Coventry Bingo Hall Returns with Electronic Revamp

Wednesday, 5 September 2012

There have been stories aplenty emerging from the online press which relate to the burgeoning growth of the online gambling industry, particularly online bingo. Therefore, it’s of little surprise to see new sites and applications announced each week as industry operators get their plans together and respond to this trend. Mobile devices have presented a lucrative opportunity to gambling operators and now this concept has been taken up for the very first time by a bingo hall. Advancing economic conditions have created a tumultuous environment for the bingo hall industry and operators have had to creative to ensure their long-term survival.

A Coventry-based bingo hall has started afresh after being closed for half a decade and has changed to move with the times. Married couple, Karen and Paul Hocking, have stumped up a whopping £100,000 to completely revamp the derelict Rialto club and have treated the venue to swish Las Vegas-style furnishings. In addition to the Vegas-look, the couple have splashed out on 100 tablet devices in an effort to modernise the club and make it completely electronic. The couple claim to be the first club in the UK to deliver tablet functionality and hope that this will garnish a younger crowd of attendees.

The Rialto Club is situated in an iconic Coventry building that was first constructed in the 1930s and has gone through a storied history that saw it destroyed in World War Two before returning two decades later. History inspired the Hockings to restore the Rialto to its former glory as a bingo hall, but they realised that they needed to move with the times to give it the best chance of success. It is hoped that the Vegas theme of the club will help to cultivate a party atmosphere that encourages the attendances of large groups of younger people.

Mobile tablet functionality will further support the younger vibe by providing attendees with the modern convenience of technology. Amazingly, the 100 tablet devices will allow players to do pretty much everything they need to without having to leave their site. When bingo balls are called out, the players will all mark them off on their tablets instead of on a paper card. If anyone wants to play a different game then they will have the option of wagering on slots virtually. Players don’t even have to leave the action if they get thirsty because drinks orders can be made to the bar using the tablets. Pretty much everything has been thought of and bingo players can also order their post-bingo takeaway from a Chinese restaurant situated in the local area!

Standard promotional activities have failed in nationwide chains, such as Mecca Bingo, but this re-launch is a unique strategy that appears to be the first of its kind in the UK. Young people need to be wowed if they are to return to bingo halls, and this might be just the way of doing it.