Gambling has been a pastime of humankind since we all learned how to count. Whether it was counting stones or counting cards, gambling has become ingrained into our culture as human beings and love it or hate it, the simple thrill of risk and reward keeps people coming back to casinos and online casinos. In the UK, one of the oldest gambling traditions is the game of bingo. A worldwide game, the origins of bingo are not in the United Kingdom, but there is a definite culture of playing bingo on British shores. Be it playing the new, flashy and all action online free bingo sites that has become a huge hit in recent years, or playing the traditional game in a bingo hall with friends, the game is still popular today. In this complete UK bingo guide, we will be tracking the history of this iconic game, looking at the rise and fall of the bingo hall, the presence of online bingo and even picking out some great sites to play bingo on the web. Oh, and how could we leave out for the traditional bingo calls from the announcer. Two fat ladies and all that. Find out more about bingo below or check out our related topics.
Quicklinks: History of Bingo | Bingo Calls | How to Win at Bingo | Bingo Names | How to Play Bingo | Pay by Mobile Casino
Origins of Bingo
The origins of bingo, which has led to today's top bingo games sites, are difficult to trace. The game is played in many varieties across the world and in essence, is very similar to the very concept of a lottery. The earliest signs of the game we know today can be found in 17th century Italy, with their own version of the game being almost like the grandfather of the bingo we know and love today. Eventually, the game arrived in Great Britain and was an almost instant hit. The game was simple to play from the off, meaning that no matter how wealthy you are, how educated you are or, perhaps, how drunk you were, anyone could play. It was a social game, too, so people from the town were able to meet up and compete for the big wins in a jovial and friendly manner. This is a time long before TV and smartphones, of course, so this was ticking off human needs like entertainment and social networking all at once. Walking away from a game of bingo with some shillings for the week was a mere bonus.
As the game and modern society evolved, the game became monetised more efficiently and halls, built specifically for bingo, were being built up and down the country by the 20th century. Whereas the game was still enjoyed in village halls and community centres, this commercialised version of the game was a big hit A trip to the bingo became a good night out in the ilk of going to the cinema, going bowling or going to the pub, with leisure parks of Britains towns often having a bingo hall in amongst their entertainment.
How to play Free Bingo
Bingo is a beautiful game thanks to its pure simplicity. A game of numbers, the traditional game in the UK uses 90 numbered balls, of which are in play at the same time. Using either a random number generator software or the tradition raffle machine, the announcer will pick these numbered balls at random and read them out for everyone to hear.
Each player will have a ticket, marked with a selection of numbers to look out for. The aim of the game is to tick off all your numbers as they are read out and the first person to do so, gets the overwhelming privilege of being able to shout out those magic words; “BINGO!”
With their usually being a buy-in for the game, the winner will collect a sizeable prize depending on where they are playing and how many players they are playing against. In some bingo halls and on some bingo sites, the jackpot is fixed and there are some eyewateringly big amounts of money to be won at bingo.
In a typical game of bingo, there are five ways in which you can win. These include five in a row, blackout, X and four corners. These are relevant to the patterns that you make on your bingo ticket as you cross out the relevant numbers. A more recent addition to the game is the inclusion of a ‘special patter,’ dictated by the hosts as a means of keeping things interesting. This could be a more original shape on your ticket that offers the chance to win a bonus prize. Find more online bingo games here.
Traditional bingo calls
One of the most famous parts of the game of bingo is, of course, the things that the announcer says at the front of the room. He or she is crucial to how a game of bingo runs and is often central to the camaraderie that can occur in a bingo hall between players and hosts.
The phrases used for each of the numbers one to ninety can be tweaked and certainly have been to incorporate popular culture references down the years. However, the traditional calls are the most well know and have become a common part of the British dialect. Some are funny, some make very little sense and some are a genius way of describing the shape of a number. Here are all of the traditional number calls for a game of UK bingo, from Kelly’s Eye to the Top of the Shops.
- Kelly’s Eye
- One Little Duck
- Cup of Tea
- Knock at the Door
- Man Alive
- Tom Mix
- Lucky Seven
- Garden Gate
- Doctor’s Orders
- Cameron’s Den
- Legs 11
- One Dozen
- Unlucky for Some
- Valentine’s Day
- Young and Keen
- Sweet 16
- Dancing Queen
- Coming of Age
- Goodbye Teens
- One Score
- Royal Salute
- Two Little Ducks
- Thee and Me
- Two Dozen
- Duck and Dive
- Pick and Mix
- Gateway to Heaven
- Over Weight
- Rise and Shine
- Dirty Gertie
- Get Up and Run
- Buckle My Shoe
- Dirty Knee
- Ask for More
- Jump and Jive
- Three Dozen
- More than 11
- Christmas Cake
- Steps
- Naughty 40
- Time for Fun
- Winnie the Pooh
- Down on Your Knees
- Droopy Drawers
- Halfway There
- Up to Tricks
- Four and Seven
- Four Dozen
- PC
- Half a Century
- Tweak of the Thumb
- Danny La Rue
- Stuck in the Tree
- Clean the Floor
- Snakes Alive
- Was She Worth It?
