Friday 5th of February 2010
New start for old bingo books
The humble bingo book could be about to get a whole new lease of life.
For years, bingo clubs have been hampered in their efforts to give players more stylish tickets by a lack of printing options.
This is one of the main reasons why so many UK bingo books conform to a standardised format with a limited range of colours.
However, all that could be about to change after the unveiling of what its owners say is the country's first full-colour variable high-speed digital press.
Third-generation bingo books
Sunderland-based printer edwardthompson has invested £1 million in the technology, paving the way for "third-generation bingo tickets" that can use all the colours of the rainbow.
And these stylish designs could soon be winging their way to a club near year because the firm claims to supply 60 per cent of all UK bingo books.
Paddy Cronin, managing director of edwardthompson, said: "As market leaders in a challenging market, we understand we have to invest in innovation and that's what we have done with third-generation bingo.
"We have developed a bingo book product where the only limitations are the bounds of your imagination."
UK bingo books for Haiti
Interestingly, edwardthompson has already taken several high-profile orders from major bingo club operators.
Last month, for example, the company was able to print some full-colour tickets just 18 hours after a formal request was submitted.
This rapid turnaround time gave players the chance to use custom-designed bingo books in a special gaming session to raise money for the earthquake relief effort in Haiti.
