Bingo has seen a bit of a glow up over recent years. Gone are the images of old dears hunched over a piece of white card whilst a man commands the room as masterfully as Caesar did the Roman legions, calling out random numbers from a rotating cage amid the backdrop of a civic centre whose only other use is the weekly Scouts meeting. Replacing these sepia-drenched images are the arenas and music venues, ordinarily the home of boxing matches and rock bands, filled with millennials and gen Z-ers, drinking and dancing whilst they play… bingo.
Yes, bingo is now the refuge of the young and the cool. In recent years, bingo nights have skyrocketed in popularity, offering a retro night out where the drinks are cheap such as Bongo’s in London , and the atmosphere is thick with anticipation, audience participation and dance music. It’s as though bingo went to Ibiza!
It’s little surprise that the popularity of bingo has risen so much. With a night scene of clubs and pubs with drinks that have price tags so high you could use the water from your eyes to water down the drinks, the gap in the market for novelty nights on a budget has been gaping.
The Endless Appeal of the Group Game
More than anything, what people seem to cry out for in leisure pursuits is a sense of community. In today’s world, it makes sense that something like bingo would be popular. The event necessitates a big group, making it perfect for celebrations like birthdays or hen dos, as well as work nights out.
Bingo as a game has also grown in popularity massively thanks to the rise of online bingo, helped by generous welcome offers offering a bingo bonus to get you started. Jump into any bingo game, and you’ll see thousands of names in the lobby, everyone chatting away as though they were in the bingo hall sat right next to each other. The sheer variety of bingo rooms means customers are able to join any game of their preference, resulting in a huge and dedicated online following.
The Fundamentals of Fun
Most importantly, the bingo night is a place where fun is not optional. You have to enjoy it. You have to buy into the camp spirit of it. It is an arena where casual chit-chat is encouraged. Being focused on a game for a couple of hours with your friends and your favourite tipple in your hand gives you the freedom, the satisfaction and the escapism, which is something that few other types of nights out can offer.
The atmosphere of the bingo night out goes hand in hand with other traditional activities being reinvented for modern audiences. From extreme crazy golf to ballpits with trampolines, there seems to be more of an innocent, whimsical flair coming lining up the nighttime streets. It makes sense for bingo to find itself in similar company, especially if you’re ready to embrace a bit of silliness, too.
