We’ve mentioned it before on this site. The people of Britain have a love affair with bingo. History books tell us that bingo came from the Italian lottery and then migrated to London and other parts of Europe in the 18th century. ‘Bingo!’ was apparently a term originally used by customs officers as a call of victory used upon a successful search.
While bingo has changed significantly over the years, there’s no doubt that the move to online casinos has revived the game, and we no longer think of it as old-fashioned. Yet, while bingo has found a new home and has a fresh generation of players, people are increasingly turning to the newfangled re-imagination of bingo that could well be a better gaming experience.
A new beginning
The move to online gaming has helped to keep bingo innovative and accessible. Bingo games are still massively popular and it’s unlikely that playing bingo for real money at the online casinos will ever not be profitable. With the variety of bingo games available online, particularly the TV tie-ins with Deal or No Deal and Britain’s Got Talent, there will always be bingo.
Yet, online slot machines have been a sensation for online casinos, so a combination of bingo and slots is a sure-fire winner. It’s a very logical rationale. People like playing slots and people like playing bingo, so why not give them both in one game? Welcome to the world of Slingo.
We have a New Jersey real estate developer named Sal Falciglia Sr to thank for creating this hybrid game back in 1994. Slingo was initially available via AOL as a free-to-play game, but by popular demand, it’s now a real money game that is popular with UK gamers.
Why Slingo?
Just like bingo, the reason for Slingo’s success is in the simplicity of play. If you have some background in playing bingo or slots, then that’s helpful but not necessary.
You have a typical 75-ball bingo game with a 5×5 number grid and slot reels placed below. There are a few variations of Slingo available now, but you’ll begin by setting the size of your stake. Then you start spinning the reels and each matching number from the reels will be dubbed-off on your grid. Generally, there are a total of twenty spins for each Slingo game and as numbers appear, you’ll see instant prizes or different bonus games becoming available for making Slingo lines.
Depending on the Slingo game selected, there can be a lot going on with Jokers, Wilds, Scatters and Golden Spinners to name just a few of the features. It sounds complicated, but no boring tutorial is required and once you play, you know exactly what’s going on. Just like bingo, some people have supposed winning strategies in terms of game selection and in-game play, but it’s just a bit of fun.
Also, similar to online bingo, they have created many themes of Slingo and some examples of popular titles are Sweet As Candy: Prize Lines for any Candy Crush fans and Slingo Bells for those that celebrate Christmas all year. The TV tie-ins are likewise present with Slingo and Slingo: Who Wants To Be A Millionaire is a popular choice.
Is Slingo replacing bingo?
Not really, it’s more a case of the game evolving to draw in a new generation of players. We’ve seen similar moves with titles such as Quantum Roulette, Lightning Blackjack and Speed Baccarat. Rather than making these classic casino games obsolete, they become more exciting and immersive when the game developers add a few features or tweaks online.
For some, the traditional bingo game will be all they want and there will always be bingo rooms online that cater to their needs. Yet, for others, there will be no doubt be more thrilling new interpretations of bingo to come and for them, Slingo is a great option. Just like some people like to visit the St. Pancras Old Church, while some like The Shard, there’s something for everyone.
