Quebec Bingo Halls Threatened By Online Gambling

The bingo halls in Quebec are slowly and steadily becoming extinct. They had their heydays in the 1960s and 1970s, but since then are on the decline. As of now there are about 50 bingo halls in the city and are losing millions of dollars every year. The older generations pass away and the younger generations are not interested. This despite some promoters holding bingo games in stadiums, where thousands of players try for prizes like cars, vacations and lots of cash. Even at the less patronized bingo halls it is not unusual for players to win hundreds or thousands of dollars in one night.

The first blow came when smoking was prohibited in bingo halls. Jean Marc Crete, who calls the numbers at one of the remaining bingo halls, said, “When we were able to smoke inside bingo halls they were full of people. Then they put in the no-smoking rule and a lot of smokers never came back.” Bingo halls provided opportunity for gambling and socializing. Joyce Lajeunesse, who is 70 years of age, plays bingo twice a week. She and her husband are alone, so bingo provides her an opportunity to talk to people. The Internet now caters to both gambling and socializing needs. Online bingo is a fast paced game as compared to the leisurely event of the bingo halls. The tickets are automatically marked and checked leaving players free to chat with each other or play online casino games on the sidelines. With Facebook and Twitter it is no longer necessary to be face to face to interact, thus further increasing the redundancy of bingo halls.

Most hurt by the decline of land based bingo are the non-profit organizations in Quebec that depend on bingo to finance their activities. Therefore the provincial government has been taking steps to remedy the situation. Loto-Quebec has created a bingo like game called Kinzo, which is tailored to a younger generation. Kinzo games are shorter. Marie-Claude Rivet, spokeswoman for Loto-Quebec, said that the government has allowed liquor to be served at some bingo halls where it is played. The province’s bingo association, the Secretariat du Bingo, is going one step further. It is advocating turning some bingo halls into a type of mini-casino where bingo, Kinzo and other participatory games can be played in the same room. The secretariat also wants players across the province play together electronically, for bigger prizes. Only time will tell if these steps will turn the tide.

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