- Heinz Varieties
- Make Them Wait
- Brighton Line
- Five Dozen
- Bakers Bun
- Turn the Screw
- Tickle Me 63
- Red Raw
- Old Age Pension
- Clickety Click
- Made in Heaven
- Saving Grace
- Either Way Up
- Three Score and 10
- Bang on the Drum
- Six Dozen
- Queen B
- Candy Store
- Strive and Strive
- Trombones
- Sunset Strip
- Heaven’s Gate
- One More Time
- Eight and Blank
- Stop and Run
- Straight On Through
- Time for Tea
- Seven Dozen
- Staying Alive
- Between the Sticks
- Torquay in Devon
- Two Fat Ladies
- Nearly There
- Top of the Shop
The rise and fall of the bingo hall
Up until 2005, the numbers of bingo halls were constantly on the rise, but not long after free bingo games no deposit arose!
More and more people were getting into this commercially packaged version of the game that, despite being a little less based on the community feel of the bingo games of old, was a big hit for its an emphasis on entertainment. Charismatic announcers and great atmospheres in the likes of Gala Bingo halls made the bingo a great, Great British pastime. As mentioned, more and more bingo halls were built in the United Kingdom to meet the demand and by 2005, there were over 600 unique bingo halls in the country.
Yet, on the horizon was a major change for bingo, gambling and society as a whole, as online gambling and the smartphone began to evolve at an incredible rate. As we all shifted online, the way in which we do almost everything changed. From the way we watch films to the way we shop, society began to turn to the internet for everything and gambling, gaming and specifically, bingo, all moved online.
Today there are in the region of 400 active bingo halls but closures of them are sadly quite regular. Other than the rising presence of online gaming and entertainment, some other factors have been cited for the decline of the British bingo hall. The smoking ban is thought to have played a part, as before it came into action, it was common to smoke in bingo halls, as it was in pubs, too. This seems bizarre now, what with the success of the smoking ban, but at the time, it was considered very much part of the experience. Other factors include a rise in taxes, specifically within the gambling industry, as the government tightened its grip on the growing market for gambling both online and in brick and mortar settings like bingo halls and casinos.
However, you cannot look beyond the rise of the online gambler as the key reason as to why bingo halls are declining. The modern gamblers love to ease of gambling wherever they may be, as long as they have their smartphone and a decent connection to the internet. And, in truth, many of the brands who own bingo halls up and down the country, have shifted their service to online gambling, too, ensuring they survive in an industry which is rapidly evolving all the time.
Online bingo - Bingo Today
The online version of bingo has existed as a format for a while but really became prominent in the mid-2000s as our internet access got better and quicker and satellite TV adverts encourage us to sign up to the likes of Foxy Bingo.
The online format has improved year on year and become a really fun and fluid way to play a game of bingo. The jackpots can be huge too, with millionaires made every now and then thanks to the phenomenon that is online bingo. There are thousands of different online bingo games out there as well, many of which are hosted by the online casino and online bingo brands that operate from the UK even to this very day.
The themes of the games can vary and so can the number of balls even, with options for gamers including the length of the game. Never has a game of bingo been able to run so quickly, in all honesty. There is also a great choice of online bingo sites, which include the below.
Top Bingo Providers
There are so many providers of online bingo but one of the newer kids of the block is Barbados, an online bingo site that uses the gorgeous Caribbean island as it’s theme and inspiration. And you could use Barbados as your inspiration, too, for there are big amounts of money to be won that might get you closer to a dream holiday of white sands, turquoise seas and sunshine. Although Barbados prides itself on online bingo first and foremost, you will find a lovely range of online gambling games on their easy to use websites. From online slot games to whatever else, there are over 500 online gambling titles to choose from, with work from providers like Yggdrasil and EyeCon amongst the always growing catalogue.
Umbingo - Free Bingo Site
Another great site is Umbingo, an online bingo offers provider that uses tropical imagery as it’s a central theme. Again, the choice of bingo titles is great here at this online casino. With the very, very popular Millions, Bingo series being available at Umbingo Signing up to sites like this is really easy and more often than not, you will be able to take advantage of something like a new customer bonus or welcome sign up offer. These will help you get to know the services of a site before you put any money out there, a great way to learn the game before looking to make a profit from it.
The future of UK Bingo Online
Despite the decline of the traditional bingo hall, there future of bingo in the UK is in good hands. The online gambling industry is thriving and remains inclusive to people from all walks of life, whether they want to play a classic like bingo or a modern gambling game like an online video slot machine. Find slot games to play here!
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