In the 1960s, countries such as the United Kingdom witnessed a boom in their gambling industry when hundreds of bingo halls opened across the country. The game, which has origins dating to the 16th century in Italy, is said to have migrated to Great Britain in the 18th century and was formerly known in the UK as “Housey-Housey.” Despite some land-based bingo halls witnessing a decline in revenue since 2005, the game’s popularity is still alive and well in countries like England and Ireland.
Even with dozens of options, bingo is one of the most popular online casino games in the UK, which has a flourishing iGaming sector. For instance, according to reports, the gross gambling yield in Great Britain in 2019 was £14.12 million.
Bingo Wins Every Time
One of the main reasons behind the popularity of online bingo is the sheer number of variations of the game that are available to play in the UK. For instance, when someone plays bingo online, they will see everything from traditional games like 90 and 75-ball bingo to jackpot bingo games, which offer huge prizes to the winners, and Slingo games. Slingo is the newest type of online bingo game that fuses elements of bingo with video slots.
These online bingo games are also popular because they use elements from popular culture to create relevant content, such as the Deal or No Deal bingo game, based on the game show TV franchise of the same name that aired in the UK between 2005 and 2016. Interestingly, this is a business tactic that casino operators have applied to other casino games like slots since people can play slot games based on movies and TV show franchises like Top Gun and The Walking Dead. These branded casino games make people feel an element of recognisability, even if they’ve never played before
Additionally, online bingo is popular in the UK because casino operators offer bonuses attached to these games, such as bonuses rewarding players with free tickets to bingo cash games. That said, online bingo may be popular because bingo has always been popular. Tradition and history are very important in the UK, as demonstrated by the recent celebrations for Queen’s Jubilee.
This is also why online sports betting is popular on online casinos with attached sportsbooks, especially wagering on horse racing and football. Horse racing and football betting have been popular in the country for decades. For perspective, horse racing gambling began in the UK in the early 1900s, and by the 1920s, greyhound racing and football pools were introduced.
Online gambling has become the norm, but that is not to say land-based casinos and betting shops in the UK are not popular anymore. They are, and there are several extravagant casinos worth visiting in London alone. The difference is that people are starting to vary their leisure time. Regardless of the many entertainment options, certain games will remain popular in the UK, and that most certainly includes bingo.