Is Bingo Popular Amongst All Age Groups?
Bingo is a true classic in BritainEveryone knows about this game of chance where entertaining callers control the flow of the gameColourful lingo fills up the room as punters focus on their ticketslisten carefullyThe air is electrified! The suspense is broken at the moment when the lucky player hears the number they’ve been waiting for to complete their winning combination – try Millionaire Slingo game.
As good as it sounds, bingo has been mainly attended by the elderly throughout historyMeanwhile, the youngsters seemed apprehensive about taking part in this timeless gameIt is unclear why younger generations historically chose other games over bingoHowever, at present, bingo games seem to have more younger players than ever before! There has been a steady trend of bingo games becoming more popular amongst all age groupsA further look into the spread of bingo is underway!
The age-old game gets upturned with the invention of the internet
At the end of the 20th century, bingo was going through a dry season that lasted longer than anyone anticipatedThe once glorious game seemed to have faded into the backgroundBingo halls, which were once bustling with excited players, were struggling to stay afloat, keep staff employedmany of them had to close their doorsMany people predicted that bingo will be uncrowned as the people’s gamethe vast bingo hall premises will have to find alternative purposesBut that is when technology came into aid!
Perhaps bingo was becoming irrelevantOr perhaps there was a need for some sort of innovation within the gameAfter all, bingo has mostly remained the same since the 18th century when it was played by French aristocracyThe innovation came in the form of online bingo which became available in the 90s shortly after the internet was introduced into our lives.
The perks of playing online bingo were numerous: players could enjoy their favourite game from the comfort of their living room; there was a range of different prices that players could buy the tickets at; digital games were easy to playmade the auto-daubing function available.
The new digital avenue presented bingo in a new lightA good portion of regular players transferred to online games while others kept visiting bingo halls, helping to save the game from extinctionThe younger demographic became interested in digital bingo games with towering prizesthe rest was history!
The numbers
Just how popular is bingo amongst different age groups? With the quality of games improving, the appeal of bingo increases likewiseHere are some statistics from recent surveys:
- One analysis by age revealed that older bingo players were significantly more likely to play more oftenHowever, younger players are more likely to spend more per bingo session.
- One survey estimated that bingo players are overwhelmingly women (75%) with only 1 in 4 players being male.
- 18-34 year-old players made up 17% of players in 2015, increasing to reach 21% in 201625% in 2017.
- The same upward motion was observed in the 35-44 age group that has increased from 21% in 2015 to 26% in 2016-2017.
- There has been a decline in the number of players aged 45-54Their number dropped from 30% in 2015 to 26% in 2016.
- The biggest difference is amongst players aged 55+ who were leading in 2015 with 32%, being the largest group of players but then became the smallest one in 2017, having decreased to 21%!
As bingo remains steadily popular, some changes in the player demographic can be observedMaybe it is time for the youngsters to take the game into their hands? However it might turn out in the future, bingo welcomes everyone!
