Clubs, Entertainment Centres

Gala Bingo

I was never really one for bingo and preferred to have a little flutter on the horses or maybe an odd night at the Casino, but it did intrigue me how popular the world of online bingo had become and my wife seemed to unwind in front of the computer to the odd game or two and occasionally a cheer would greet a small win. The adverts on the TV seem to be offering free money for people wanting to join them and that was all the incentive I needed to have a little go….After joining a certain site for which my £10 was turned into £20, although I was not allowed to withdraw funds until I had at least played the full £20 in games ( fair enough, I suppose).. I proceeded to enter various different rooms trying to keep my stake to a reasonable amount and low and behold after an hour of room hopping I was rewarded with a £15 win … After, a few days of playing and some more small wins I managed to withdraw £18 from the account and played the last of my pennies out to leave my balance at zero…So I was £8 up for a couple of evenings of fun although I couldn’t help feeling that there was something missing.!!! Of course, it was a lack of atmosphere and the buzz that you hear people talking about waiting for one number to come in for them to win. They do have a small chat room attached to each room and I saw that this is for people to share comments and let others know how many numbers they require. (Which becomes infuriating after a while.) .. But it still felt a bit flat… I needed to compare my online experience with a game at the local Gala Bingo Hall. Would this give me a true taste of the bingo experience?

I was greeted by a host of smiling faces and some genuinely lovely people who made me feel really welcome, nothing was too much trouble and if I wasn’t sure about anything there were plenty of staff on hand to assist me.. I played my games on the paper books although I noticed that modern technology had hit the Bingo halls as there were some little electronic notepads available for customers to use which amazingly meant they could play slot machines from the comfort of their chairs in between bingo games…There was a definite buzz in the air as the games started and to my amazement the money up for grabs was far superior to anything I had played for online, the games came thick and fast and I was dabbing away furiously chalking off the numbers and hoping to get my shout of House out first.. Then I felt the buzz that people had talked about, it was in the fifth game, for a full house prize of £100 I was suddenly needing just one number (27).. and the adrenalin kicked in and I was thinking of what I would do with the winnings when a voice from across the room shouted ‘ Bingo.!!! Wow, it felt like I had been robbed, but before I could wallow in my demise another game was underway and now I realised I had a fighting chance of every prize and the games took on a more fervent nature to me…

Looking around the room I noticed that people were sat in groups of friends, families and maybe even work colleagues and I realised that this was as much a social gathering as it was a gambling night out for people, and it was a real mix of ages which surprised me a bit as I always thought of Bingo as an older persons game… A nice bar, clean and tidy café area, friendly atmosphere and a chance to win a few pounds… In conclusion I found the visit to the Gala Bingo a real treat and I was really amazed at the amount of Prize Money on offer and the fact that it was such a nice and relaxing atmosphere with very helpful staff only added to the experience…Why not keep an eye out for some great deals on tickets on certain nights and give it go, I’m sure you will enjoy a good night out.

Paul Murphy.

For more information on Gala Bingo their website is www.galabingo.co.uk/gala-bingo.html

You can contact the Torquay branch on 01803 298200