Whenever we think of bingo players, one image comes to mind. It might be our grandmothers and grandfathers in rocking chairs and canes socializing with people their age group while playing bingo games in a hot, stuffy and smoky bingo hall.

Thankfully online bingo is gaining popularity which smashes the image of typical bingo players we think of. Through the power of the internet, many people are now being reached by online games within the comfort of their own homes.

Back then, bingo socials are held in bingo halls, churches for fund raising functions and charities. Now, majority of bingo addicts can play online bingo.

So who plays online bingo? Definitely not your grandma. Imagine, a 90 year old woman trying to get in a website and download the software needed to play bingo. It’s a cute thought but it’s not happening.

Majority of online bingo players are still women, but much younger than your grandmother and undeniably more computer-savvy.

The online bingo community is bursting with people who want to play the online bingo game but at the same time feel the need to be connected with other bingo game enthusiasts. Online gaming sites offer the use of chat tools to enable players to interact with each other, simulating the real personal interaction that happens in a real bingo hall.

These people can even take their online relationship to the next level. Some women exchange phone numbers and even chat or hang out offline. Their bond is brought about by playing online bingo but is strengthened by their similarities and common interests outside the game.

Some online bingo players even organize a get together or socializing party in order to meet their new found cyber space friend in person. Online bingo communities and clubs also enable you to get to know other bingo players from all over the world. You get exposed to their culture and background. Bingo buddies are usually women who share recipes, fashion advice and even how to raise their children.

Now, we have hundreds of gaming sites offering online bingo games. Of course, the more popular ones are the free sites which account for 45% of all the bingo sites.

In terms of the players, 90% of all online bingo players come from North America. And 80% of these online players are women. The average age of bingo players for both men and women is 41, while players’ ages range from 25 to 55. Contrary to popular belief, only a small percentage accounts for the players aged 65 and above.

The ease of use of online bingo game sites is what attracts the online users to the game. There is an auto play function which enables the computer to fill out the called bingo balls without user intervention. You can do this while cooking or cleaning the house. That is the reason why many housewives are addicted to the online bingo game.

Some online bingo sites tried to take down the chat function because it consumes so much bandwidth, when they did, the traffic decreased drastically. Chatting is also an important advantage when playing bingo online.

By Simone Wright-Eddison
Simone invites you to learn more about playing Bingo online at http://www.bingoonline.me.uk