Is Bingo a Good Casino Game to Play?

Since the Italians invented bingo in the 16^th century, it has become popular around the world. People typically play in designated bingo houses near train stations, intercity bus terminals, or other busy places in a city.

Bingo players hope for a chance to win big prizes with small bets, but there are also are some special games with higher wagers, in which the winner can walk out of the bingo parlor with a brand new car.

Is Bingo Popular in Casinos?

The straightforward answer is: no, it isn't. If you've been to bingo houses, particularly around Europe, you'll remember how heavy with nerve-wracking anticipation the air was. The players' faces around you are consolidated with intent, and the players themselves - fully immersed in the small stacks of bingo sheets in front of them.

By contrast, the air around a roulette or blackjack table vibrates with excitement, and encouraging cheers can often be heard.

Not Very Popular in Vegas

The Plaza Hotel and Casino in Downtown Las Vegas is one of the few casinos that maintain large bingo halls. Plaza Hotel & Casino's Bingo has 200 fixed electronic bingo units and USB charging stations so that the younger players can share their emotions online.

Sadly, the only casino that offered bingo on The Strip, The Riviera, closed down in 2015. And although the situation improved a bit in 2017, online casinos have since dominated the bingo scenes with their lucrative no deposit bonus codes.

The No-Deposit Bonus Explained

Essentially, if you buy a certain number of spins at online slots, the casino may give you just as many free spins as a No Deposit bonus. The important thing to remember is that you always need to make a small deposit to get the free spins.

It's Better to Play Bingo at Online Casinos

Not only do online casinos offer no-deposit games, but their selection of deposit bonuses and cashback programs, as well as their referral commissions, are quite impressive.

Amigo Bingo

This online casino started in 1999 as a bingo website. Today, it offers games with 75 and 90 balls plus slots, video poker, and more.  

Their no-deposit bonus is in the form of $50 + 50 free spins using bonus code 'AMB50'. Additionally, the online casino gives a lavish 600% bonus on your first deposit, and there's a 20% deposit cashback every Friday.

Jet Bingo

Although bingo rules are simple and haven't changed since 1929, Jet Bingo provides a $30 no-deposit bonus to try your luck in the newbies' room.

Another reason why bingo isn't amazingly popular in land-based casinos is that it has only two varieties: the 75 and the 90-ball games mentioned above. In a move to liven things up a bit, Jet Bingo has introduced what they call a 2^nd Shot Bingo.

Every Sunday, the 300 unluckiest players of the previous week are invited to coax Lady Luck in a full hour of bingo games with a fixed $20 jackpot.

No Big Money

Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut and San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino in California have the two largest bingo halls in the United States - 4,000 and 2,500 players, respectively.

Yet, they make less than $200,000 a year after deducting all expenses. By contrast, an average blackjack table earns the casino between $8,000 and $47,000 per day.

Loss Leader

Essentially, the bingo parlor in every land-based casino is the main reason for losses. The few casinos in the U.S. that still maintain such facilities do so for two reasons. First, they hope to attract timid gamblers unwilling to risk their money at the roulette or the blackjack table from the onset. Second, the bingo parlor is where partners of high rollers gather to socialize and try their luck while waiting for the latter to play their hands at the poker table.

Wrap Up

Bingo isn't a good casino game to play for the following reasons:

• The profits are small for both the players and the casino
• The bingo game is pretty long and, for the most part, boring
• There are only two varieties of bingo.