From the Halls to the Phone: The Rise of Online Bingo
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✅ There are more than 10,000 bingo halls around the world
✅ Approximately 100 million people play online bingo
✅ 3.5 million of these players are in the UK — making it the most popular country for playing bingo
Bingo goes all the way back to Italy, 1530. The game itself spawned from the Italian lottery (Il Gioco del Lotto d'Italia) and quickly began spreading to France and the rest of Europe once it started to catch on. Then, in the 1800s and 1900s, bingo halls started popping up everywhere. For example, following the Betting and Gaming Act 1960, bingo halls officially became legal in the UK, which led to hundreds of bingo halls being created throughout the country. And because bingo is an especially social game, these bingo halls attracted lots of people, such as big friend groups from local communities. Going to your local bingo hall was something you’d look forward to every week. Here, you’d be able to socialize with friends, have a great time, and (potentially) win some money. Really, it was something special — and it’s still the case today.
Despite Bingo being around for hundreds of years, it’s still incredibly popular, even though countless new gambling games have been created since. However, traditional bingo halls have seen a slight dip in popularity due to the fact that bingo is now available on several sweeps casino sites and online gambling apps. In a nutshell, people would rather play online bingo than travel to their local bingo halls, which makes perfect sense.
The first ever bingo site was named Bingo Zone, which hit the internet in the USA back in 1996. It had several thousand players but wasn’t that big, as the internet was still in its infancy. However, what Bingo Zone did do was pave the way for the online bingo explosion that was soon to follow.
By the time 2000 came around, there were more than 20 online bingo sites. The number of bingo sites has been increasing rapidly since then, with the smartphone revolution being a big driver behind this. What you see now is a lot of mobile bingo sites and apps that are designed for both young and old audiences looking to play bingo on-the-go instead of being glued to their PCs. And although the exact number isn’t known, it’s believed there are 400+ bingo sites available as of 2024, which shows you how huge it has become.
How to Play Online Bingo
If you want to play online bingo, you’ll be happy to know it’s super easy.
These are the steps you need to follow:
➡️ Create an account with an online bingo site and verify your identity
➡️ Choose your preferred online bingo game (e.g. 80-ball Bingo or 30-ball Bingo)
➡️ Enter the lobby and start playing!
When you play online bingo, any numbers on your card that get called out will be automatically marked off on your screen. This way, you don’t have to worry about doing it yourself like you normally would in a traditional bingo hall.
Remember, you must be above the legal gambling age to play bingo online. In most countries, this is either 18 or 21, so make sure to check before trying to join your chosen bingo site.
The Future of Online Bingo
Because online bingo has countless benefits, such as allowing you to play bingo on-the-go from any location, it’s going to continue rising in popularity and compete with other popular mobile games. The best thing about this is that (even though it's online) you can still play online bingo games with your friends and chat to them there, so there’s still the “social element” that people have come to know and love.
