How Bingo Spearheaded the Modern Mobile Gaming Industry

Once considered little more than an industry afterthought, with many of the most popular games consisting of hastily-produced point-and-click flash-style games, things have changed significantly in recent years.

In 2020, the mobile gaming industry crossed a major milestone, surpassing all other forms of gaming to become the most significant and lucrative form of gaming in the world, responsible for just over half of all gaming revenue, at around $85 billion.

But how did all of this happen, and what does mobile gaming owe its success to? While mobile penetration, better-quality mobile hardware, and buy-in from major console game developers are all contributing factors, this does not explain the origins of mobile gaming's success.

For this, we have to go much further back, to the classic and humble game of bingo. If you are wondering why bingo is so important to the success story of modern mobile gaming, read on to find out more. 

Picture 1 of How Bingo Spearheaded the Modern Mobile Gaming Industry

Bingo has become a mainstay of the mobile gaming industry in recent years (Source: Adobe) 

1. From Bingo Halls to Mobile Apps 

Although many people associate bingo with modern mobile bingo apps and social media games, the origins of bingo stretch all the way back to 16th century Italy, where the game went by the name of Il Gioco del Lotto d'Italia'.

The game's popularity began to spread across continental Europe in pre-revolutionary France, where the 18th-century Parisian aristocracy proved to be huge fans of the game they dubbed 'Le Lotto', often throwing raucous bingo parties in the elegant townhouses of the Marais and the Faubourg Saint-Honoré.

Soon after, bingo made its way to the shores of Britain, where it gradually moved from being an aristocratic pursuit to a more common game, as the world's first mass bingo halls opened in London in the 19th century.

It is believed that the game first earned the name 'bingo' sometime in the 1920s in the US state of Georgia. As the legend goes, the toy manufacturer Edwin S. Lowe discovered the game at a carnival, where it went by the name of "beano" as beans were typically used to mark numbers on the bingo sheet.

When playing beano with friends, one of Lowe's elated companions mistakenly shouted "bingo!" they scored a full house, with Lowe deciding to market the game to the American public under that name.

Throughout the 20th century, especially in Britain and the US, bingo halls became the epicenter of social life, mostly among urban and suburban lower-middle classes. The simplicity of the game, highly social atmosphere, and the potentially huge prizes on offer for a very modest buy-in all contributed to the popularity of the game. 

By the beginning of the 21st century, bingo's popularity was waning across Europe and the US, with thousands of once-popular bingo halls closing. However, this decline was short-lived, thanks to the rapid ascendancy of online bingo, particularly on mobile devices.

You can now play a staggering variety of bingo games all from a single mobile app. All you need to do is create an account, verify your information, add a mobile payment platform, and begin playing. No matter where you are in the world, you can play real-money bingo with real players, simply by opening up a dedicated bingo app, selecting your favorite game, and tapping away. 

2. How Mobile Has Changed Bingo

So, how did the rise of mobile gaming help to revive the fortunes of bingo? In short, bingo is tailor-made for mobile app developers. All of the most successful mobile games in history, from Angry Birds to Candy Crush, owe their success to their simple, one-tap formats that allow people to enjoy the full gaming experience with even the most basic smartphone device.

Bingo requires nothing more than a number grid and a random number generator in order to work, making it ideal for any mobile game developer. This is why many prominent mobile game companies quickly leaned into bingo, rolling it out as a simple and effective mobile game that does not require any skill or fancy hardware to play well.

This has helped to shift perceptions of the game from something that is old-hat to something that is accessible and immediate - two factors that are essential for mobile gaming success. Now, the growth of app-based bingo gaming is fueling a global resurgence of bingo, albeit in the digital realm. In addition, thanks to the rise of mobile payment solutions such as PayPal and Apple Pay, real money mobile bingo is growing fast. 

Picture 2 of How Bingo Spearheaded the Modern Mobile Gaming Industry

A huge appeal of iBingo is that it is very easy for people to play (Source: Unsplash).

3. How to Create a Winning Mobile Game 

Of course, if you want to design and launch your own successful mobile bingo map, it is easier said than done. It is not enough to simply offer a good game of bingo - there are now hundreds of different mobile bingo providers out there, with hugely varying levels of quality on offer. If you want to know what constitutes a successful bingo app, you can look at the most popular places where you can play bingo on mobile.

First, you need a user-friendly app interface that utilizes the principle of mobile UX to provide a smooth and straightforward bingo experience. Second, you need to be able to offer a welcome bonus to new mobile players, such as 15 free bingo spins to anyone who creates an account and downloads the app.

It is also important to have a wide range of different bingo games on your app, such as themed bingo titles like Roulette Bingo. In addition, don't forget to offer all of your players total convenience, security, and accessibility.

A quality bingo site should offer a variety of ways to make deposits and withdraw cash bingo winnings, with popular payment platforms such as Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, and Apple Pay being a good place to start.

Competition is fierce, so anyone wishing to break out with a successful bingo app needs to go above and beyond to catch the attention of bingo fans. 

Marvin Fry

Update 20 February 2021