The Best Places to Play Bingo in LondonBy Angelica Malin

Bingo has undoubtedly undergone something of a renaissance in recent years. Having managed to successfully expand its appeal beyond its original audience, it has become a multigenerational form of entertainment – one that can be enjoyed by almost anyone.

Increasingly vying with more cosmopolitan ways to spend an evening, there are now alternative bingo nights of every description to choose from. Welcoming a growing audience through their doors, the venues responsible for hosting these frequently offer a fabulous few hours of good, old-fashioned fun.

London, in particular, is filled with them. From musical to drag to brunch bingo, it has something to appeal to every palette, making bingo an ideal option for those who fancy doing something a little different with their evening.

Want to know where to play? Here are a few places you might be interested in paying a visit to.

Palace Bingo at the Elephant and Castle

Located in London’s popular Elephant and Castle shopping centre, Palace Bingo offers players an amazing setting for an evening of fun. Outfitted in an authentically retro style, it’s entered via twin escalators, which take visitors up into a vast chamber complete with a glittering chandelier and dramatic ’60s style carpet.

Housing up to 2,000 punters at a time, the Palace is not only a bingo hall but a beloved mainstay of the south London social scene. Located on the first floor of the mall, it offers a deliciously traditional player experience – one that will show you exactly what it is that’s so special about the game. If you want to give its wares a whirl online before you visit, there’s some detailed info here at WhichBingo, including honest reviews and a comparison of the welcome bonuses offered by various internet-based bingo operators. Should you wish to give one or two of them a go, this can be a really good way to ease yourself into the action.

Dabbers Social Bingo

Newly launched, Dabbers Social Bingo delivers an experience unlike any other. The polar opposite of the Palace, it serves a cosmopolitan menu of salted edamame and espresso martinis and has a unique ethos: to revitalise and reinvigorate the game without deviating too far from its roots. The result is unimaginably enjoyable. Replacing callers with comedians and fruit machines with burlesque dancers, the venue has a different theme for each day of the week, ranging from disco to brunch to retro. Promising something for everyone, its offerings even include an immersive bingo lobby complete with DJ and bar. This means that whether you’re familiar with the game or not, you’re nonetheless guaranteed to have an outrageously good time.

Buzz Bingo Tooting

While it might once have been the Granada Cinema, Buzz Bingo in Tooting today offers a different kind of entertainment. Maintaining its original, breath-taking architecture, it originally stood as an ode to the talkies, opening with a screening of Monte Carlo in 1931, but now it’s art-deco arches ring not with the clipped tones of vintage silver-screen starlets, but the ebullient voices of a host of charismatic callers. While its setting is grand, the game is gritty, with bingo itself remaining the main event within its hallowed halls. Should you opt to attend, bear this in mind, because once the first number is called, your full concentration is required.

As well as this popular Tooting-based spot, Buzz Bingo has also proved to be very successful on its online platform. Online bingo itself has somewhat rejuvenated this sector of the gambling industry into something new and exciting, with sites like Buzz only furthering its progress into mainstream entertainment.

Playing online

Furthermore, while this selection of venues all offer an authentic and immersive bingo experience, there’s another option you might not have considered: playing online. Having undergone a huge surge in popularity in recent years, internet-based gaming has a lot to offer – and you don’t even have to leave your house to enjoy it! Available to play any time and from any place, it’s fun, engaging, and can be tailored to your individual needs. Plus, it’s a great way to get some extra practice in between games if you just can’t wait for the next big night out at your local bingo hall!

Where in London will you go to experience this unique game in all of its bright and brilliant glory?