Bingo is still quite popular, and this casual game of chance has been around since the 1630s, according to most historical reports. Bingo first appeared in Italy under the name Lotto, and the two games and all their versions bear close resemblance even today.
Several bingo variants have appeared over the years and it is interesting to note that the version of bingo which is dominantly played in the US – 75-ball bingo differs from the bingo variant that’s dominant in the UK – 90-ball bingo. Bingo didn’t become popular in the English-speaking world until the 20th century and it became a dominant and mainstream form of entertainment only after the WWII.
The number of open bingo halls kept growing over the years and by the beginning of the 21st century bingo was already considered a traditional, almost old-fashioned form of entertainment. When it comes to the type of players that usually play bingo, the game used to be associated with older players, but with the introduction and popularisation of online bingo games, the target audience, i.e. its average age saw a change, in the sense now younger folks play and enjoy bingo games as well.
Traditional bingo
From the end of the WWII up until the late 1990s, the concept of bingo and the way the game was played remained unchanged for the most part. People would gather at their local bingo hall, they would purchase some tickets, order a pint of lager if beer is served on the premises, some snacks maybe and that would be it.
The new millennium brought us a new type of bingo, or two types to be more precise. First, we have the type that was already mentioned above, namely, it became possible to play bingo games online. This brought a number of changes regarding the way the game is played.
Regional variants
Online bingo sites have no limit in terms of how many types of bingo they can offer. As opposed to land-based bingo halls where the room is limited and there’s no space to organise multiple games simultaneously, online sites can run a number of games at once. This gave British bingo players the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the bingo variant that is primarily played in the US – 75-ball bingo. Unlike 90-ball bingo which is just one variant, the way 75-ball bingo is structured enables creating multiple variants by slightly amending the game rules and potential winning combinations.
UK bingo sites are offering 75-ball bingo, so UK players get an opportunity to familiarise themselves with a variant that they didn’t get a chance to play before and vice versa, Americans also get to play 90-ball bingo, a variant that’s dominantly played in the UK.
But these two aren’t the only two bingo variants that sites offer – 30-ball bingo, 80-ball bingo and 52-ball bingo are just some of the examples. But it’s not just the variety in number of balls and winning combinations, games became a lot more diverse and enticing in another sense as well.
Branded online bingo games
Online bingo providers started developing branded games based on online slots that have reached high levels of popularity or TV shows and programmes like Britain’s Got Talent and Deal or No Deal.
Exciting modern bingo halls
Traditional bingo halls in the UK are in decline, that’s no secret. About 15 years ago the total number of bingo halls in the country amounted to 600 and above, whereas now there are only about 400. But, while the total number of bingo halls was in decrease, the variety and the diversity of the games that are offered has changed for the better. Nowadays, you get to participate in interesting mashup games that combine bingo with other activities.
One of the interesting novel combos is bingo and hip-hop. The event takes place in London, on Fridays, but the venue changes. It is important to win the bingo game, but the lip sync battles also matter.
The Breakfast Club is an iconic London venue and at nights, when people aren’t eating breakfasts, it organises bingo games with interesting prizes, quizzes and more.
At the UKG Bingo parties that take place on Friday nights, visitors have a chance to dance to old school and garage tunes in addition to participation in bingo games. If you’re a fan of reggae music, the London bingo scene also offers this opportunity.
And that’s just London, all over the world there are non-traditional, very modern, very stylish bingo halls with plenty to offer.
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