What's your take on bingo?

The Bingo halls around here are not just playing Bingo. They also sell a thing called “Pull Tabs,” which can net the winner $1000 down to $200, depending on what box the tab cards came out of. I have known people, who have been very lucky to win as much as in excess of $3000 in one night.

Before small games of chance became legal here in Pennsylvania, I made a lot of trips to bingo halls, churches, volunteer fire companies, etc. My job was to shut them down. That usually didn’t happen.

Talk to any bingo hall operator here in PA and they will tell you that they make their money from selling pull tabs at $1 each, some folks will buy as many as 50 pull tabs at a time.

IMG_0626.jpeg
 

I think there is a reason it's popular in nursing homes. Like you say, just put a chip on the number and then the resident's get prizes or Bingo "cash." I worked at a place that gave the bingo cash and would have the bingo store drawing names for who could go first. They had to come up with another solution as there were literal arguments.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
For some unknown reason, seniors are supposed to be bingo addicts. We can't live without the sound of "B-63". At everyone one of the nearby senior centers, there's bingo hour. I hate bingo. How much skill does it take to put a chip on "N-81"? For me, bingo is OK for 3 minutes, after that where's the door? I kind of resent that hauling out a bingo game is the best they can do for seniors. Are you a bingo addict? What's your take on bingo?
Click to expand...
Meh. Not my circus, not my monkeys.
 

911 said:
The Bingo halls around here are not just playing Bingo. They also sell a thing called “Pull Tabs,” which can net the winner $1000 down to $200, depending on what box the tab cards came out of. I have known people, who have been very lucky to win as much as in excess of $3000 in one night.

Before small games of chance became legal here in Pennsylvania, I made a lot of trips to bingo halls, churches, volunteer fire companies, etc. My job was to shut them down. That usually didn’t happen.

Talk to any bingo hall operator here in PA and they will tell you that they make their money from selling pull tabs at $1 each, some folks will buy as many as 50 pull tabs at a time.

View attachment 322931
Click to expand...
not a lot different from Scratch cards in the way they entice people into spending money hoping for big prize.

the fact is that most people who have a gambling problem are not big casino players but punters like these.. spending £50 on pull tabs or scratch cards.. or Slot machines, lottery tickets or bingo... that they can not afford to spend
 
Last edited:
fuzzybuddy said:
For some unknown reason, seniors are supposed to be bingo addicts. We can't live without the sound of "B-63". At everyone one of the nearby senior centers, there's bingo hour. I hate bingo. How much skill does it take to put a chip on "N-81"? For me, bingo is OK for 3 minutes, after that where's the door? I kind of resent that hauling out a bingo game is the best they can do for seniors. Are you a bingo addict? What's your take on bingo?
Click to expand...
About the same as yours, fuzzy !
 
debodun said:
When we had the seniors club here (stopped during the pandemic and never got started again), BINGO was always part of the activities. No gambling involved, though. We just played for small prizes like some potholders or a box of M&Ms which were provided by whatever funds were set aside for that activity. I liked it.
Click to expand...
I knew you’d be one who likes it.
No sarcasm. 😅
 
MarkD said:
I have met the old people and I am them. But I’m not ready to watch the same old movies all day with volume off or bingo.
Click to expand...
we're the fortunate ones aren't we. that we have relative good health and can have the choice of doing other things.. some old people.. and that included people our ages.. don't have much choice unfortunately..
 
Bingo 4th of July weekend 1987 at a Theme Park. My Lil Son age 7 loved it. I like riding the Pirate ship. haha
 
They still play Bingo at county fairs and the community center in my area. I’ve always found it slow paced and boring as well, and have even tried then deleted Bingo apps on my tablet. If they wanted to liven things up, they should divide seniors into teams, and give them all paintball guns! 🙀
 
When I moved here almost 6 years ago there was a twice a month Bingo game downstairs in the community room. I hate games.......but it was a way to meet my neighbors, especially the ones on other floors. So I went. After I became friends with everyone I went just for the social interaction. They do not play for money or prizes. Just talking with each other and having coffee and some people bring snacks. Now we have not been playing it a few months. Some of the people who play have had health issues. There is talk about doing it again soon but I think I will be skipping it.
 
Boring! Working in nursing homes since 1996, Bingo is something I see at least 2 or 3 times a week. I'm walking down the hall and I hear N34!
I18! G52! Over the years, I started to poke fun at the game by shouting out responses to the numbers being called. B12! "My favorite vitamin!"
O62! "O say can you see!" I21! "She's not 21!" But the residents always love to play it. Not all of them. Some never do. But some always do.

There are always prizes if you win. When I was working at the previous nursing home, I sometimes brought in things that I didn't want anymore, to donate to the Activities Department for a prizes in Bingo.
 
In our over-55 community I think it's more a social activity than anything else. Prizes are simple $5 or $10 gift cards to local stores. It's a fun time to hangout, visit and laugh for a couple of hours once a month or so. It's a suitably sedentary activity that allows those who don't (or can't) do sporting things or cards etc. a chance to participate socially.
 
Before casinos existed here, owning a bingo hall was big business. The Catholic church had the monopoly and fought when an actual business wanted to open a dedicated building. Some games or maybe all had to give a portion back to charity. This was back in days of smoking being permitted anywhere. Our group had to send volunteers to assist at games on a monthly basis so we could get our share. I couldn’t handle the smoke. It was quite a battle for that business to open and the owners made a fortune.

I played a few cards, one at a time, on a cruise. The pros would be playing several. It was boring.
 
dilettante said:
I've been single for ages now, and even I don't go to bars and get drunk.
Click to expand...
Me neither.....those days are long gone.
My uncles owned bars and hofbraus here in town and it was hard to resist not hanging out there on the wknds back in the day. Or after work. :)
 

Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top