You don’t need to be an expert
on gaming, or even a dedicated gamer to know that the internet changed things,
it changed how we play games, it gave game developers a lot more options and
opportunities when it comes to game development, in a nutshell, it changed
everything.
We’re not saying that there were no exciting video
games before the age of the internet, there were many, including some all-time
classics like Super Mario Bros, Popeye, Duck Hunt and more. Many of these games
had sequels that were released years later.
Video games vs Conventional games
A
typical distinction between conventional and video games was made in the older
days, and typically, video games were played by the younger generations,
whereas older folks were more into games like chess, checkers and the game that
is the focus of this article – bingo.
Firstly, let’s go
through the history of this game and how it became popular, at least briefly.
Bingo and lotto have the same ancestor, a game that was popular in 16th century
Italy. It wasn’t until the late 18th century that this game made its way
to the English-speaking world where it became known as bingo.
90-ball and 75-ball
bingo
There are two main most popular variants of bingo –
75-ball bingo and 90-ball bingo. The former is the most played version in the
US, whereas 90-ball bingo is major on the other side of the Atlantic, in the
UK. Both versions are classics, but generally, 75-ball bingo is considered to
be a lot more dynamic variant where there are multiple options regarding
winning combinations and prizes. 90-ball bingo, on the other hand has three
possible winning combinations – a single line, two lines and full
house.
Land-based bingo
halls
Players would get at their local bingo hall at the time
when a game was scheduled, and they would try their luck while having a
friendly conversation with their friends or neighbours. Let’s take the
example of the UK, a country where bingo is immensely popular and has been
since the end of the WWII, but especially after the 1960 Betting and Gaming Act
was passed and the status of bingo was regulated.
At one point, the
number of bingo halls in the UK reached 700, but currently, that number is
halved, i.e. there are only about 350 bingo halls in Britain. However, that
should not be considered an indication of a decline of the game’s
popularity, as we hinted in the title, the internet saved bingo.
Popularisation of online
bingo
The trend of closure of conventional bingo halls began at
the same time as the popularisation of
online bingo games.
Still, one should not conclude that online bingo killed bingo, the opposite is
actually the case, it caused the revival of a once mega-popular game which was
slowly becoming old-fashioned. Namely, bingo was primarily popular with older
folks and it was quite uncommon to see many people younger than 50 at bingo
halls throughout the UK. It looked like bingo was going to die together with
the last generation that found it interesting. However, it turns out that bingo
is here to stay, as
Brits
rediscovered their love of bingo.
When the first online bingo sites
appeared, people were sceptical for two reasons. Firstly, as we mentioned,
bingo was primarily popular with older folks, and they weren’t exactly
keen to get hooked on the internet, at least in the early days. So, there was a
legitimate worry that older folks won’t be exactly rushing to online bingo
sites to play their favourite game. Everybody thought that they would stick to
their local bingo halls.
For the young and the old
On the other hand, it
was also not expected that younger folks would suddenly become interested in
bingo. So, weirdly enough, it seemed that online bingo was a lost cause, as
there wasn’t a target audience that’s large enough to justify its
existence.
Both of the raised issues that we mentioned above turned out
to be non-issues, i.e. the exact opposite was the case. Not only did older
folks get used to the internet and everything that comes with it, but also
online bingo managed to hook younger folks on bingo as well. If you visit an
online bingo site and play bingo at one of the rooms, you will see that the
average age is a lot lower compared to the average age range at a conventional
bingo hall. |
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