Bingo is the nations favourite game, with roughly one in five of us playing at least once a week, either down the local bingo hall or online. It’s not just the lure of big jackpots that keeps us coming back for more though, as there is a fantastic social side to the game. It gives us an escape and a chance to share a bit of banter with like-minded adults, regardless of whether it is face to face or virtually via the computer screen. But what if you wanted to throw you own bingo party? How easy would it be and what would you need? We thought we would take a look and a put together this small guide to help you along your way!
If you fancy keeping things low tech, your first port of call should be your local toy shop, or that extremely large online retailer famous for selling books and named after the rainforest in Brazil (you know the one). For a little more than a fiver, you can purchase a fully working ‘Toyrific Bingo Game’ which comes complete with a hand cranked plastic bingo machine, 90 balls and 72 cards, guaranteeing hours of fun for the whole family!
If you want something that looks a bit more professional so you can show off to your mates, you can pick up an impressive bingo cage, check tray and balls for just over £30. This one is larger, made of metal and sure to last for years to come. You can call the balls, drop them into the tray and wait for someone to call ‘BINGO’. As an added extra, they have thrown in a whopping 600 tickets for free, making it ideal for larger parties or even running small events down the local pub or community center.
Of course these days the majority of us have a smartphone or a tablet device and there are literally hundreds of different apps on the market. If you use an iPhone or iPad, you should check out Bingo by Shark Party has it has had over 7,000 positive reviews, with the latest version receiving 100% five stars. It has loads of rooms to choose from, each one with its own distinctive theme. They have crammed it full of features to keep you entertained, including Treasure Chest Rewards, Coins, Boosts and of course free tickets. If you are playing with younger members of the family, make sure you pop into the settings first and turn off the in game purchases, as these will cost you real money.
If you prefer Android to iOS, don’t worry because the Google Play store is packed full of free bingo apps for the everyone. Taking the whole gambling aspect out of the game, bingo can be used as an educational too whilst still being fun for the kids. Math Bingo for instance has five games: Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division and Mixed. It combines cute graphics and eight cartoon avatars, with the object of the game being to answer questions correctly and cover your numbers with bugs. Each time a win is recorded it will add it to the players profile, enabling them to compete with everyone else.
For that authentic bingo experience though, you are going to need to learn the traditional bingo calls. Luckily there are a number of resources on the internet where you can find all of the bingo lingo you are ever going to need, including our own bingo numbers page. You will find a few variations as they tend to be based on traditions and customs from all of the world, but they are all perfectly acceptable. At the end of the day bingo is all about fun and sharing good times, so whatever you decide to do, just enjoy it and make good memories!
