Just when it looked as though bingo was about to fade into nonexistence in the late 2000s, the classic game bounced back with a bang and is now more popular than it has ever been. Indeed, the internet has brought new ways of playing bingo that have served to attract a diverse range of players. Ideas have come about which were never explored before in the bingo halls, with the land-based establishments once severely threatened by the smoking ban in the UK. Now that bingo is able to reach more people in an online setting, it may be time for radio stations to get in on the craze and offer radio bingo.
How Would Radio Bingo Work?
Radio bingo would be a fairly easy game to set up, and some local stations already offer the pastime over the airwaves. LMFM Radio in Ireland, for instance, broadcasts games of radio bingo, which are popular with listeners. Players buy bingo books in the same way as they would obtain lottery tickets, and they are given some numbers to cross off before the draw goes live. The radio station then reads out a further ten numbers. These radio-enabled games have rolling jackpots, which can sometimes reach staggering sums.
To make things even more exciting, Moorlands Radio could look into combining bingo with some other thrilling games. At popular bingo sites, bingo and slots online are often brought together to attract a wider player demographic. Some players will to a site for the themed slots like Blown Away and Enchanted Lamp, and then move on to the bingo games – and vice versa. Radio stations couldn’t offer slots, but they could combine their bingo games with other fun activities such as quizzes.
How Could Radio Stations Make it Appeal to Locals?
One of the ways that Moorlands Radio and other Staffordshire-based stations could gear the bingo games to people from the area could be to modify the traditional bingo calls. Most people will be familiar with the classics such as “two fat ladies, 88” and “knock at the door, 4.” But these are universal calls and don’t really offer anything new to the people from Stoke and the surrounding cities. This is where radio stations have the opportunity to get inventive.
There are various landmarks in the area which could become new bingo calls in their own right. With Alton Towers being one of the main attractions in the county, its rides could offer opportunities. Options could include “Oblivion, 21” or “Nemesis, 42” – as the ride is 42 feet high. Other scenic locations in the region are Trentham Estate (38) and Drayton Manor Zoo (52). This would not only make the game specifically and uniquely designed for people from Staffordshire, but it could also inspire listeners to go on days out in the county.
Radio bingo is certainly an exciting option for radio stations who want to bring more thrills to listeners. With bingo being so popular in the UK at the moment, it will be sure to attract a lot of players, while using Staffordshire landmarks as bingo calls would make the game truly unique.
