Why the UK Bingo Industry Is Evolving

Bingo has definitely come a long way in recent years.

22:36 06 February 2020

It is arguably the games willingness to evolve that has led to its overall success and popularity. From games more traditionally played in village and church halls, to new bingo sites online, to quirky new reimaginings of the game like Bongo’s Bingo and Drag Bingo. Bingo is becoming a favourite pastime of many and is drawing in younger audiences thick and fast. In fact, Bingo is allegedly now more popular than tennis, one of Britain’s favourite sports.

Online Bingo

Whilst even just fifteen years ago, online bingo wasn’t such a huge thing, there are now hundreds of online bingo sites out there to enjoy, which has helped to boost enthusiasm for the game without a doubt. According to the UK Gambling Commission, within the last eight years, online bingo has gone from being a game enjoyed by 50,000 players to over 300,000, and this surge in popularity is surely no real wonder as playing online bingo couldn’t be easier. Players can enjoy the game whatever time of day they please, and all from the comfort of their own homes.

Furthermore, online bingo arguably offers you greater opportunity to win big, as there are so many different sites to choose from, and jackpots tend to be considerably higher online than they do in in-house games. Of course, winning big shouldn’t be your main priority when playing online bingo, and you should always play sensibly and responsibly, but big jackpots do make the game pretty exciting and a lot of fun, and the chance to win big cash prizes online is going to rather appealing to the vast majority of people. Just always double check when making sure that the site you chose to play with is safe and respectable, and don’t let yourself get too carried away with your spending. With a quick search on Google, you should easily be able to find a number of trusted reviews and the website’s licenses.

Bongo’s Bingo

Bongo’s bingo, which started in Liverpool but now also takes place across many other UK cities, as well as in other countries, has undoubtedly proven to be a pretty monumental hit with everyone, but most of all with young people and students.

Apparently, the idea for Bongo’s Bingo actually started out as a bit of a wacky joke between its co-founders, Jonny Bongo and Joshua Burke. However, this new reimagining for the game developed into an internationally eminent event.

At your average night of Bongo’s Bingo, you can expect several rounds of bingo, with rave intervals, dance-offs and lots of live music and crazy entertainment, which has sometimes even been known to feature celebrity guests. Essentially, Bongo’s is just bingo, but livened up a little with plenty of booze and good music.

The co-founders of the event have said that they believe a large proportion of Bongo’s success simply boils down to its quirkiness and wackiness, which has attracted a much younger audience than you might typically expect for a game of bingo.

Drag Bingo

Similarly, Drag Bingo has become a huge success. Again, this version of bingo puts a modern twist on a more traditional game, helping to attract a younger audience. Drag Bingo actually first found its roots in Seattle in the 1990s, dreamed up by Judy Werle. Now in 2020, Drag Bingo events can be found in most of the UK’s big cities.

Often a lot of the proceeds to go charities, typically LGBTQ+ charities but sometimes other charities also, and the rounds of bingo are led by a fabulous team of Drag Queens, making the evening feel extra glamourous and great fun. As with Bongo’s Bingo, there’s typically a lot of booze involved too, and overall it’s just a really great night out and a version of bingo that many young people love.

Boozy Bingo Brunches

It’s a little bit of a stereotype, but millennials do tend to love going out for brunch, and many restaurants have now stepped this up a little further, by introducing bingo brunch events onto the scene, of course involving lots of alcoholic morning beverages and a delicious selection of your favourite breakfast foods. This is a brilliant way of getting any morning larks into the game, and just a further example of how the UK bingo industry is evolving into something even more fun and exciting.

If you haven’t already got involved in bingo, then now is definitely the time. There are so many brilliant versions of the game out there to enjoy, from the old classic versions, to crazy new reimaginings, to great online sites for when you fancy a quiet and cozy evening or weekend in.