Yorkshire as a county is known for many things. From its beautiful landscape of rolling moors and hills to the famous savoury pudding that bears its name.
The Yorkshire of 2023 is also recognised for its love of bingo though. Whether it is playing the game online at a site such as 888 Ladies or visiting one of several bingo halls, the people of Yorkshire have taken this popular British pastime to their hearts.
The excitement of bingo and the chance to take a flutter might run counter to the dour image of Yorkshire in the minds of people in other parts of the UK. However the fact remains that bingo is now as much a part of the county as its famous Yorkshire Dales and metal industries.
If you want to learn more about how this happened, read on.
The Yorkshire Embrace of Bingo
The popularity of bingo across Yorkshire is not an isolated phenomenon. The customer base for this game has been growing throughout the country over the past few years.
It represents something of a second wind for bingo, a game that appeared to be on the way out back in the 1980s and 1990s. Having arrived on these shores early in the last century, it hit a peak of popularity over a three-decade period that began in the 1950s.
That saw it embraced by a generation of women (bingo has always been female dominated) who viewed the high street bingo hall as great way to socialise on a night out. Bingo only went into a decline when other forms of entertainment started to appear and compete for the pennies of women who enjoyed increasing levels of disposable income.
The revival of it in Yorkshire and the rest of the UK was fuelled by one thing: online bingo. This first surfaced in the 1990s and took off as using the internet became a mainstream thing.
The best and most successful online bingo sites have rebranded the game as modern, exciting and colourful. That has helped it to grab the attention of a new, young generation of players.
Yorkshire still has plenty of other entertainment options, from ice skating rinks to cinemas, but bingo is easily holding its own against them.
Best Yorkshire Venues
Although online bingo is the way that most young people in Yorkshire play, it is certainly not the only way. The county is home to many excellent bingo halls that regularly draw large numbers, including:
- Mecca Crossgates
This hall is popular throughout Yorkshire, because its setting a few miles outside Leeds city centre and good transport links make it easy to get to. It has physical and online games and seats 1,100 people.
- Mecca Leeds Mayfair
This branch of the huge Mecca chain is the main central hall in Leeds. With room for 800 players it has jackpots of up to £1 million that draw in lots of people.
- Buzz Bingo Sheffield Parkway
The premier bingo hall in Sheffield is this one. Found in Cricket Inn Road, it boasts slots as well as bingo and other live entertainment shows.
Why People in Yorkshire Love Bingo
One reason why people in Yorkshire have particularly embraced bingo is the love for traditional entertainment that endures within the county. It means that people still play it in village halls and pubs as well as online and at bingo halls and it remains a popular fundraising activity.
Beyond that though there is the way that online bingo has ignited the enthusiasm of young people. They have taken the passion discovered on the internet and started to frequent bingo halls as well as themed bingo party nights.
These range from things like Drag Queen Bingo, which capitalises on renewed interest in drag sparked by Ru Paul’s Drag Race, and Bottomless Brunch Bingo to Bongo’s Bingo and other events that combine it with live music and dancing. Thus bingo in Yorkshire crosses the generational divide.
Offline vs. Online
Both of these formats are liked for different reasons. Online bingo presents an unbeatable choice of games that can be played from home – which can be appealing in a part of the country not known for sunny weather.
On the other hand, going to halls or themed parties gives people the chance to play the game while socialising. Each has its place.
Given the continuing popularity both of them enjoy throughout Yorkshire there does not seem to be much likelihood of enthusiasm for bingo in the county dying out any time soon. Some bingo halls may have shut down, but the big Mecca and Buzz chains are still going strong, while bingo parties are a regular feature of the region’s nightlife.
There are lots of reasons why Yorkshire loves bingo and why it will continue to do so.