Bingo is an old-school classic, with hundreds of years of history behind it and was once one of the most popular games around. But in recent years, bingo has suffered a little bit of a setback. 

In Britain, for example, the staple of evening entertainment, bingo halls, have closed at record rates. With the smoking ban in 2007, the infamous lockdowns, soaring inflation and the cost of living crisis, many analysts speculated that this was the final nail in the coffin.  

But is bingo really dead? No, the opposite is perhaps true. We may be in the midst of a real revival of the classic game. Most of that can be attributed to the rise of online bingo.

The Online Comeback 

Experts saw the closing of bingo halls as an obvious death knell to the industry. But they didn’t take one important aspect into account: online casinos. 

With a rising user base, high levels of investment, and wider access to a high-speed internet connection, the scene was already set. In 2023, bingo is one of the biggest draws for online operators. 

Bingo is exploding everywhere, not just in the countries where bingo has an established fan base (like in Britain or the USA, for example). It’s become part of the standard casino lineup, sitting alongside classics like roulette and blackjack. 

Here’s one case study highlighting the game’s universal popularity: you can play bingo at SkyCity, an online operator based in New Zealand, that also happens to be the premiere entertainment group for land-based establishments all around the country (and across the pond, in Australia). SkyCity Casino has a wide-ranging online offering, including all of the most popular casino games, the newest and flashiest slots, poker, baccarat, you name it. But of course, there’s always room for bingo, and it has recently taken its place on their platform along those many other casino staples.

The History of Bingo 

Let’s rewind the tape a little bit and explore the history of the game, especially for those who may not be aware of Bingo’s storied history. Despite the game’s long-standing place in gambling, it got mightly close to its demise. 

You know that pasta and gelato are Italian, pretty obvious. But did you know that bingo also originated in the Bel Paese? The exact history is a little iffy, as it is with most origin stories, but most believe the game originated somewhere in 16th-century Italy. 

Part of the original Il Gioco del Lotto d'Italia (aka the Italian lottery), it would go on to spread all over Europe. It eventually got to the United Kingdom, where it really established itself. Bingo is basically as British as fish and chips. 

In the UK, bingo halls became a staple of British society. Pretty much everyone had a family member who would frequent these halls on an almost daily basis. It went beyond the actual game itself, as bingo halls became the centre of many communities throughout Britain. 

In fact, bingo halls were so popular that new ones would celebrate their grand openings every year until 2005. You even had movie theatres that would shut in order to be converted into a brand-new bingo hall. If you can beat a Tom Cruise movie at the box office, you know you have a winner.

Bingo: The Collapse? 

Bingo seemed to be an unstoppable force. Yet by 2014, the game was hanging on to its last vestiges of popularity. People were leaving the game in droves, with 75% of old-school bingo halls closing up shop. 

The first signal that bingo halls had their days numbered had nothing to do with the actual game itself. Instead, it was taxation, at least for the Brits. In 2013, the UK had a 20% levy on bingo, which made the game unprofitable. Just think about this: for placing a bet on football, bookies had to pay 5% less tax. 

But ultimately, bingo’s downfall also had a lot to do with the ups and downs of consumer choices. Trends, when it comes down to it. Bingo halls were huge, but primarily with a very specific demographic (basically, the older crowd!). 

The Resurgence 

Before bingo found its true resurgence with online operators, the game still needed a little kickstart to get going. Bingo has become a trendy thing to do. For example, in London, you can visit reimagined bingo halls that are nothing like what you had in the 90s. Some of the newest establishments offer a range of refreshments in a hipster-esque setting, with great food, and other forms of entertainment to support the main draw, bingo. 

Online operators quickly realized that bingo still has plenty to offer and that if you reformat the game, and present it properly, people will still flock to play it. The game is still just as fun as it was 100 years ago, people just need to be given that little nudge to get started. 

In 2023 and beyond, expect bingo to get even bigger. We may not get a comeback of a bingo hall on every street corner as it happened in the UK, but you can be pretty sure that it will be a mainstay for online casinos for years to come.

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