We blooming love giving National days out in this country, don’t we?
On top of the biggies that everyone knows such as Mother’s day, Father’s day, St George’s day, etc,. there are some pretty funky ones too; like National Wear a Hat day (March 31st), National Pumpkin day (October 25th), and even a National Sauvignon Blanc day (May 6th) – yes please!
Some of them are, quite frankly ridiculous – there’s even a National Hummus day for goodness sake – there are so many that there are even websites like ThereisaDayforThat and AwarenessDays which track them for each country.
It’s only right then, that among these nonsense awareness days, the much more important subject of Bingo gets some of the attention, but believe it or not, our cherished game has only had its own day of celebration in the UK since 2021.
We know! Outrageous.
This means that a lot of people probably don’t even know that it exists, so in this article, we will do our best to change that, and spread the word of National Bingo Day far and wide.
So what is it, when is it, and how can you get involved?
What is National Bingo Day?
Celebrated on the 27th June every year, National Bingo Day originated in America, although exactly when, how and why it began is not widely known.
It hasn’t been around for very long, so our guess is that it was invented as a marketing exercise to build interest in the game, and a good job too.
The precise origins don’t really matter though, what does matter is that the big day is here now, and ever since its first UK outing in 2021 it has been going great guns.
That year, every single licensed bingo club in the country signed up to get involved, and 88% of the online operators in the UK celebrated the day too.
Back in 2022, the celebrations grew even bigger, with the National Game boosting the prize to £100,000, and at least 26 MPs getting their dabbers out and joining their constituents at their local bingo hall.
You know it’s getting plenty of attention if politicians are turning up for photo opportunities.
As well as boosting the bingo fun, National Bingo Day is also used to boost the bank balances of charities, with collections for various different causes each year.
What Happens on the Day?
Loads of people play bingo!
It’s an opportunity to show support to the game and the bingo community by lots of people playing on the same day.
Clubs and websites usually boost their promotions, add prizes, invite special guests, maybe give out some free food, that sort of thing, just to make it a bit of an extra special bingo session.
This sort of thing is more likely to attract regulars and more occasional players, all on the same day, so halls will be buzzing with activity.
There is nothing official that has to happen, so it is up to each club and site to decide how they want to mark the occasion, but the National Game will obviously be the same in each club, which ties everything together.
Some clubs and sites even extend the festivities and make it a week long thing, or a long weekend, it just depends what day it lands on.
It will always be on the 27th June, but the day of the week will change from year to year, as you can see below:
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | June 27th | Tuesday |
| 2024 | June 27th | Thursday |
| 2025 | June 27th | Friday |
| 2026 | June 27th | Saturday |
| 2027 | June 27th | Sunday |
| 2028 | June 27th | Tuesday |
| 2029 | June 27th | Wednesday |
| 2030 | June 27th | Thursday |
On the day though, you will generally find that everyone is in higher spirits, the bingo rooms and halls are much busier, and people are much more likely to make a proper day (or night) of it. Some might dress up, or buy extra tickets, for example.
It’s the perfect day for anyone new to the game to give it a try, because it will likely be one of the most entertaining introductions to the game you can get, so mark the 27th June in your diary, and if you have never bin, then go.
How to Get Involved in National Bingo Day
The brilliant thing about bingo is that it can be whatever you want it to be; from a full day out with friends, to a quick game on your way home from work to give yourself an hour’s ‘me time’.
National Bingo Day is the same.
All you have to do to get involved is play the game, but you can celebrate it in any way you like. Whether you play in person at your local bingo hall or log on to your favourite bingo site, it’s up to you.
If you want a live experience you can take a group of mates, you can mingle while you’re there, or you can go alone and sit at the back, it’s your call. You could even just go and have a drink at the bar and soak up the atmosphere without playing at all if you didn’t want to… but that would be crazy if you ask us.
If you prefer to play in front of the telly then you can make yourself a brew, stick your favourite soap on, and put your feet up while you play on your phone or tablet. Any site that is signed up will be displaying the National Bingo Day logo, so you will quickly be able to tell if your site is taking part.
The point is that National Bingo Day is there to be enjoyed however you would like to enjoy it. It’s a great opportunity for the whole bingo community to pull together, enjoy lots of bingo and quite often extra goodies or enhanced prizes too, and it also gives the bingo industry a much welcomed boost midway through the year.