Bingo In The UK
Bingo is one game that attracts more women than men and 10% of the female population, versus 8% of the male population play the game religiously. Bingo is also big money maker in the UK. The industry churns out GBP 1.1 billion in revenue per year and employs tens of thousands of people. The British government clearly benefits greatly from the millions of pounds in taxes generated by the National Bingo Game.
Bingo arrived in the United Kingdom in the 1960s with the passing of the UK Gambling Act. During this decade, following the introduction of TV into the leisure lives of Britons, a major shift in entertainment culture occurred - for the first time in decades, people preferred to stay at home and watch telly than go out to the dance halls and cinemas. The once-packed dance halls stood empty and in a clever move, it was suggested that they should be transformed into bingo halls. People began pouring into these ex-dance halls to have a night out on the town and play bingo. By the 1980s there were not enough dance halls to be filled and custom-made luxury gaming halls were bingo constructed around the country.
Bingo used to be associated with a church charity event, but the past few decades have changed this image in the UK. Bingo is the most popular leisure activity in the country and people in their 20s and 30s are responsible for this change in image – they simply love the game and play it just as religiously at the old folk!
Online bingo is just as popular as the land-based version for different reasons. Some people still prefer to frequent a bingo hall and socialise with their friends, while others love to stay in the pyjamas and play bingo from the comforts of their home. The social aspect of bingo can still be experienced in the online form due to recent additions such as the chat feature, allowing plays to communicate with each other.
The Gambling Act that comes into affect in August 2007 may change the gambling culture in the UK, but most analysts believe that these changes will only be for the better. The industry is moving towards regulation, but will be more established and better controlled. It is clear, however, that the law will not change the reality that Britons love to play bingo, and will continue doing so for many years to come.
