Now, thanks to the rise of online bingo, the game is back with a bang. The UK could now begin to market itself as a hotspot for bingo tourism.
Bingo may have originated in Europe, but it didn’t gain its name and become one of the world’s most popular pastimes until it made it to the UK. It swept the nation during the 1920s and then became one of the most popular social activities in the country in the 1980s. However, its prevalence faded during the early 2000s.
Now, thanks to the rise of online bingo, the game is back with a bang. The UK could now begin to market itself as a hotspot for bingo tourism.
Online bingo has brought the game back into mainstream
It seemed as if bingo was going to be dead and buried at one point, as bingo halls across the UK were shutting down at an alarming rate. But when the digitalized bingo online version came about, everything changed. Bingo was reborn as a new entity, and its main message was that it was accessible for everyone. The diversity of games highlights this on offer. Alongside regular bingo hall favorites like the Gold Room, there are also Slingo and slot games for players to choose from.
Now, bingo is well and truly back in the mainstream, and the industry is beginning to balloon again. It attracts players of all ages and interests and is considered fashionable among university students. This highlights how it is no longer associated with being a game primarily aimed at middle-aged women and elderly folk.
Rise in bingo events across the country
Thanks to the impressive rise of online bingo, which has helped the overall industry generate almost £1 billion in revenue, bingo halls and events are now emerging in every city in the UK. Many event organizers seek to combine online and offline elements in the same place, perhaps in anticipation of the emergence of virtual reality experiences in the future. This comes in the form of having people use their mobile devices for certain games currently, but it could be extended to include VR headsets later.
While online bingo is popular all over the world, the UK is leading the way in bringing back a revitalized version of the brick-and-mortar game. Other countries could follow suit, but right now, this represents a lucrative opportunity to attract tourists.
Photo by Edoardo Tommasini from Pexels
Bingo fans from all over could flock to UK
In the same way that millions of people travel to places like Las Vegas every year, bingo fans may soon be tempted to make the trip to the UK to enjoy the pastime in one of its main ancestral homes.
Visitors could plan their trips based on upcoming events that happen up and down the country, or they could opt to stay in London where there are 32 bingo halls to choose from. The second-best option would be to take a trip to County Durham in the northeast, where there are 28 bingo halls dotted around Newcastle, Sunderland, and Middlesbrough.
If bingo tourism is to become a thing, the UK would be the prime place for holidaymakers to flock to. After successfully rebranding the game and turning it into a fun live event, the next step could be to market it to people from other countries to boost attendance figures.
Main photo by Margaret Neuhaus from Pexels
