Despite the rise of online gambling and digital leisure, more people play bingo in person than do so online – and most of those who play remotely still visit retail venues too.
Bingo’s status as a low-cost leisure activity has given it some protection from the cost of living crisis, meaning the main threats to its future fortunes remain rising operating costs and uncertainty around the impact of forthcoming regulatory change.
The reshaping of the retail sector that followed the pandemic is creating a real opportunity for long term growth through a smaller estate of more profitable venues that will enable operators to invest in new formats, technologies and better quality value-for-money experiences.
This report looks at the following areas:
- The continuing impact of the cost of living crisis on bingo play
- How new club concepts are reshaping retail play
- What’s driving younger people’s interest in bingo
- How bingo can become more attractive than other leisure activities
- The importance of multichannel play to the market’s future
A smaller but stronger post-pandemic bingo market can find a path to sustainable growth by creating new formats and experiences younger customers will enjoy.
David Walmsley, Research Analyst
Market Definitions
This Report covers the UK bingo market, online and in licensed clubs.
Online bingo is defined as bingo games provided by operators of websites and/or mobile apps that are licensed by the Gambling Commission for the purpose of gambling. Other products offered alongside bingo, such as casino games, instant-wins and virtual slots, are considered outside the scope of this Report.
Bingo clubs are defined as clubs that are licensed by the Gambling Commission for the purpose of playing cash bingo. Other ways of playing bingo (usually ‘prize bingo’ for prizes or lower cash returns) are also discussed, although they do not form part of the Report’s core focus.
Alongside these licensed clubs, bingo has also traditionally been played in licensed social clubs, holiday parks, working men’s clubs and political clubs. These venues are considered outside the scope of this Report, although they may be referenced for context where appropriate.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Opportunities for the bingo market
- Get smart with phones to connect with the young
- Strengthen entertainment offers to match with Millennials
- Focus on friends to stand out in the leisure crowd
- Three concepts to tap this potential
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Market size & forecast
- Market predictions
- Retail and remote segments find a new balance
- Value for money status pays off in the cost of living crisis
- Graph 1: consumer expenditure* on retail bingo, 2019/20-23/24
- Remote revenues rise – but players are staking less over time
- Graph 2: consumer expenditure* on online bingo, 2019/20-23/24
- Big two dominate in-person play
- Graph 3: leading bingo club operators’ revenues*, 2021/22-23/24
- Ageing population structure presents bingo with opportunity and challenge
- Graph 4: population, by age, 2004-64
- What consumers want and why
- Nearly a quarter-full house
- Graph 5: past-year bingo play, 2024
- Bingo breaks out beyond its traditional club base
- Graph 6: past-year experience of playing bingo in person, 2024
- Venue visitors play, drink and eat
- Graph 7: in-person bingo experiences, by type, 2024
- In-person play is more popular than online
- Graph 8: past-year experience of online bingo play, 2024
- Bingo fans are at home with smartphone play
- Graph 9: smartphone bingo play, by location, 2024
- Bingo is more fun with friends
- Graph 10: situations most likely to play bingo in, 2024
- Innovation and marketing
- Smaller clubs have a bigger future
- Bingo brands look to be seen and heard
- Graph 11: bingo operators’ total above-the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure, by media type, 2024
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market size
- Bingo benefits from third successive year of spending growth
- Pandemic legacy creates a new normal for in-person and online play
- Market forecast
- Market heads for new equilibrium
- Retail segment can put an end to long term decline
- Risk of collateral damage from remote gambling regulation
- Retail revival can counter slowdown online
- Market segmentation
- Value for money status keeps retail market in growth
- Graph 12: consumer expenditure* on retail bingo, 2019/20-23/24
- Online players stake less, but win less too
- Graph 13: consumer expenditure* on online bingo, 2019/20-23/24
- Market share
- Big two dominate in-person play
- Graph 14: leading bingo club operators’ revenues*, 2021/22-23/24
- Increase in customer spending drives revenue growth for Buzz and Mecca
- Club 3000 leads independents’ rise
- Major multinationals account for large majority of online play
- Graph 15: online bingo player metrics among Snoop SpendMapper’s cohort, by brand, 2024-25
- Market drivers
- Low economic growth rates weaken consumer spending
- Graph 16: GDP, 2021-24
- Pay rises are now running ahead of inflation…
- Graph 17: CPI inflation rate and total pay growth rate, 2021-24
- …but cost of living pressures continue to bite
- Graph 18: perception of the state of the cost of living crisis, February 2025
- Most people still seeing shop prices rise
- Financial wellbeing fluctuates with economic uncertainty
- Graph 19: the financial wellbeing index, 2016-24
- Consumer confidence is improving – but still vulnerable to shocks
- Graph 20: the financial confidence index, 2016-24
- Bingo players’ finances are holding up
- Graph 21: bingo players’ financial circumstances, 2024
- UK’s population structure continues to age
- Graph 22: population, by age, 2004-64
- Older people seek leisure activities with a younger image
