Why bingo is for everyone

IF YOU thought bingo was only for those with a blue- rinse and a fondness of lemon squash you’d be mistaken.

The stereotype of this humble game being only for the oldies misses the mark as technology continues to lure younger players to the ring, bringing the game back to life.

Bingo Sales Group chairman Dennis Lever said the game had had its ups and downs in history, and right now we were riding another wave of popularity.

They used to draw the numbers out of a barrel, but in the 80s- 90s it morphed into electronic number generation systems — Dennis Lever

“Then in the last 10 years it has morphed even further and now we’ve got handheld tablets and fancy graphics which has improved the game.

“The tablets have attracted younger people but the older ones have taken to the tablets like you wouldn’t believe – they’re right into it!”

So just where did this game of numbers originate and how did it get into our pubs and clubs?

“It goes back to the middle ages where they used to play in a casual environment; you’d see people sitting around with dogs and chickens in the background using pieces of corn to mark off their numbers,” Mr Lever said.

“I know that because we had a painting of it in our office.”

The game got a second wind during the Second World War when the armed forces played it under the name of ‘ Tombola’.

“Then there was a much bigger revival in the UK when all the picture theatres went broke in the 1950s,” Mr Lever said.

“They took bingo into the theatres because they weren’t being used for movies.

“That’s the sort of bingo we have evolved from here in Australia.”

Initially bingo was played illegally in amusement tents before it was legalised in Queensland in 1972 and made its way into the community events calendar.

Now bingo is mostly played in licensed clubs across the nation.

“They’ve got the right facilities – community halls can be old and cold - and this way there’s a restaurant and bar and whatever the players need,” Mr Lever said.

Just where bingo is heading, Mr Lever’s guess was as good as yours, but he did say there was a misconception about the game which needed to be rectified.

“They don’t realise it’s held in really nice environments, it’s a safe place, you can’t lose too much money and you have a very good chance at winning something.”

Bingo is commonly used for fundraising events in local communities, giving back to sporting and charitable bodies.

About 4% of the Australian population play bingo, but Mr Lever hopes the integration of technology and great prizes on offer today would boost that up to 10% in the near future.

“Bingo is a survivor; it’s not going anywhere,” he said.