Bingo Numbers: 3.5 million players noted

A new study by research company Mintel shows that the game of bingo is enjoyed on a regular basis internationally by some 3.5 million punters, and the demographic of those playing the game has shifted towards a younger segment, with 20 percent of players now coming from the 18 to 24 age group.
 
The 18 to 45 age bracket accounts for 62 percent of all bingo players, with the online version of the game growing fast as live bingo revenues have fallen by 26 percent. There has been a 60 percent increase in the number of people playing bingo online, compared to a 10 percent drop in the number of people visiting live bingo clubs from 2006 until the end of 2008.
 
The study rates the prospects for online bingo as good, and with major companies becoming increasingly competitive in the online space an increase in advertising activity can be expected.
 
The study found that Cashcade (recently acquired by Party Gaming), Gamesys's Sun Bingo website, Gala Bingo and William Hill Online were the leaders in online bingo advertising, spending over GBP 10 million on advertising in 2008, while the nearest competing rival bingo brands combined spent less than GBP 5 million.
 
SunBingo was assessed as the biggest online bingo advertising spender with budgets of GBP 3.2 million, with Cashcade subsidiary Foxy Bingo treading on its heels at GBP 3 million, Gala Bingo on GBP 2.3 million and William Hill Online (WHO) committing GBP 1.6 million to advertising its bingo products.
 
Party Gaming's bingo adspend was GBP 994 000, Think Bingo spent GBP 786 000, Mecca GBP 342 000 and Littlewoods, Bingos.net, Bingos.co.uk and Buckingham Bingo Club all in the GBP 100 000 bracket.
 
The report notes that: “As an indication of how the power in the bingo market is shifting towards the online arena, the main investors in main media advertising in 2007 and 2008 have been the major online players.”