What is bingo?
Bingo, one of the
tried-and-true staples of the gaming world has survived right up to
the present because of its incredible ability to reinvent itself. In
fact, its popularity is on the rise because a whole new generation
is beginning to discover its seductive charms. As Baby Boomers age,
they are turning to bingo as a favorite form of recreational
activity. So much so, that Market Pathways, a financial public
relations firm that specializes in the representation of small-cap
public companies, had this to say in a June 28, 2002 profile of a
manufacturer of bingo products.
About bingo
Over the past few
years the demographics of bingo players has dramatically changed,
Baby Boomers now make up the largest group of bingo players. Baby
Boomers are considered to have the most disposable income and the
highest ability to access the Internet.
So what's the cause for all of this excitement? It can be summed up
in two words: “new games.” Sharon Smith of Palm Springs,
California-based Bingo Solutions offered some observations about
trends in game design. She explained that halls could play anything
from traditional one-line games to intricate patterns, depending
upon the area and the player preference. “A lot of pattern games are
designed by the local managers to fit a certain area, i.e., ‘deer in
the headlights', ‘cactus', etc. Many games, also, are designed to
offer a big prize, but realistically give away only the consolation
until such time as the big prize is covered. Still other games are
player funded, giving back a percentage of the take to the players,
and seeded with house money.”
Linda Toomey of Lansing, Michigan-based Melange Computer Services
agrees with Smith's assessment of the popularity of pattern games.
She pointed out that Melange designed a special pattern game for the
Potawatomi bingo casino located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin using their
mascot the B-13 Ball. The game is designed to play through the eyes,
hands and feet and finally, the full body. Its popularity has made
it a real draw for the casino.
But it isn't only bingo vendors who believe the future of the game
is diversity. Don Damond of Mystic Lake Casino Hotel based in Prior
Lake, Minnesota, had this to say:
“Some of our senior players are some of our more sophisticated
players, requesting variety in the program. We also experience a
large variation in age differential and want to appeal to those
segments. Finally, many of our players are what we call regulars who
have been patronizing our hall for many years. We want to mix it up
and give them variety and continue to make it fun and challenging.”
At Mystic Lake, they offer blackout progressive games that have
three or four parts on their way to the blackout starting with 4
corners, letter “L”, full round robin, and then full card.
Jan Link hart of Spirit Mountain Casino based in Grand Ronde, Oregon
agrees the game has to be interesting. For the price of $1 per bingo
session, players at her casino have the chance to win 5 jackpots in
addition to the regular payout. Spirit Mountain will soon be
offering three different Bonanza blackouts. They will also have a
Planet Bingo $100,000 blackout in addition to their Wheel of Fortune
blackout. In Wheel of Fortune, single winners get to spin the wheel
and win from $500 to $10,000. In the case of multiple winners, the
caller spins and the players divide the winnings.
And while land-based bingo halls have been marching to the beat of a
different drummer, Internet bingo has sent shock waves throughout
the gaming world. Casino Fortune (www.casinofortunebingo.com)
recently launched the first large-scale online bingo parlor and
received considerable consumer interest. Dennis Rose said that the
success of his company's bingo was due to the creation of new games
like 90 ball bingo, assigning a larger percentage of funds to
progressive jackpots than land-based casinos do, and allowing
players to have real-time chats with fellow players online.
So no matter whether you like classic bingo, or whether you find
Internet bingo to be your cup of tea, you'll always find lots of
variety of play and big prizes. The image of the little blue haired
lady holding a cardboard numbered card and a handful of red plastic
chits has been archived in the national culture along with other
treasured pieces of Americana. |
