for the number 2, ‘legs eleven’ for the number 11, ‘unlucky for some’ for number 13, ‘dirty Gertie’ for number 30 and ‘two fat ladies’ for the number 88.

Where Bingo Began

Bingo has always been a very social game and it has become commonly associated with elderly women sat around a table chatting. Bingo has a vast history which can be split into two key periods. The first key period in bingo history is the rising of Bingo being used as a fundraising event. This can be traced back as far as 1918 and would have been known as housey-housey or lotto. These games would have been big events with perhaps up to 500 players and would have been organised by a local church, local political parties, and working men’s clubs or holiday camps. The second key period is commercial bingo, which is the type of bingo we commonly see today.

Controversial Bingo

Bingo’s hay-day was the 1960’s. During this decade bingo could pull in more than half a million punters every day, almost double the sparse attendance of the 1990’s. The 1960’s saw the birth of commercial bingo, but it had a sinister side. The government had not intended to legalise any sort of gambling in the UK but bingo started almost by accident. Before 1968 the bingo industry was infiltrated by organised crime. Bingo clubs were often referred to as Bingo Casinos; they would offer glamorous prizes to attract players. Bingo became the talk of the town and was often discussed in the press and in parliamentary comment. The gambling act of 1968 was bought in to rid the cities of gambling dens and help sort out problems with organised crime but it nearly destroyed the bingo industry as it found itself caught up in this political row.

Bingo was essentially saved by one man; Eric Morley, director of the Mecca entertainment group. He changed the image of bingo in order to save it from the Labour Government of Harold Wilson. He manipulated the press and clubs so that bingo became seen as a social activity rather than a gambling game.

British commercial bingo changed dramatically and developed a unique character after 1968. Gambling is an important factor in bingo but it became a lot more about the social aspect. A sense of occasion was essential; the meeting of friends and club membership were also important changes that made bingo what it is today.

Bingo is often seen as a women’s game and was certainly portrayed that way in its early years. It seems that bingo players enjoyed the game for its chance of winning a prize as much as the opportunity to get out and socialise with friends.

Bingo In The 21st Century

Sadly the clubs of the 1960’s are slowly closing, as electronics take over and that sense of occasion and glamour disappear.

On the 1st July 2007 the bingo industry was rocked to its core when Tony Blair’s Labour government began the smoking ban in England. On the one hand this would seem like a good thing, but for Bingo halls across the UK it spelled disaster. By the time the smoking ban came to England it had already been rolled out in Ireland, Scotland and Wales and statistics emerged showing a decline in people attending bingo halls, local pubs and clubs and other traditional community venues. Closures began quickly across the UK as venues struggled to get the numbers in to make enough money to survive. Small bingo halls were the first to go, although larger casino clubs managed to survive the last few years and continue to be successful. Even big names like Gala and Mecca Bingo struggled. With an estimated half of bingo customers being smokers, this was no surprise.

In 2007 Neil Goulden, chief executive of Gala Bingo was quoted on the BBC news website saying “The effect of the smoking ban in Scotland’s been a lot worse than we thought it was going to be”.

Government statistics reveal that there has been a 29 per cent decline in the number of bingo halls in the UK; from 650 in 1997 to 450 in 2010. Despite this, bingo companies are still making sizeable profits, most of which stem from the rapid increase in those choosing to play bingo online.

In 2003 the first fully online UK bingo game was launched. From 2003 there has been a surge in the popularity of online bingo as bingo operators and players have begun to fully embrace the online version of the game. Online bingo is easy to use and as online payment security has increased so has the number of players logging on.

What’s Next for Bingo?

In 2011 bingo is developing and changing to keep up with player needs. Online sites have tried to recreate the community element of bingo by adding online chat features. Soon you’ll be able to connect via web cam with your bingo mates and players in the bingo halls! This is a fantastic development for online bingo, but we’ll have to wait to see if it becomes popular.

Bingo websites are set to get bigger and better over the next few years. As technology advances so will the world of bingo. Watch this space…