Thursday 22nd of April 2010
The history of bingo
Bingo has come an awful long way. Back in 1929, American toy salesman Edward S Lowe could not have imagined how popular his new game would become after he tested it out on a few close friends in New York.
The innovative numbers game quickly spread across the US, aided by strong ties with church fundraising, before going on to conquer Europe for good measure. Nowadays, of course, there are literally hundreds of UK bingo clubs spreading the word. Buckingham Bingo alone operates no fewer than nine bingo clubs, including major branches in Trafford, Bootle, Peterlee, Preston and Corby.
UK online bingo a new frontier
Without any shadow of a doubt, bingo has made it in the UK. However, what many die-hard players dont realise is that we are right in the middle of a new kind of gaming revolution. UK online bingo is an exciting new frontier that has only recently begun attracting a sizeable audience.
The proof of this is in the numbers. Believe it or not, there were only 17 UK online bingo operators in 2004, according to figures from a leading games comparison site. Fast forward to 2009 and there are a staggering 297. Online bingo is clearly a force to be reckoned with.
Understanding the online bingo phenomenon
But how have we ended up with more than 17 times as many UK online bingo sites?
Of course, there have been several decisive moments along the way. In 2006, after years of focusing on the US version, software developers finally started releasing quality programs based on the 90-ball game loved by discerning UK players. In 2007, the introduction of smoking bans across the UK prompted many gamers to reach for their computers. And in 2009, UK online bingo operators became household names after investing huge sums of money on high-profile advertising campaigns.
However, the simple truth is there was no single moment when online bingo entered the mainstream. Instead, the explosive rise can largely be attributed to word of mouth as players tell their friends about the incredible experiences theyve had on UK online bingo sites like Bucky Bingo.
