A quick revision of the UK Bingo history
The game of bingo has experienced quite a few difficulties throughout its history, but it seems that no impediment was too great to overcome and it has always recovered, only to become more popular than ever before. During the French Revolution and throughout the devastating world wars, when virtually no special venues could be designated for bingo, it seemed like the game would simply vanish in the folds of history. However, that was simply not the case and people’s fascination with it compelled them to use any location at their disposal in order to keep the game alive.
In the United Kingdom, the game of bingo was introduced while it was still in the early stages. While the exact moment is still disputed, historians agree that it was probably during the first few years of the 20th century. During that time, players commonly gathered in any abandoned theater venue or cinema hall, but soon the popularity of the game exploded, and once the political situation allowed it, countless new bingo parlors were built. For instance, practically every city in the United Kingdom, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales had more than a few designated bingo parlors by 1985. However, bingo’s big break did not occur until later in 1990.
The technological advancements and the internet allowed a few ingenious entrepreneurs to create the online version of bingo, which took the world by storm. Being able to address a much wider target audience worldwide, bingo websites thrived. However, there was still a major stumbling block: the regulations regarding online gambling were too strict which impeded business. In 2005, when fundamental changes to gambling legislation were made, bingo website owners were finally able to advertise their businesses effectively, which amassed even more players. Furthermore, the right to advertise over the media was obtained in 2007, securing bingo’s position among the popular forms of legal entertainment.
But things just couldn’t stay peachy for long, so during the course of the same year, bingo hall owners were faced with a different type of crisis. If you recall, 2007 was also the year when smoking in public locations was deemed illegal. As a consequence, a large part of the smoking bingo players stopped visiting their favorite halls and a lot of them were closed down. However, the smoke ban proved to be a boon for the online bingo service providers, because the individuals that could no longer frequent the bingo halls were left with no option other than playing over the internet.
However, another unlucky event for bingo occurred in 2008, when the country entered a recession. Because even the most enthusiastic players were experiencing severe monetary issues, a wide percentage of the audience simply could not afford to play anymore. 2008 is the year when a record number of people gave up the game. However, since bingo operators could not just stand idly by watching their business go down the drain, they employed the aid of marketing campaigns in order to re-attract the players. These campaigns proved to be fruitful and as soon as the recession period passed, bingo players were back in the game!
