It may sound strange to talk about a Bingo ‘industry’. After all, it’s just a game with its own strange lingo such as ‘Legs Eleven’, ‘Mississippi Slick’ and “Hockey Sticks’. Right? One for lovely old ladies looking to socialise, test their grey matter and maybe win a few pounds along the way?
Well, while that stereotype has some truth in it, the game has also been a big business for many years, with hundreds of Bingo halls around the UK. And in 2007, these halls were still attracting three million people per week, more than the number who attend live Premier League games in fact.
Gala Coral and Mecca have historically been the main industry names, both widely known, with revenues and profits measured in tens of millions of pounds. However, today, along with many other big UK industries, the world of Bingo, is being radically changed by technological advances, along with those nostalgic, post-war associations.
While plenty of people still enjoy visiting Bingo Halls, a new (mostly young female) generation is enjoying the socialising, fun and sometimes profitable pastime in online environments. All in a way that is more in keeping with busy, modern lives where a cheap, fast broadband link is frequently to hand. In fact, according to the Gambling Commission, the number of online bingo players doubled in the past year from 250,000 to 500,000 across 243 registered websites.
At 888 Ladies, we focus on providing this new generation of players with a service that meets their needs exactly. Not only do we run and manage our own site at 888, but we provide the software and manage sites for about fifty other sites, including Mirror Bingo, Foxy Bingo and Wink Bingo.
However, as in all other industries not everyone likes change and many yearn nostalgically for the era of the bingo caller and the camaraderie that was created among the regulars. But change is inevitable and it brings a lot that is good. Some people miss the point that online Bingo games, just like Facebook and other social networks, are very sociable. For many they are less intimidating that the grand old bingo halls with their cliques of regular players. This can be especially true for younger players who are put off by the image of the game as something just for older folk. Yes, the internet makes things accessible in more ways than one.
Technology is creating many ‘Perfect Storms’ across many different industries, not only our own. However, it’s important to recognise that it’s not really the technology that is changing things, but the customers and people who are using it to lead their lives in the way that suits them. As ever, it’s the companies that support people’s new lives that will continue to do well. Including us, we hope!
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