The world of bingo is an exciting place as it never stands still for too long. If we go back ten years, it was a game predominantly for grannies, who would meet up at their local bingo halls, have a cuppa and generally put the world to rights. Over time online bingo became popular and people started enjoyed their favourite game in the comfort of their own homes. As technology has progressed though, we have seen more sites offering mobile version of their games which enables you to play from wherever you are so long as there is an internet connection.
The downside of these advancements though is that we have seen not only the closure of some beautiful old bingo halls, but the social side of the game has been watered down to the point that we are now just names on the screen. One organisation is fighting back though and bucking this trend, they are asking us to turn off our computers, throw away our mobile phones and meet up in the middle of the night in deserted buildings. Yes we know this sounds dodgy, but don’t worry it is all above board and the brainchild of Rebel Bingo – The black sheep of the bingo family.
Rebel Bingo is not about winning huge cash jackpots, they are firmly focussed on fun. The concept was not planned at all, they say “We invented Rebel Bingo by accident when we were drunk in the basement of a church hall in London one night. We’re not quite sure how but it suddenly became a global revolution. The old school bingo community don’t like us. They think we are desecrating their game. We’re just trying to have fun. They are mean. If you want to be part of something you believe in, come play with us.” You can however win prizes, but they do make it clear that “They are the sorts of things you don’t really think you’ll need – but when you see them you will want them more than anything you have ever wanted in your whole life and if you win them you will cry and your life will be better.”
As you can see, everything is very tongue in cheek but in a short time, they have managed to achieve a huge following with player from all over the world. Check out their site and you will see that they now have branches in London, Brighton, Bristol, Nottingham, Madrid, numerous American cities and even as far as China and North America. Rebel Bingo has made great use of the social networks to spread the word with each country having its own website, blog, Youtube channel and Twitter account. In the UK alone they now have over 45,000 ‘Likes’ on Facebook followers. They have managed to attract a whole new audience and created a young and funky bingo community and just a few days ago, someone even thanked them for bringing her and her husband together!
We admit that Rebel Bingo is not going to be everyone. If you do decide to pay them a visit, please don’t expect rows and rows of neat tables, comfy seats or even a bingo caller in some cases. Rebel Bingo is very much a party atmosphere, so what you can guarantee is cool DJ’s, loud music, sweaty dancers, fancy dress and lots of lots of fun! If this sounds like your kind of night out, make sure you follow them on Facebook, as events can pop up at a moments notice in the most random venues and trust us, you really don’t want to miss out!
