I know what you’re thinking, “how could anyone hate bingo”? But believe it or not, some people really do.
I’m not talking about people who just don’t play very often, or even at all, but people who go out of their way to avoid it, roll their eyes when it is mentioned, and look down on those of us who do love a good game.
If you ask me there’s nothing not to like. You can win money, chat with friends or meet new people, the game is easy to pick up and play, it’s exciting and entertaining, and it keeps your brain active. So what do these bingo haters see that I don’t?
Let’s find out.
It’s Boring
This is a pretty common complaint from anti-bingo types, but it’s a misconception.
Often, when people say bingo is boring, what they actually mean is they haven’t won yet. The second you get your first win you understand why people come back and play again. Knowing that every next number could be one of yours is a thrill, and when you only have one or two to go it’s a real rush.
Bingo is what you make of it.
You can go and have a quiet session on your own if that’s what you want. But if you want more excitement then you have to show up, either with friends or willing to make friends, and get stuck in. If you think bingo is boring then you’re not doing it right.
It’s Too Slow
Another misconception, although there is some truth to this claim.
Bingo isn’t a high octane extreme sport, that much is true. But slow? Chess is slow. Snooker is slow. In bingo, a new number is called every 4 seconds, and it takes no more than a few minutes to find a winner, then the next game begins.
If anything you can end up feeling rushed, especially if you are marking the numbers yourself or have a particularly large amount of tickets.
The entire session might take a few hours, but on a game by game or number by number basis bingo is anything but slow.
They Can’t Control It
This one is for the sore losers.
Bingo is a game of chance through and through. There is nothing a player can do to improve their chances of winning – apart from buying more tickets, but then you are reducing the real value of anything you might win.
Some people can’t bear to lose at a fair game. They want to be able to impact the outcome by using skill or smarts. Bingo just isn’t like that.
Your fate is up to the Bingo Gods, and it’s not the game’s fault if someone can’t cope with that.
They Had a Bad Experience
If someone’s first experience of bingo was a dusty old half empty hall with a caller who mumbled and some Karen telling everyone off for talking, it’s fair enough if they didn’t walk away thrilled with their evening.
But bingo isn’t usually like that.
Nevertheless, a bad first experience can really put people off coming back to try the game again. A first impression is very hard to shake, so unless they are dragged back and end up having a polar opposite experience, they could spend their whole life hating bingo and never know what they are missing.
Pray for these poor people. They know not what they do.
It’s For Old People
This is a myth that just won’t quit, isn’t it?
It’s true that more older people enjoy bingo more than going to nightclubs or playing 5-a-side football, but my local halls are full of people of all ages. Especially the evening games.
A night at the bingo is almost the same as a night at the pub for many of them, or a good place to start the night before heading out for a boogie afterwards. It has a real party atmosphere. The earlies sessions are calmer, and these attract more older people, but the game as a whole is not just for old people.
Nevertheless, if someone in their 30s thinks they are going to be surrounded by knitted cardigan wearing pensioners all night at the bingo, they may well decide the game is not for them.
The Real Reason People Say They Don’t Like Bingo
In the end, I think that most people who say they don’t like bingo don’t fully understand the game or what it is all about. Either that or they have had a bad experience in the past which has put them off.
Because I don’t know a single person who could show up to a lively Saturday night bingo session, packed with hundreds of people in a great mood, and not at least enjoy it a little bit. There’s a bar, there are snacks, there are prizes, jokes, the game itself, loads of socialising – it’s ace!
I totally get that the game is not for everyone. It’s probably too simple for someone who really wants to be mentally stimulated, and no good at all for anyone looking for a physical challenge. That said, most people could find something to enjoy from a night at the bingo.
To say you genuinely don’t like it, or even hate it, makes zero sense to me, and I’m not backing down from that.
Bingo forever!