Bingo seems like harmless fun – but higher stakes and new technology are making it more dangerous

Bingo, with its familiar rules, novelty number calls (“legs 11”, “two ducks swimming”) and social setting, has long had a reputation as harmless and friendly.

Also called “housie”, bingo is a game in which players mark numbers on a grid as a caller reads them out. The first person whose numbers are all called out cries “bingo” and wins. The game of chance is played in many different venues: from licensed bingo centres, to clubs like RSLs, in churches and nursing homes and, increasingly, online.

Our new research shows technological developments, large jackpots, and locating bingo in the same venue as pokies or other gambling products bring new risks to players. Bingo’s innocuous reputation is due for a rethink.

Read more: We're told to 'gamble responsibly'. But what does that actually mean?

A different crowd

Around 18,000 Victorian adults play bingo at least once a year.

The game attracts a different demographic to other forms of gambling. Bingo players are often women, older, Indigenous and poorer.

Almost a third of Australian bingo players have gambling problems, although it is unclear if these problems relate to bingo or to other games.

A US study found more than a quarter of bingo players were classified as problem gamblers. But bingo has generally been overlooked by researchers, policy makers and regulators.

We conducted the first major study of bingo in Australia. We spoke with Aboriginal and Pacific Islander people in regional Victoria, older people on fixed incomes in Melbourne, and experts. We also attended bingo sessions across Victoria.

Read more: Gambling: what happens in the brain when we get hooked – and how to regain control

‘I get lonely and bored’

People told us they liked bingo’s social connection, its relative cheapness and predictability.

As one participant said:

I’ve got no one at home […] I get lonely and bored and I just go to bingo.

The chance of winning money, escape from responsibilities and stress, and cognitive stimulation were also appealing. An older research participant told us:

You’re in another world when you’re at bingo. You have to concentrate.

A minority of study participants described harms from playing bingo, but they were significant for those experiencing them. One player noted:

I think (bingo) has a more negative effect because, just as an Indigenous community […] we have less income, we’re from poor socio-economic backgrounds.

Increased dangers

Risks associated with bingo have increased over time.

Historically, the game has been played with paper books and pens. Playing multiple games at a time requires great concentration, but experienced players can manage up to six “books” (grids) at a time.

Now, personal electronic tablets (PETs) are available in bingo centres and some RSLs. These tablets can be loaded with up to 200 games at once and automatically cross off numbers for players. Canadian research suggests tablets offer a similar gaming experience to electronic gambling machines, otherwise known as “pokies”. Fast play and flashing lights captivate players.

Tablets let people purchase and play many more games than they could on paper. One expert told us they’d seen venues where 48 “books” could be purchased via tablet, at a total cost of $600.