Traditional “land based” bingo is facing an uncertain future. A huge rise in the amount of people now opting to play online bingo rather than going to their local bingo hall is starting to have a financial effect. Internet bingo now boasts 3 million players in the UK alone, a figure that is continuing to grow year by year.
Much of the problem revolves around the flexibility of playing bingo online. Players can choose when and where they want to play, fitting it around their other commitments in their spare time. Another aspect is the pricing; online companies can provide gaming services like this for a fraction of the percentage a bingo hall can offer it. It is all of this, coupled with the speed of the whole process; the immediacy in which you can start playing bingo is something that almost all bingo halls simply cannot compete with.
It is factors like this that are resulting in dwindling numbers at bingo halls across the UK. There was a time where there had been an increasing number of younger people coming into the halls but they are beginning to be pulled away by internet bingo. It is true that the number of people (women mostly) between the ages of 20-25 playing has increased in recent years, but we want them playing real bingo, not virtual bingo.
We are definitely of the view that people will have much more fun playing bingo the traditional way. It’s a much more fulfilling experience on all fronts in comparison, and won that is in danger of being lost in the techno age.
The sad fact is that at the end of the day the internet is such a dominant resource in modern society it is impossible to break away from that. As we are becoming increasingly reliant and obsessed with this type of technology internet bingo is only going to grow and grow, bringing in a broader audience, branching out into the male demographic. It’ll have a strangle hold on that consumer market, which would most likely spell the end to traditional bingo altogether. So please get out there and support your local bingo hall and keep tradition alive!