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Young professionals flock to bingo in growing numbers
Sri Carmichael, Consumer Affairs Reporter23.06.09
It used to be the preserve of old ladies hunched over cards in giant halls. But bingo has now become a passion for wealthy young professionals online, new research claims.
The proportion of players under 45 has shot up from 46 per cent to 62 per cent in the last decade, according to market researchers Mintel.
People aged 18 to 24 now make up 700,000 of Britain's 3.5million players. Bingo's working-class base is declining, with manual workers making up 37 per cent of gamers compared with 48.5 per cent in 1995. But the proportion of managerial and skilled workers taking part is up from 27 per cent to 38 per cent.
A fifth of British bingo's turnover now comes from online gaming, the survey of 2,000 players also shows.
Marketing communications consultant Anna Maloney, 32, from Bethnal Green, said she played bingo online for about half an hour a few times a week as "a bit of fun". She added: "It's simple and retro, you get a bit of a buzz. You chat to other players so it's sociable."
