Having a few cheeky pints and glasses of wine with my bingo fellow Bingo Brothers (and Sisters) just after Christmas, we were thinking about what were the best Bingo moments of 2011.

Geoff said that it was when an elderly couple who came regularly to his Bingo Hall finally had a big Jackpot multiplier win. They were overjoyed! Awww!

Susan said that one evening she had met a couple of people online while she was Chat Room hosting/moderating and got on so well with them, that they contacted each other on Facebook and Twitter and are now planning to go on holiday together next year! A Bingo Cruise perhaps?

Steve said he really enjoyed a week’s gigging in Tenerife for Holidaymakers at a Large Hotel and Apartment complex. He said that the atmosphere was every bit as fun as in an English Bingo Hall. He said that this was all the more surprising as many of the guests were German (and he had to call the numbers in German, as well as Spanish and English). He said the only thing was that only the English shouted “House” or “Bingo”. The Germans shouted “Hier” or “Ja” while the Spanish yelled Hola (he thought they were shouting Oley!!)

One other person said that it was great when someone one a big multi-Hall jackpot at his venue- always the entrepreneur, he said it should show that his Bingo Hall was lucky and that that should bring more players in. Hmmm- it could also be that his Hall had used up their measure of “Big Luck” and that people would stay away for a few weeks, till the Luck Levels grew back up!

On a sadder note, a fellow Caller said that his local Bingo Hall had called it a day and was being bought out by a Church. I’ve heard that happening to a few venues. They started out as cinemas in the 1930s 40’s and 50s, switched to Bingo because of the widespread ownership of televisions, and now were falling prey to falling attendances, and more people playing online. However he said that he hoped to get a job as a chat room host/moderator with an online Bingo company, who were keen to have a veteran of the old school on their books!

2011 has seen the growth in online Bingo continuing, more advertising on the television and cinemas, and bigger prizes. I wonder what 2012 will bring? I just hope that some onliners will try out live land-based Bingo and support their local (or not so local) Bingo Hall. It’s a different take on the game we all love, and in my book (or should I say Bingo Card) there’s room for both in people’s lives!

Good Luck and have a great 2012!