The stereotype of the average bingo player in America is one of an elderly woman who joins her cohort within a community or retirement facility hall once a week to engage in game play. If this generalization held true, perhaps there wouldn’t be as much concern from a mental and behavioral health perspective in America. Researchers have found bingo to be quite beneficial among the senior population:
“Their devotion to bingo was evident not only in their regular attendance, but also in their engagement with the game. During other community activities, I watched residents fall asleep or leave in the middle to go to the bathroom. But, during bingo, players sat rapt with attention throughout the whole two hours, utterly engrossed in the game’s uncertain chance […] The point of playing bingo, I would learn from its players, was not to win, but instead to enjoy the electric, rhythmic tension of the game, which intensified as players got closer to a win. Players identified good bingo play as that which enabled them to enter a flow-like state, the experience of total absorption and heightened emotions, including anticipation, excitement and fun.” (The Sociological Review)
In reality, the average age of the American bingo player is significantly lower than it was decades ago. Pechanga.net, an online resource regarding the Native American gaming industry in the United States, has found that 80% of those who play bingo regularly are under 41 years old. Backing up this data, is GameDeveloper, which reports that the average bingo player is predominantly female and also fits in the 18-35 age bracket. Meanwhile, a survey of bingo players at a midwestern hotel & casino found that 59% of bingo players are Millennials (aged 29-44) followed by Gen-Xers at 21% and Gen-Zers at 14%, with Baby Boomer coming in last at just 6%.
What’s going on here?
Aside from the 18-to-late-30s age group urge to participate in activities ironically (a phenomenon worth exploring in an entirely different article) the credit for the rise of bingo play among young adults is the proliferation of digital transformation. Bingo games are heavily featuring in gambling and gaming apps and websites that target young adults in America, and this is coinciding with online search for help to fight bingo addiction. Have a look at the following data from Google’s keyword research tool which unveils the volume of queries conducted from within the most populated U.S. states:
Up to 1000 individuals per month per the most populated U.S. states are searching for information relating to bingo addiction, while the “addicted to online bingo” query is experiencing year-over-year and 3-month growth of “+ ∞” (positive infinity) which indicates a significant-to-extremely high positive growth in search volume.
As someone searching for information on problematic bingo play you’re looking for added insight that may be needed for personal reasons. Below is a succinct overview of what you need to know.
Overview of Bingo Addiction in America (and where to get help)
Signs of Symptoms of Bingo Addiction
The signs and symptoms of problematic bingo play are essentially the same as they are for other forms of gambling:
- An individual frequently thinks about the bingo.
- An individual needs to spend increasing amounts of money on bingo not just to increase their perceived chances of winning, but to attain the same rush of excitement that they once felt with smaller buy-ins.
- An individual has attempted to control, cut down, or stop playing bingo without success.
- An individual gets irritable, restless, or anxious when they miss a “bingo night” or have not played online in awhile.
- An individual plays bingo as a means to cope with and escape negative feelings.
- An individual has lied to family (or friends) about playing bingo.
- An individual has sustained debt due to playing bingo.
- An individual frequently asks for money and/or has resorted to theft to support bingo play.
Issues That Cooccur with Bingo Addiction
Given that bingo is a form of gambling (when money is involved) the issues that are known to cooccur with problematic bingo play are essentially the same as they are for sports betting and casino gaming:
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Anger and Irritability
- Anxiety
- Bipolar Disoder
- Depression
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Schizophrenia
- Substance Abuse
Learn more about problem gambling and co-existing mental health issues (view here). If you or someone you care about struggles with any of the above, more mindfulness regarding participation in bingo is required.
Bingo Addiction Statistics
Most research on problem gambling is devoted to the exploration of sports betting and traditional casino gaming (slots, table games, et cetera). Consequently, more research needs to be done to paint a more comprehensive picture of bingo addiction statistics in America. That being said, there is some data worth noting:
13% of worldwide problem gamblers report that bingo is what they struggle with (source)
Between 8.6% and 19.8% of high school students reported trying bingo at least once in the previous year, which is concerning given that youth are most (among age groups) at risk for developing problematic gambling behavior (source)
The Social Gaming Problem
Playing bingo for money (land-based or online) is fully considered gambling and is therefore illegal in the two states that have outright banned all forms of gambling – Utah and Hawaii. Online bingo is also outlawed in Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Nevada, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Wisconsin, Washington and South Dakota. However, there are online gaming platforms that heavily feature bingo games that have been able to sidestep gambling laws in all other states aside from Utah and Hawaii. These are known as social casinos (also referred to as sweepstakes casinos). Unlike with regular real-money online casinos that offer bingo, they are accessible in Google and Apple app stores in addition to social media platforms.
The problem with social casino platforms, is that they don’t fall under the same federal and state legislation as real-money online casinos. However, there is absolutely a real money component. Players must buy-in with real-money to accelerate game play with virtual games/tokens. As bingo-dabber win totals are accumulated, players can exchange their coins or tokens for real money. And because social/sweepstakes bingo doesn’t land under the same legislation, they are also not required to follow the same laws regarding Responsible Gaming as real-money online casinos are. This can place those who are vulnerable to problem gambling at further risk. Tap here to view more on how social/sweepstakes casinos are essentially the same as gambling.
Gateway to Other Forms of Gambling
A recent study found that amongst earlier-onset gamblers, at-risk and problem gamblers (41.53%) individuals were more likely than low-risk gamblers (33.39%) to have played bingo at church, synagogue, or other public place in the past. It’s a lot like scratch tickets, which many think is harmless as they present them as gifts to kids during birthdays and holidays. Another study north of the U.S. border estimated that more than 16% of past year bingo players are moderate problem or severe problem gamblers which is significantly higher than the estimated problem gambling rate among the general population (4.6%). The same report found that the lifetime prevalence rate of pathological gambling in California was found to be 200% higher among bingo gamblers than among gamblers of the general population.
The reason bingo may be a gateway, is the perception that it’s a relatively harmless activity that introduces someone to gambling behavior. This is explored in the next section.
Problematic Perception as a Low Risk Form of Gambling
“One activity often considered a low-risk form of gambling is bingo, which has received little attention from researchers in the field of gambling studies. In early studies, bingo was described as a relatively innocuous leisure activity, mostly popular among working class women in search of entertainment, socialization, and friendship. Today, bingo is often viewed as a social game without labels of deviance and, in fact, enjoys an air of benevolence due to its common association with fundraising efforts […] As a result, very little is known about the prevalence of bingo playing, the potential risks associated with regular bingo playing, and its possible influence on the development of problem gambling.” (ResearchGate)
The same perception of bingo being a low risk gambling activity that has offered little research to derive usable statistics, also presents a risk to those who participate. Someone who understands that they may be predisposed to towards problem gambling through age, gender, genetic, or psychological factors may not exercise the same caution regarding abstinence or mindfulness about signs of problematic participation.
Further, those who are compromised and look for help to address their concerns about bingo addiction may not find search results that lead to activity-specific counseling services. Fortunately, you have found Kindbridge Behavioral Health.
Where to Get Help for Bingo Addiction
Kindbridge is America’s foremost provider of problem gambling treatment, which includes counseling services for those who report as being addicted to online bingo. Our virtual platform is accessible, affordable (direct billing available), and proven effective. Connect to a care coordinator right away to receive a FREE assessment and to schedule your first session.
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