Ever since online bingo sites began to sprout up in the late 2000s, operators have strived to recreate the social aspect associated with brick and mortar bingo halls in an online setting. Bingo isn’t just a game to be played for a chance to win, but also an experience in which people get together for a good time and a chinwag. Online bingo has changed the game in many ways, but this sociability aspect is still at its core and operators are constantly seeking ways to improve it. For this reason, it could make sense for online bingo site to incorporate video conferencing apps into their platforms.
Online Bingo is Open to New Developments
From looking at the growth of the online bingo industry over the last ten years, it is clearly extremely progressive. This is not a sector that’s stagnating, but one that’s evolving every year. It was recently found that the highest proportion of bingo players is now in the 18-34 bracket, when in the past bingo had attracted much older clientele.
The changing demographics of bingo players show that the industry has examined what younger players are looking for and aimed to cater for their needs. Online bingo operators have done this by offering faster-paced versions of bingo games along with other options such as slots, scratch cards, and themed games. This suggests that sites would be open to new developments if they are able to enhance the overall experience.
Video Conferencing is Growing in Popularity
Online bingo sites already allow for some social interaction with chat features, but up to now they have had little face to face connection. If they were to integrate videoconferencing into the platforms, though, they may be able to overcome this obstacle and recreate the atmosphere of a traditional bingo hall.
The world is starting to become more aware of video conferencing, with options like Zoom rising in popularity over the last few months. Indeed, the communications technology founded by Eric Yuan in 2011 is now the top-ranked app in the App Store. More than 2.22 million users joined Zoom in the first few months of 2020, which was more than in the whole of 2019. These figures highlight its popularity and the fact that more people are open to this sort of communication now than ever before.
Online bingo operators don’t necessarily have to go into partnership with an existing video conferencing service. In fact, they can simply take inspiration from these well-known ones and create their own bingo-specific options. They could simply market the new idea by reminding players about how these video conferencing apps have made people much better connected, and by showing how that can also be applied to bingo. It would certainly be an interesting addition to online bingo sites and would push them another step forward in their evolution.
