Welsh Bingo Clubs Struggling to Stay Open

According to a report at Wales Online, Welsh Bingo Clubs are struggling to stay open and another one of their halls are about to shut up bingo shop.

It is thought that a third of welsh land based bingo halls have closed their doors forever in the past seven years and this worrying trend seems like it will continue, as there are more predicted closures to come.

Not so long ago, back in 2006, you would have found 34 different bingo halls to select from in Wales – Fast forward to the present day and this number has dwindled down to 23, as 11 clubs have now been closed.

We reported just last week about Mecca Bingo opening their first ever electronic club in Reading, London. It is the intention of the Rank Group to appeal to people under the age of 35, as electronic gaming could be more attractive to this age group.

Online bingo has played a part in the demise of UK land based clubs and it looks like the electronic gaming solution continues to move forwards in leaps and bounds. Thus leaving behind the paper and pen version of the game, where one day this way of playing bingo could be no more.

Playing bingo online is just so much more accessible than its land based counterparts – All online sites are open 24 hours a day, whereas clubs are only open for set times. There is no travel involved when playing online, which means we can bingo whenever we want around work and family commitments.

The mobile bingo revolution which is just taking off brings us the ability to bingo on the go, no matter where we are, so it is no surprise really that land based clubs are struggling to compete in this playing field.

Bingo has always been professed as being a very social game (and I believe it is) but I read a comment the other day about a person who went to a club some years ago with their friends wanting a fun night out, only to be left very disappointed.

Quote – “It was awful. No talking. No laughing. No fun. We left after an hour, before we were thrown out. I’ve never been to a bingo hall since. Social gaming? I must have missed the ‘social’ bit.”

When you think about it, bingo in a club is like that when the game is being played, but during the intervals it is a different story. This is a time when you can have a gossip and catch up with your friends. Bar service and food is available at most bingo halls, so they can make for a good relatively in-expensive night out (compared to some other activities) and of course there is always the chance you could win some cash.

Whilst at a land based club you are not allowed to talk during the game, online sites actively encourage this – as chatting via cyber text does not interfere with bingo whatsoever.

However, there is nothing like getting the cash straight into your hand when you have a bingo win at a club – and this is the only real downfall about playing online, waiting for the money to go back into your bank or whatever funding method you deposited with.