All about Bingo in the UK

Bingo has been around for a long time, its roots can be traced back all the way to the 16th century in Italy. Since then, the game has increased massively in popularity across the globe – it reached large success in the 1960s in the UK and ever since we’ve seen Bingo halls popping up in our towns and cities.

At the time, there wasn’t much for families to be doing on a Saturday night or evening, with no internet for browsing and television wasn’t easily accessible – certainly not very entertaining. The Bingo hall was the only place where you could drink, socialise with friends and attempt to win a little extra money – naturally, people tended to flock there. The Bingo hall exploded in popularity, with big brands opening multiple bingo halls across the country, they could link together to create a large jackpot of winnings, making them even more popular with the public.

One of the best things about Bingo halls at the time, was that it was a family venture. Children could go to the Bingo hall, so women and men could attend, although the children were strictly forbidden to take part – a lot of the current Bingo hall goers will have fond memories of their childhood at a Bingo hall.

Since the boom of Bingo halls, the internet has been introduced and you can now play bingo online at places like Paddy Power Bingo. This development has instantly created a second boom for Bingo, with online Bingo a lot more accessible and convenient. Although Bingo halls are slowly declining in popularity, most companies also have online sites as well as brick-and-mortar Bingo halls.

Online bingo is revolutionary for the game, it has led to many more companies opening their online doors as well as other benefits for gamblers. You can access online bingo sites 24-hours a day, seven days a week – something that wasn’t possible with a brick-and-mortar Bingo hall. Online bingo also has the ability to offer a higher sum of jackpot money; at a bingo hall you could win a few hundred pounds for a full-house, but now with online sites, a progressive jackpot is much easier to keep track of and payout for. Some progressive jackpots can reach extortionate amounts of money, meaning that when it’s time to payout, it’s an electronic transfer – it’s not such a great idea for a Bingo hall to try and keep hundreds of thousands of pound on site on the off chance someone wins that jackpot.

The future of Bingo very much rests online, unfortunately Bingo halls will never see the same level of interest that they used to – mainly because if you can win money in the comfort of your home, why wouldn’t you? But also, because the entire high street is slowly shifting online, having everything at your fingertips, whether that be via laptop or phone, is a priority – and owning a domain is cheaper than the rent on a high street.

That being said, we don’t think the Bingo hall will ever totally disappear, there’s just something about attending them that’s nostalgic and fun. Heading there with a group of friends for fun, drinks and a chance to win money is just an experience that needs to be had. In addition to that, there’s nothing better than having a giggle at all the funny Bingo calls that are shouted! If you’re after a big prize pot and wanting to win big money, head online – if you’re looking for the authentic fun Bingo experience, head to your nearest Bingo hall!