The Death of the Bingo Hall
Oct 21, 2016 10:25
The rise of the Internet has meant that a lot of industries have had to adapt and either go online or go bust. Bingo is no different. What was once considered a social occasion is being replaced with playing online bingo on a tablet or smartphone while watching TV. Does this shift spell the end for the traditional bingo hall?
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There are still bingo halls around, but not as many as before. There was a time when the bright lights would stand out from a distance and catch the eye of any passerby. In 2016 though, we have an app for everything and that includes online bingo. No longer being tied to a location means that people can enjoy a game bingo whenever they want. They don’t need to catch a bus into town first, they can just chillout on the sofa with a glass of wine and enjoy.
Just because bingo has moved from the hall to the comfort of your own home, doesn’t mean the prizes are any less substantial. In fact because bingo can now have a bigger audience, because it can accessed by anybody, means the prizes can be bigger and better than ever. An example of an online bingo hall is Coral and they offer the chance to win some big bingo prizes.
That isn’t to say all physical bingo halls are gone. Mecca Bingo is still hanging in there, but they have also developed an online bingo presence. Without establishing themselves on the Internet they could never have survived. Having a dual presence is definitely a benefit for Mecca, but I don’t think it will be very long before they start to phase out their physical bingo halls in favour for online bingo. However, that isn’t to say bingo halls couldn’t do more to entice new players. Throwing special themed events might get people to come especially it is around the latest TV and film releases. They could offer additional incentives and buy one get one free games. They could even as prizes on their websites or apps offer free games at a real world bingo hall as part of winning or signing up.
One argument for keeping real world bingo is the social aspect. Having a night out at the bingo was and still is for many a great way to spend an evening with some friends, but with the decline of halls and rise of online bingo this is becoming less possible. There are other ways to socialise though without needing bingo.
There is obviously still a demand for bingo halls with petitions being signed trying keep them around and the few halls remaining still being used, but how long can that last? Will we end up having an off-line revolution and go back to the bingo buildings that were so popular or will we see them disappear and only be found on the Internet? We’ll just have to see whose number comes up.
image via
There are still bingo halls around, but not as many as before. There was a time when the bright lights would stand out from a distance and catch the eye of any passerby. In 2016 though, we have an app for everything and that includes online bingo. No longer being tied to a location means that people can enjoy a game bingo whenever they want. They don’t need to catch a bus into town first, they can just chillout on the sofa with a glass of wine and enjoy.
Just because bingo has moved from the hall to the comfort of your own home, doesn’t mean the prizes are any less substantial. In fact because bingo can now have a bigger audience, because it can accessed by anybody, means the prizes can be bigger and better than ever. An example of an online bingo hall is Coral and they offer the chance to win some big bingo prizes.
That isn’t to say all physical bingo halls are gone. Mecca Bingo is still hanging in there, but they have also developed an online bingo presence. Without establishing themselves on the Internet they could never have survived. Having a dual presence is definitely a benefit for Mecca, but I don’t think it will be very long before they start to phase out their physical bingo halls in favour for online bingo. However, that isn’t to say bingo halls couldn’t do more to entice new players. Throwing special themed events might get people to come especially it is around the latest TV and film releases. They could offer additional incentives and buy one get one free games. They could even as prizes on their websites or apps offer free games at a real world bingo hall as part of winning or signing up.
One argument for keeping real world bingo is the social aspect. Having a night out at the bingo was and still is for many a great way to spend an evening with some friends, but with the decline of halls and rise of online bingo this is becoming less possible. There are other ways to socialise though without needing bingo.
There is obviously still a demand for bingo halls with petitions being signed trying keep them around and the few halls remaining still being used, but how long can that last? Will we end up having an off-line revolution and go back to the bingo buildings that were so popular or will we see them disappear and only be found on the Internet? We’ll just have to see whose number comes up.
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