Game of probability played in the United Kingdom
Bingo is a game of probability in which players mark off numbers on cards as the numbers are drawn randomly by a caller, the winner being the first person to mark off all their numbers. Bingo, previously known in the UK as Housey-Housey, became increasingly popular across the UK following the Betting and Gaming Act 1960 with more purpose-built bingo halls opened every year until 2005. Since 2005, bingo halls have seen a marked decline in revenues and the closure of many halls. The number of bingo clubs in Britain has dropped from nearly 600 in 2005 to under 400 as of January 2014. These closures are blamed on high taxes, the smoking ban, and the rise in online gambling, amongst other things.
Bingo played in the UK (90-ball bingo) is distinct from bingo played in the US (75-ball bingo), which has a square ticket layout and a different style of calling.
History.
The game itself, not originally called bingo, is thought to have had its roots in Italy in the 16th century, specifically, around 1530. Bingo originates from the Italian lottery, "Il Gioco del Lotto d'Italia". The game spread to France from Italy and was known as "Le Lotto", played by the French aristocracy. The game is then believed to have migrated to Great Britain and other parts of Europe in the 18th century. Players mark off numbers on a ticket as they are randomly called out in order to achieve a winning combination. The similar Tombola was used in nineteenth-century Germany as an educational tool to teach children multiplication tables, spelling, and even history.
The origins of the modern version of the game and its current name bingo are unclear. Early British slang records bingo as... "A customs officer's term, the triumphal cry employed on a successful search." But it definitely gained its initial popularity with the first modern version of the game appearing at carnivals and fairs in the 1920s and is attributed to Hugh J. Ward, who most probably took the name from pre-existing slang for marketing reasons. The modern bingo card design patent went to Edwin S. Lowe in 1942.
The introduction of the Betting and Gaming Act 1960 on 1 January 1961 saw large cash-prizes legalised and the launch of Mecca Bingo by Mecca Leisure Group, led by Eric Morley, who had a large chain of dancehalls and introduced bingo into 60 of them, including the Lyceum Ballroom. Circuit Management Association, who managed the cinemas and dancehalls of The Rank Organisation, was the other large operator at the time, including hosting bingo at their largest cinema, the Blackpool Odeon.
Description.
Bingo is a game of probability in which players mark off numbers on cards as the numbers are drawn randomly by a caller, the winner being the first person to mark off all their numbers.
Ticket.
A typical bingo ticket contains 27 spaces, arranged in nine columns by three rows. Each row contains five numbers and four blank spaces. Each column contains up to three numbers, which are arranged as follows, with some variation depending on bingo companies and/or where the game is played (e.g. hall, club or online):
Tickets are created as strips of 6, because this allows every number from 1 to 90 to appear across all six tickets. A player who buys a full "strip of six" is guaranteed to mark off a number every time a number is called.
Gameplay.
The game is presided over by a caller, whose job it is to call out the numbers and validate winning tickets. They will announce the prize or prizes for each game before starting. The caller will then usually say "Eyes down" to indicate that they are about to start. They then begin to call numbers as they are randomly selected, either by an electronic random number generator (RNG), by drawing counters from a bag or by using balls in a mechanical draw machine. Calling may take the format of simple repetition in the framework, "Both the fives, fifty five", or "Two and three, twenty three", but some numbers have special calls due to their significance. In some independent clubs, numbers ending in a zero are described as 'blind'. So for example, thirty would be called as 'three-o blind 30' The use of blind numbers is generally restricted to independent bingo clubs, as it is not common practice in either of the largest chains of bingo club operators, Gala and Mecca bingo.
As each number is called, players check to see if it appears on their tickets. If it does, they mark it off with a special marker called a "dabber" or "dauber", or simply cross it off with a pen or pencil, depending on the venue. When all the numbers required to win a prize have been marked off, the player shouts in order to attract the caller's attention. There are no formal rules as to what can be shouted, but most players will shout "yes" or "bingo". Some players may also choose to shout "line" or "house" depending on the prize, whilst others choose to shout "house" for any win (including a line or two lines), players may use any other call to attract the caller's attention (should they wish).
The different winning combinations are:
An official or member of staff will then come and check the claim:
There will often be an interval halfway through the game.
Electronic.
Most bingo clubs in the UK now offer electronic bingo. This allows players to purchase more than the standard 6 tickets per game, thus increasing their chances of winning. Customers purchase 'bingo packages', consisting of a certain number of tickets for each game, as well as extra flyers or special tickets such as National Bingo Game tickets. The electronic terminal on which the game is played automatically marks the numbers off the tickets when each number is called. It then orders the tickets so that the best tickets in play can be seen on the screen. This allows players to purchase a larger number of tickets than they would usually be able to handle from playing on paper. Of course, the cost of electronic bingo is proportionally higher than playing the standard 6 tickets. In order to encourage more customers to play electronic bingo, clubs usually sell "Electronic Bingo Packages" which effectively makes the cost of each ticket better value for money. For example, if a club was selling strips of 6 for £12 for a session, which corresponds to £2 per ticket, then they may sell an Electronic Bingo Package of 24 tickets for £36; £1.50 per ticket.
