A panel of experts is predicting that new technology and increased player rewards will help bring a younger generation to bingo halls at casinos.
The panel, which addressed an audience on Thursday at the final day of the Global Gaming Expo held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, said casinos are targeting baby boomers and incorporating technological innovations such as handheld devices into wireless bingo halls to draw a new generation to the game.
"Our bingo players are going to die," said David Forman, operations director for Planet Bingo, a bingo hall and casino technology provider. When people think of bingo they "traditionally think of an industry of old ladies smoking cigarettes. We need to attract a younger demographic," he said.
Eric Casey, the panel's moderator and the Southwest manager of Planet Bingo, noted that baby boomers make up 28 percent of the population and have an estimated $2 trillion of annual spending power.
"Baby boomers have over 50 percent of the stored wealth in the country and they're comfortable with technology," he said. "In fact they demand it. Without it bingo wouldn't be able to hold on."
Casey outlined an emerging bingo renaissance that will take advantage of new technologies and allow for more accountability and new players.
Forman said that because younger players would be comfortable with the Web, bingo halls should all have coupons, surveys and contests on their Web sites.
"Bingo is the redheaded stepchild of the marketing world," Forman said, emphasizing the need for bingo managers to push for publicity and take simple steps to market the game.
The panel emphasized that new technology appeals to a younger group, but that if the market isn't aware of the new developments they won't come and play. Technical developments have changed bingo from a stationary pen-and-pad game to an automated point-of-sales operating system that lets players move around the casino while they play different games.
Wireless technology allows players to use handheld devices to enter their numbers, negating the need for the old pen and paper style. Other new tools let players store their favorite numbers in the system, which saves time and allows for more playing, said Paul Miller, software technology director for Melange Computer Services.
"They don't need to come in two hours early to write down all their picks on that carbon copy paper anymore," Miller said.
Using new tools, bingo players are able to play more frequently and have a greater selection of games to choose from.
"People can play pari-mutuel bingo," Forman said. "On a handheld they can play countrywide progressives for millions of dollars. These guys aren't going to the VFW and playing for $25."
Forman said handheld devices also allow bingo halls to reach handicapped players who have in the past been unable to play.
Handheld devices can allow players connect into national games and offer them the mobility to move around the casino, but wi-fi is the technology that enables casino to offer these services to the players.
Calvin Nicholson, product marketing director for Gametech International, told the audience that wi-fi allows the casino to save money.
"Ties to wireless technology allow casinos to do more for less," Nicholson said. "Players can buy (bingo cards) from terminals instead of floor workers, so casinos need fewer workers."
New technology also helps bingo halls provide the proper information to the regulatory boards, Miller said.
"The reporting capabilities provide management with information required to run the business and to provide to state legislators and other regulators, " Miller said.
The technology also prevents potential customer disputes.
"There's more security. When someone enters the numbers into a machine there's no question of whether it's a 1 or a 7," Miller said.
Miller stressed the importance of developing players' clubs for bingo enthusiasts. He suggested gathering player information and using it to contact and attract less-frequent visitors with coupons and promotions. He also said players' points offer more accountability than coupons and should be used whenever possible.
Using new technology to promote and operate bingo allows management to know how profitable the game is to the casino, Miller said.
"Bingo managers can say what players are spending their money on wherever they use their players' card," Miller said. "They can say: `if my bingo players weren't here this is what you'd lose in slot play,' " he said adding that bingo is a great way to get people into the casino.
