When bingo first came to the UK the game was played in informal settings amongst friends and colleagues. UK bingo started being played as early as the mid 1600s when very few people had access to any kind of writing implement, so the numbers on the cards, which were sometimes etched on wood or scratched into the soil, were crossed out using small stones, wooden discs or beans.

By the early 1900s UK bingo was a bit more formal, but was still played in places not set aside for the game. UK bingo found an intermittent home in church halls, pubs and sports clubs. A few bingo halls existed, but not many.

In the 1960s gambling laws changed and that is when bingo halls began to be opened across the UK. At first in converted cinemas and later in buildings built for the purpose.

The Future of UK Bingo Halls

With the growth in popularity of online bingo the future of UK bingo halls is very shaky. Many have closed in the past decade, because they could not attract enough regular players. However, many remain open and have diversified into things like conferencing to keep themselves economically viable.