For generations, the pier and seafront have hosted a variety of traditional games, but in more recent times they’ve become tired as youngsters look to the likes of the PlayStation and electronic gaming to get their thrills.
As bingo halls and amusement arcades closed, it was unlikely they’d ever return, as the death of bingo and the 2p machines seemed to take hold. However, rising like the phoenix, bingo seems to have taken on another life and it’s starting to get big once again.
Yes, bingo is back and being played all over the country. That could be positive news for the British seaside, with it as symbolic to resorts as donkey rides and fish and chips are.
Interestingly, it’s resurrection is largely thanks to online play, with online casinos and bingo going hand-in-hand and taking on a new lease of life.
Sites such as Bet and Skill Casino are being inventive in the games offered, with quick play games and new exciting variants appealing to a younger generation of players.
That’s being advanced further by technology developing at a pace, giving players more realistic experiences, which is then encouraging them to go and play in the ‘real-life’ bingo halls and casinos up and down the country.
Offline, the rise of bingo is also being helped by the exciting twists on the traditional format, all of which are appealing to a young student crowd.
Bogan Bingo is welcomed regularly to the Brighton Komedia which steps up the excitement considerably, with big 80s anthems, interesting prizes and the idea that you can make a real night out of the game.
That’s the same with other companies that are following a similar route across the country, with Bongo’s Bingo touring and a number of others too.
Of course, they’re a far cry from the game that once dominated sea fronts, but it’s clear that those inspired by the modern-day alternatives are getting a taste for the game and visiting their local bingo halls on a weeknight for a game.
Attendance is up in many halls across the UK, while online it’s as popular as it’s ever been with sites launching almost on a daily basis it seems.
It would have been a huge shame had we lost bingo to history, but it’s fair to say the game is back and long may it continue!
