Cultural hits often follow a discernible pattern when it comes to mainstream visibility.
At first, there is a breakout hit. Eventually, people become jaded, often through their attempts to appear at the bleeding edge of social coolness, and this trend dies out. The final stage is the revival of these trends and their adoption into the current social climate. Eventually, people grow weary of the sighs of the ironically detached and instead go back to enjoying what made hits so popular in the first place.
This is the exact situation that bingo has been enjoying recently, as it again finds its way back into the limelight in new, exciting, and often unpredictable ways. Liverpool’s own Bongo’s Bingo entered onto the scene in 2016, and with many events throughout March and most of April already sold out, this cultural phenomenon isn’t showing any sign of slowing down. So, what is it exactly?
What is it about Bongo’s Bingo?
Bongo’s Bingo is rare in that its primary concern is the active party crowd, which is utterly disinterested with the classic sensibilities for which bingo is so often known. While traditional bingo is also seeing a significant resurgence recently, both online and in person, Bongo’s is one of the most progressive forms in its targeting of a new market.
While the social and casual gaming aspects of bingo have remained appealing to many of us who seek that form of night or day excursion, Bongo’s Bingo takes these and adapts it to the active and loud world of raves and parties. This includes the music, drinks, and dancing that have been a staple of clubs for years, working around bingo as a basis.
Indeed, Bongo’s Bingo isn’t the first to do this, with bar bingo being a popular informal variant that can be played between friends on a night out. The premise of this version is to use words that describe different things that you’d see on a night out instead of numbers and cross off any that you see as you go. For those looking for something even more lively again, Bongo’s Bingo certainly seems like the way to go.
Bongo’s Bingo isn’t just a claim or a weakly attempted form of evolution either, as these events have routinely booked A-list musical stars such as Fuse ODG, Fatman Scoop, and Kelis. This still includes prizes, of course, with cash, drinks, enormous and gaudy soft-toys, and even the highly sought-after life-sized cut-outs of Bruce Forsyth up for grabs.
Speaking of bingo…
While we’re all somewhat familiar with classic bingo, with many of us having played it at some point or another in our school or personal lives, it might surprise you to know just how many different forms of the game now exist. It makes sense given the age of bingo, as discussed by ThoughtCo, but it should be stated that there are many different variants of the game out there for avid players to learn if they want to find their own personal favourite.
The most relatable way in which these games differ from each other on the strictly gaming level is in the number of bingo balls used in the draw. With 75-ball bingo as the worldwide standard, this form serves as the base to which many users will compare other versions.
Bingo cards in the 75-ball version come with 24 marked squares in a 5×5 layout, while the centre square is left blank as a wild. Lines here can be completed vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, though differing lines for local and regional variations are still common.
90-ball bingo is the second most common version of this game, and like 75-ball, it’s played all over the globe. Slightly different than other forms, 90-ball is played in three stages, rather than a single continuous round.
Cards here contain 15 numbers, with 5 shown in each of the card’s 3 rows. The winner of the first round of this game is the player who marks off a single line. The winner of the second round comes from the person who manages to fill out two lines, and the third-round winner is the first to complete their entire card.
There is another main version, however, created especially for the online world, in 80-ball bingo. This game comes with a 4×4 card with no blank spaces, leaving 16 marked numbers in total.
What sets this game apart, aside from the obvious, is the fact that 4 corners are used as a possible bingo, as is collecting every single number.
Different markets, but not necessarily different players
With such a wide variety of different bingo games on offer, it’s only natural that different forms will appeal to different players. While the base game remains familiar and appealing to many players, it is the surrounding atmosphere and the bonuses and prizes up for grabs that informs each player’s version of choice.
Brick-and-mortar establishments will naturally lean more on the social aspect of the game. This quite often means that winning isn’t as important for many players, with the environment being the general draw. This is why the prizes here are often less serious, as the previously mentioned Bruce Forsyth and soft-toy unicorns won from Bongo’s would illustrate.
Online versions go the opposite direction, abandoning the social aspect in favour of a more targeted gaming experience. This attracts more serious players, both in terms of potential financial reward and inviting entry bonuses. Some of these can easily offer prizes exceeding £1,000, making this the much more desirable option for serious punters.
What makes bingo unique in this regard is its ability to appeal to such a wide audience, as discussed in an article by the BBC. Those who enjoy the social aspects of the game are not necessarily going to be different from those who play for keeps. While separation between these two pursuits does exist, it is not nearly as pronounced as it is with other heavily social games.
With momentum still gaining in both the physical and digital space, the future of bingo is brighter than it has been in quite some time. Whatever players want from their social or gaming experiences, bingo seems to be making strides to offer something that will appeal to all. As the likes of Bongo’s Bingo push the envelope into forms we frankly could not have seen coming, we have to wonder which avenues are left to yet explore.