Bingo Play

What Makes Bingo Fun

Since I was a kid, I've been wondering why so many senior citizens in our place love to play bingo. I also wondered why it's a hit in local fairs. The minimum bet price might be low, but there is little assurance of winning. Let's try to figure this out in different points of view.

In the Philippines, bingo is played all over the country, by people of different age cluster and social status. The rules are similar as the worldwide-accepted rules. In different places, however, there are age restrictions that are followed. In malls, only legal-aged people (or 18 years old and above) can play. In fairs and carnivals, sometimes even young kids can play, as long as they have money.

Since it is a gambling game, there are certain country laws attached to it. Bingo is also available in casinos, along with so many more gambling events. In low-cost gambling areas, bets can be as low as 5 pesos to as high as whatever you want. Bingo cards are found in specially-made tables. Daubers can be stone or chalk. Since the minimum bet isn't that big, prizes aren't that big too, but still worth the play. Games usually start at 6pm, and end in the late hours of the evening. One of the anticipated parts of every game is the bingo caller. Some bingo callers have excellent voice and appealing charisma with the local folks, that's why some are encouraged to play even if they didn't have thoughts of playing.

What makes bingo fun in this kind of setting is the kind of environment; playing with different people having the same excitement as you have keeps the game on for hours. The Filipino nature of having fun in spite of difficulties is a plus. In sophisticated game areas, the stakes are higher. The minimum bet is 10 pesos, but the prizes reach up to 100,000 pesos or even higher. The place is more secure because security guards are well dispersed and there is more staff that can be seen. The system is more formal. In most situations, I see older people and professionals play. The reason might be, it is their form of relaxation, and at least they're in a mall and can walk around when they don't feel like playing. One benefit, coffee is available.

Bingo can also be played online. You can play with and meet people from different countries. You have options of playing with real money or playing without putting real money on bet. Chances are: you don't know who you're playing against so you have no ways of asking for some percent of their winnings, or they wouldn't know where to run in case of winning. It works both ways.

Bingo is not a one-person game, which only means it entails interaction. Aside from possibly winning, you also get the chance of meeting new people. If you don't win, hopefully you can ask some percentage of their winnings if you're really close with them. If you win big, either be generous or be fast in running away.