Famously, bingo is a low-stakes and accessible game. Every ticket has the same randomized chance of drawing the right balls from the cage, and each ticket can cost as little as £0.05 or £0.10. Being so cost-effective, but with decent-sized prizes compared to the ticket cost, bingo naturally became quite a fun, casual game.
However, looking to reach new audiences and increase its appeal, bingo moved online and began to expand as an overall offering. Like many games in the gambling space that moved online, this included creating games in new themes and with new mechanics. Perhaps bingo’s most distinct move, however, has been to introduce jackpots.
Big Win Potential Enters the Bingo Realm
Outside of the event prizes that bingo halls may put on, the top rewards used to be quaint. Even when bingo first came online, they were relatively small. Now, you can see Paddy Power bingo rooms rotate through with jackpots of over £3,000, over £10,000, and even over £20,000. The way they’ve made this work is by rolling over.
Helped by the number of players that gravitate towards these growing prizes, online bingo rooms can gradually ramp up their jackpots as each game is played. It only takes a small piece of each bet placed to keep this cranking up. Then, everyone plays for the room’s main prize and its jackpot.
These jackpots require players to hit a specific pattern of numbers during any game of bingo in that room. So, while everyone still has a wholly randomized chance of winning anything, the jackpots are difficult enough to get to allow them to progressively increase into much bigger prizes.
Naturally, jackpot prizes like those in Deal or No Deal Bingo 75 – which was at over £30,000 at the time of writing – and the Crystal Room – over £20,000 – appeal to a different audience. Players will join bingo rooms with an eye on the growing top prize. Importantly, it also enhances the potential for traditional players as the ticket prices remain low, as ThoughtCo. explains.
Moving with the Times to Remain Popular
Bingo has ebbed and flowed as a popular pastime. Back in 2005, The Guardian reported a resurgence in bingo thanks to people enjoying the relaxed gaming atmosphere. They hailed the low-key environment for a night out without the hustle and bustle of a nightclub. Not many years later, clubs were closing across the UK.
Fast-forward to the 2020s, and bingo’s bouncing back once again, riding a surge of interest in diversified ways to play. You could look to the event-style bingo nights, where there are rowdy games and loud music between silent bingo games. Or, there are the remastered digital games that power in-hall play, as shown by the BBC.
Of course, online bingo making ways to generate bigger prizes and even progressive jackpots follows this same trend. Bingo operators are adapting the game to make it more modern and more appealing to wider audiences while keeping the core game the same.
Progressive jackpots are among the newest evolutions in bingo play, showcasing the versatility and enduring appeal of the game of numbered balls and cheeky calls.
