Pick a Mate, 68. Have a Night at the Bingo for a Date with a Difference

Finding something a little different to for a date is always a challenge. Taking in a movie and going for a meal or a few drinks are fine in their own way, but are not exactly imaginative. A walk in the countryside is great, as long as the weather is OK, but wandering off into the lonely countryside is not necessarily a clever idea in the early stages of a relationship when you hardly know each other.


The idea of going to bingo for a romantic date might sound odd, but only if you’ve never been. The days of bingo halls being full of old ladies are long gone, and today’s bingo halls are fun places filled with individuals, couple and groups of all ages.

Where to play

Most towns have bingo halls, and thanks to the internet, you can look up the one nearest you in a matter of seconds. Of course, the other benefit of the internet is that you don’t even have to go out. An evening of online bingo can make a pleasant change from the “pizza and Netflix” that is rapidly overtaking cinema and restaurant as the date of choice. In this case, log on to Bingo Sites UK at bingosites.uk, where they will give you a huge range of platforms and providers. Different sites have subtly different games, and most importantly, offer some impressive bonuses, so you can get the most out of your money.

How to play

Bingo is a game of luck, not skill, so there is no deep strategy to learn, and if one of you has played before and the other hasn’t, it really doesn’t matter. The game is played on a five by five grid that contains 25 numbers. The caller will call out one number after another, from one to 90, and if the number appears on your card, you mark it off. The idea is to get a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line before anyone else. And when you do, you know what to shout!

You can play with as many cards as you like – you will see some people playing with as many as 30 at once – so with the numbers being called in quick succession, you need to have your wits about you.

What can you win?

Prizes vary hugely, and will depend on the amount paid for the card (equivalent to the stake) and the number of players. Play at your local village hall, and you might stand to win a box of chocolates. At the other end of the scale, some online bingo games have top prizes that run into the millions.

Bingo etiquette

A bingo hall is not like a casino with its secret language and signs, and that’s another reason it makes such a great date night. Smart casual dress code is just fine, and don’t be tempted to buy so many bingo cards that you struggle to manage them all. The idea is to have fun, so enjoy!