National Bingo Day arrives in the UK for the first time ever

The fact bingo is now officially recognised is testament to the way in which the game is adored by society. Online bingo is deeply rooted in its social nature since its introduction in the mid-1990s, and today it’s thriving as it continues to evolve and become more immersive.

Online bingo’s beginning

Despite being seen as a classic game, online bingo has undergone plenty of innovations to now include 75-ball, 80-ball and 90-ball games. Each has its own attractions and unique variants that revolve around jackpots, game designs, speed of play and personalised user interfaces. The advent of online bingo not only pressed the accelerator on innovation, but brought the game to a tech-savvy and younger player demographic. Bingo resonates with a wide range of age groups for both men and women.

Fun and community

The underlying appeal of bingo is its social and fun nature. Online bingo rooms serve as a mechanism to connect and socialise with other players while playing. It’s a great way for them to feel and be part of a like-minded community. This experience grew in importance when the world turned upside down with the Covid-19 pandemic.

The vast majority of online bingo rooms are carefully moderated by chat hosts to create a space for communication and safe interaction. Players are constantly chatting to one another about their favourite TV shows, sporting events, the Eurovision contest; all while the auto daub is marking the numbers on your bingo ticket. This connection was often the only means of social interaction given the lockdown endured and it’s added momentum to the growth of online bingo.

Bingo’s accessibility

Over the years, online bingo platforms have become very well adapted to mobile and tablets. That means players have access to their favourite bingo game pretty much from anywhere and at any time. Online migration has removed the need to book a seat or check for availability. Games can run all day and all night, so those with family responsibilities or tricky shift hours can still enjoy their game at a convenient time. A little more than half our players have been using mobile devices to play bingo and the industry is only heading further down this path.

Convenience brings choices in terms of the game speed and cost, with online bingo playing much faster and usually at a lower price. This is evident in the heavy use of  the ‘pre-buy’ function on online bingo platforms, where players can buy tickets for the game they want well in advance to the scheduled game start time.

Bingo’s future

When society fully opens up again, it’s going to be interesting to see whether the traditional offline players move away from online gaming. Our own data suggests not, and the online numbers remain impressive. A big part of that is thanks to the hard work the team has done on creating safe and social environments for players to enjoy gaming.

Player safety is paramount and the industry is undergoing a transformative period with the Gambling Act 2005 review. There is optimism that the review offers an opportunity for greater player protection, uniformity in policies across operators and balanced measures that do not encourage players to try illegal or unlicensed gambling.

Innovation within online bingo will gather pace as operators follow guidelines on game design, changing player demographics and continued growth in the mobile and tablet space. It is important marketers look beyond bonus offers to try to welcome new players and focus on innovative ways to encourage customer loyalty and reduce churn.

Luv Prakash is director of marketing and BI at Broadway Gaming, operator of one of the largest UK bingo networks. He offers unique in-depth analysis and oversight to the marketing and product functions. Prakash has a Master’s degree in international business from UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School. He is also a member of the Advertising and Marketing Committee, Betting and Gaming Council.