- Venue numbers mask change in structure of bingo estate
- Graph 23: active licensed bingo premises, 2019-24*
- Digital bingo formats grow revenues for holiday parks
- Graph 24: Bingo Association membership, by venue type, 2023-24*
- Cost pressures put more clubs at risk
- Rise of competitive socialising benefits event-format bingo
- Graph 25: participation in competitive socialising activities, by age group, 2024
- Graph 26: age profile of competitive socialising participants*, 2024
- New technology investments support growth of multichannel play
- Regulatory change brings opportunities and risks
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Bingo play
- Nearly a quarter-full house
- High street bingo
- Game spreads beyond traditional clubs
- Use new venues as a sampling opportunity for the club game
- Graph 27: participation and spending with Bongo’s Bingo among Snoop SpendMapper’s cohort, 2024
- Old stereotypes out of fashion
- Graph 28: past-year experience of playing bingo in a venue, by age and gender, 2024
- In-person bingo is now a younger person’s game
- Target other gamblers and social entertainment game players
- Graph 29: past-year experience of playing bingo in a venue, by participation in other out-of-home leisure activities, 2024
- A varied mix of modern and retro can draw a younger social crowd
- Graph 30: past-year in-person participation in non-bingo gambling and social entertainment games, by age and gender, 2024
- Bingo club experiences
- Eating and drinking are central to the bingo club offer…
- Graph 31: in-person bingo experiences, 2024
- …although gambling is more popular overall
- Graph 32: in-person bingo experiences, by type, 2024
- Spending potential stretches far beyond the main stage
- Graph 33: repertoires of bingo venue activities, 2024
- Entertainment offers should spotlight interests of 25-44s
- Graph 34: in-person bingo experiences, by age, 2024
- Gambling interests make entertainment fans an important customer segment
- Graph 35: In-person bingo experiences, by experience of live venue entertainment, 2024
- Bet on a bottomless bingo brunch
- Online bingo
- Online participation rates trail those of retail play
- Graph 36: past-year experience of online bingo play, 2024
- Multichannel play is the new normal
- Graph 37: participation in non-lottery gambling activities, 2024
- Help older club visitors get online and start playing at home too
- Graph 38: past year experience of online bingo play, by gender and age, 2024
- Online brands need to reach out beyond the gambling market
- Graph 39: online bingo play, by participation in other in-home leisure activities, 2024
- Persuade bingo mums to take their club play online
- Graph 40: gambling participation among resident mothers of children aged under 18, 2024
- Smartphone play
- Smartphones dominate online bingo play
- Graph 41: devices used to play bingo online, 2024
- Small screens have big potential to engage a younger crowd
- Graph 42: online bingo device repertoires, 2024
- Bingo at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere
- Graph 43: smartphone bingo play, by location, 2024
- Bingo players are at home with smartphones
- Smartphones offer fun and function in the digital home
- Graph 44: devices used to play video games, 2024
- Develop shorter formats to compete in crowded out-of-home digital entertainment sector
- Graph 45: out-of-home smartphone bingo play, by location, 2024
- Smartphones can bring younger players into clubs
- Bingo in the leisure market
- Playing bingo seen as more fun with friends
- Double down on the social experiences consumers seek…
- Graph 46: most popular leisure activities for socialising with friends, 2024
- …especially among the young
- Graph 47: most popular out-of-home leisure activities for socialising with friends, by age, 2024
- The sober social can appeal to Gen Z
- Use bingo play to get families talking again
- Graph 48: most popular out-of-home leisure activities for socialising with family, by age, 2024
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING TRENDS
- Launch activity and innovation
- Buzz cuts new club concept down to smaller size
- Racecard or bingo card?
- Parcel lockers provide new community service
- Comedy callers highlight bingo’s fun factor
- TV collabs cement popular culture connections
- Record prize pot brings retail and digital players together
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Brand spending shifts balance out overall
- Graph 49: total above-the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure of leading bingo brands, 2022-24
- Happy Tiger pounces on biggest spenders
- Gala and Foxy spending less above the line
- Advertisers keen to be seen – and heard
- High street brands return to direct mail
- Fun factor is a key focus for online and retail players alike
- Mecca uses humour to highlight bingo heritage
- Comedians put Tombola in touch with its surreal side
- Gala hopes greetings cards clickety-click with customers
- Fads and fashions get a bingo twist
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APPENDIX
- Supplementary data
- Population projections for over-50s
- Market forecast data and methodology
- Market size: underlying data
- Retail market size: underlying data
- Remote market size: underlying data
- Market forecast: underlying data
- Retail market forecast: underlying data
- Remote market forecast: underlying data
- Market forecast and prediction intervals
- Retail market forecast and prediction intervals
- Remote market forecast and prediction intervals
- Forecast methodology
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Consumer research methodology
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
- Snoop SpendMapper methodology
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