Stereotypes die hard and the stereotype of the bingo player is no exception. Little old ladies in smoky church basements with numerous cards in front of them seem to be the average person’s perception of the typical bingo player. Times change and bingo has changed with the times. Bingo is grossly misrepresented in terms of its demographics. The internet has changed the way bingo is played and has attracted a whole new generation of players. Online Bingo has taken internet gaming by storm.
Who plays online bingo? The statistics are surprising to say the least. While Bingo on the internet is more likely to be played by women than men, over 30% of regular Online Bingo players are men. With younger people being more computer savvy the average age of Online Bingo players is 20 to 49 with a vast majority under 50. In the UK Online Bingo is fashionable with women in the 18-30 age categories. One study shows 100 million Internet Bingo players worldwide. The same study also shows that players over 65 are more likely to prefer land based bingo halls. Here are actual Online Bingo age and gender statistics from one study.
By gender
Women-70%
Men-30%
By age.
18-24-13.75%
25-34-15.96%
35-49-25.26%
50-54-5.82%
55-64-6.66%
65+2.96%
The figures don’t lie. Bingo as played on the internet is overwhelmingly a younger person’s game. Although dominated by women, Bingo is becoming attractive for more men. Some celebrity players who defy the stereotype associated with bingo are, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Sharon Osborne (Ozzy’s wife), TV star Kelly Ripa, and rock star Bono. Many men have figured out that online bingo is a great way to meet single women given the odds are 3 to 1 in their favor. Looking at player galleries on sites such as BingoHouse show that the vast majority of Online Bingo players are relatively young and attractive. Internet Bingo is by far the easiest, most user friendly online game to play and a great way to meet new people. Website chat rooms provide the opportunity for making new friends, socialization, and even romance.
Chat rooms add a personal touch to the online bingo world and serve a variety of purposes. Don’t know how to play? Ask around in the chat room. Need tech advice? Again, ask someone in the chat room. No more spending hours on the phone waiting for a customer service rep to answer your tech questions. Since the internet is worldwide, meeting Bingo players from other countries and cultures adds to the excitement of online bingo. Players are just as likely to play Online Bingo with someone from Europe or Asia as they are to be playing with someone from the USA. Online bingo gives people the opportunity to experience other cultures and customs. Again using BingoHouse as an example, many Online Bingo sites host their own small chat room games. While the prizes may not be as large as those in the main games Online Bingo players can win bonus credits, cool prizes, and even vacations. Just be civil, follow the terms of service, and above all respect the other players.
Playing slots online has become a pastime that rivals that of Bingo. Probably the main reason players like slots are the progressive jackpots. For every bet made a small portion is added to the jackpot fund. The fund grows until a lucky player hits the jackpot. Some of these jackpots are quite large and winning can be a life changing experience and the odds are much better than playing a lottery. Many Internet Bingo players play slots between games or they play just for a change of pace.
Bingo is no longer confined to little old ladies playing in some smoky church basement Online Bingo has become vastly popular attracting a much younger crowd. Log on, check it out and good luck!
Anthony Wayne works in the marketing department of online bingo site BingoHouse in Costa Rica. He is also editor of the Internet Bingo Blog a great source of internet bingo information.
