Twenty years ago the only things that went viral were diseases and trends that were best observed as years long patterns. Now however, we live in a world where the internet can spark a ‘Creepy Clown’ epidemic as it did in 2016 or shame us all into baking banana bread as happened last year.
Predicting the next big trend is way beyond our pay grade so instead we’ll stick to exploring the latest trends surfacing on social media right now, which leads us on to Penny Bingo.
It’s the game that has been hyped up by seasoned bingo players and complete novices on almost every social media platform in recent weeks. We decided to take a look at it for ourselves and see what all the hype was about…
What is Penny Bingo?
A bit like Ronseal, Penny Bingo does what it says on the tin. It is the new form of online bingo that can be played from just 1 penny. If you don’t know anything about bingo all you need to know about Penny Bingo is that it is exceedingly cheap.
An average night at the bingo according to the National Bingo Game Association should cost, on average £20. Penny Bingo is therefore a much more cost effective option for players looking to stick to a strict budget.
Why is Penny Bingo so Hyped?
There is no one reason to explain the hype surrounding Penny Bingo rather its popularity is down to a perfect storm of circumstance. The main one being the rising popularity of online bingo which was greatly accelerated as a result of the pandemic.
With people all over the country cooped up at home frantically looking for something to entertain them, online bingo became the perfect outlet. The game in its online format is fast-paced, exciting and brings people together in a unique social setting, albeit a virtual one.
Penny Bingo then began to be pushed by a number of the main online bingo providers over the summer and it took off with a huge market of recently converted online players.
The game has also received a boost in hype thanks to the unexpected trend of ASMR bingo that has seen influencers and creators producing videos of themselves filling out bingo cards to soothe their followers.
Are There Prizes?
If the cost of the bingo is so low, what, you might wonder, are the prizes like? Well, whilst you would be forgiven for thinking that the top prize in Penny Bingo would be £7.86 you would be totally wrong.
The prizes on offer are actually quite appealing and whilst they are not at the mind blowing heights of huge bingo tournament prizes, they are worth your attention. Most providers offer top prizes up to £1,000 with some even dropping in experience prizes like overnight stays in 5 star hotels.
How do Penny Bingo Providers Make Money?
If the top prize at Penny Bingo is £1,000 then the provider would need to have a minimum of 100,001 players to post a profit and that’s not realistic. Can you imagine over 100,000 people logging in to play Penny Bingo on a Wednesday afternoon?
The providers therefore have to make their money through other means and advertising provides them with an ample opportunity to do just that. In fact, many of the experience prizes are offered free of charge by companies keen to market to hundreds of Penny Bingo players.
On top of that, the bingo provider sells out prime marketing space on their apps or desktop sites knowing that they can guarantee potential sponsors hundreds of pairs of eyes to regularly look at their advertising campaigns.
It’s pretty much the same model that free apps follow as charging 79p or £3.99 is likely to scare of potential users whereas most people don’t mind being advertised to in-app.
(Penny Bingo sites sell up advertising space like its Piccadilly Circus.)
Why should you Play Penny Bingo?
If you want to play a game that is fast-paced, easy to keep up with and super cheap then Penny Bingo is the game for you. It’s a great way to pass the time and because of the built in chat facilities, it’s a good way to socialise.
In addition to that, there’s the constant chance of winning money and prizes which is more than you can say for anything else that costs a penny!
What are the Downsides of Penny Bingo?
Like anything in life, Penny Bingo does come with downsides. The main one being that it’s a tough game to get rich at which isn’t a swipe at the prize money, more at the popularity of the game.
Your chances of winning big at a virtual or real bingo hall always come down to the amount of players you’re competing against. The more players there are, the lower the chances there are of you winning and the higher the chances of you having to share your winnings if you do.
Penny Bingo by its very nature attracts far more players than regular bingo, so the odds very quickly start to work against you. That said though, relatively few people play bingo to get rich so if you can accept that you aren’t going to win life-changing sums from Penny Bingo then it shouldn’t be too big a problem.
The Final Word
Unlike many of the trends of the past 12 months Penny Bingo isn’t one that instantly gets on our nerves. In fact, it’s a great way to idle away the time and an even better way to reconnect with your friends.
If you’ve played Penny Bingo and loved it or even hated it, let us know in the comments section below.