The electronic board on which the tickets are played are usually black touchscreen terminals, with screens slightly larger than DVD cases. Players who use these terminals are required to use their club membership to add credit to their club 'accounts' in order to purchase bingo tickets. When a player wins, they are still required to shout. After their claim is verified, the winnings are automatically deposited into the players bingo account. This means that the staff member who verifies their claim does not need to physically provide them with their cash winnings. The electronic boards now offer many features including Mechanised Cash Bingo, in which players can play up to four boards instead of the usual two, as well as a variety of slot games and other gambling-based amusements. Players can either add credit to their bingo accounts to play these games, or spend bingo winnings. As of 2009, some larger Gala Bingo clubs have been able to offer 'Wizard Terminals', which use exactly the same software as their clubs' touchpads, but have large upright screens which people play on, and are dedicated to one section of the club, often known as the 'Wizard Area'. In June 2012, Mecca Bingo introduced, for the first time, a similar section of electronic screens to its club in Catford, as part of trial to see if they should be introduced into other clubs across the chain.
Two of the largest bingo club operators in the UK (Mecca Bingo Ltd. (part of The Rank Group plc) and Gala Bingo (Gala Coral Group Ltd.)) offer electronic bingo in most of their clubs. Electronic bingo has become more and more popular in the UK in recent years.
Mechanised cash.
Mechanised cash bingo, also known as electronic bingo, is a variant of traditional paper bingo that utilizes electronic boards and automated systems for gameplay. Unlike paper bingo, which is played on physical cards with daubers, mechanised cash bingo uses electronic boards with a 4x4 grid split into four columns of colors. Each column is associated with a specific range of numbers:
Assigning colors to numbers helps differentiate between similar numbers, such as 17 and 70, which can be easily confused. For instance, 17 is represented as 'red 17' and 70 as 'white 70.' This simplifies the calling process, as the automated voice does not need to spell out the numbers but can simply announce the color and number combination, allowing for faster calls (usually around 1.5 seconds per number).
In most UK bingo clubs, including Club 3000 Bingo and Mecca Bingo clubs, mechanised cash bingo is played on plastic boards with small windows that cover the numbers as they are called. At Mecca Bingo clubs, bingo cards are integrated into the tabletops, and numbers are covered using small plastic chips.
A typical mechanised cash bingo board, integrated into the tabletop
The gameplay involves a computer, known as a stage rig controller, which automatically deducts a "participation fee" (par-fee) set by the operator (typically between 40% and 60%). The remaining credit is added to the prize pool. Players can choose when to play by inserting credit into a coin slot, with games typically costing either 50p or £1 per board. Most clubs offer two boards per coin slot, labeled Board A and Board B. Initially, only Board A is activated when credit is added. To activate Board B, players must insert extra credit and press their claim buttons. Alternatively, players can use electronic bingo terminals to select boards (A, B, C, or D).
In fast-paced electronic bingo games, players press a claim button to signal a winning combination, allowing operators to collect more frequent par-fees. Prize money is delivered to the winner's table, and electronic board winnings are automatically added to their bingo account. In Northern Ireland bingo clubs, different regulations apply, and callers announce wins without player participation. This approach enables players to play more positions for a better chance of winning.
Online.
The prevalence of the online bingo games has dramatically increased the number of online gamers and many online gaming community members in the UK have started learning and participating in bingo.
Linking.
In order to encourage more people to play, and to offer better prize money, larger bingo operators offer games which are linked with other clubs, generally known as "the Link". Generally, between 10 and 20 clubs will link up and play a much larger game of mechanised cash bingo, with prize money in the hundreds. One person from one club will host the game, talking to all other clubs simultaneously over their microphone system. When someone in a club wins, the host from the winning club will say 'claim in...' followed by the name of the club. For example, if there was a winner in Gala Bingo in Wavertree Park, then the host of the Wavertree Park club would immediately turn on their microphone and say 'Claim in Wavertree Park'. As of September 2011, when Gala Bingo stopped operating their own version of a national bingo game (see National Bingo Game), they introduced a Mechanised Cash Bingo link known as 'Party Xtra XL'. This game is played amongst all Buzz Bingo clubs in Great Britain before each Main Session, with prize money typically ranging between £4,000 and £8,000 for weekday afternoon sessions and between £10,000 and £21,000 for evening and weekend afternoon sessions. The highest amount ever won for this game was approximately £26,000, won by a single player on 17 October 2011. Most Gala clubs were exceptionally busy, because this was the date of Gala's 20th anniversary.
In November 2012, Mecca introduced its own version of Buzz's National Party Xtra XL game, known as the Richest Link. Equally, all Mecca clubs in the UK link up offering prize money worth thousands of pounds. In addition to this, if a winning player claims on their top