Local Bingo Guide

While online gambling has long been on the rise, this doesn’t mean that we should be neglecting brick-and-mortar bingo halls. Bingo halls, in particular, have fallen in and out of fashion, but in 2024, you can find many excellent locations to get together with your community to play some games. Here are our recommendations for local bingo halls you should visit today!

What are Bingo Halls?

For some, Bingo Halls may feel like they’re falling into the annals of history. They’ve been dwindling in number for the last few decades and were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, now that things have settled down and players are more eager than ever to get out and play with friends in person, bingo halls are seeing something of a revival. New locations are starting to pop up nationwide, and you have more options than we’ve seen in a while!

For those online-only players, Bingo Halls are locations where people gather to play bingo in person. You’ll play with physical tickets and need to keep track of your numbers manually, but there’s more opportunity to socialise with fellow players, and the whole experience feels fresh. Keep reading to find out more about where the leading bingo halls across the UK are. 

Our List of the Best Local Bingo Halls in the UK

There are many different bingo hall chains that you can visit across the UK! Most of these fantastic bingo brands also have dedicated websites for players to explore where, most of the time, they can find a large selection of online bingo games as well as other casino titles. Here’s our expert’s list of the top recommendations. You’re sure to find one of these near you:

1. Gala Bingo

Gala Bingo is a well-known brand in the UK and once had one of the most extensive lists of local bingo locations. However, in 2015, when Gala-Coral was brought by Ladbrokes, these locations were sold to Buzz Bingo and are still in operation today. This means Buzz Bingo currently has 82 locations across the country! Don’t worry; Gala Bingo is still a running bingo platform players can sign up for today.

There are so many different Bingo Halls under this brand that it’s hard to lump them all together. Many are modern halls, and others are refurbished historical buildings. Either way, no matter where you are, you won’t have to go far to find a Buzz Bingo Hall. 

Here’s a list of just a few of the fantastic Buzz/Gala Bingo Halls you can visit. For alternative locations, search “local bingo near me”; this will no doubt show you various Gala and Buzz Bingo halls:

• Gala Bingo Nottingham: Area 1, Gala Way, Hucknall Road, Nottingham, NG5 9RU.
• Gala Bingo Birmingham: 973 Kingsbury Road, Erdington, Birmingham, B23 7BH.
• Gala Bingo Southampton: Burlsedon Road, Antelope Park, Southampton, SO19 8NE.
• Gala Bingo Stoke-On-Trent: Area 1, Albion Square, Stoke-On-Trent, ST1 1QP.
• Gala Bingo Edinburgh: 2 Westside Plaza, Edinburgh, EH14 2ST.

2. Dove Bingo

Local bingo halls are great fun, but long gone are the days when visiting one was mandatory for an engaging bingo experience! Nowadays, if you’re itching to play bingo, you can turn to online services like Dove Bingo to get your fix. Online bingo services still have chat functions to keep the social aspect alive and even make keeping track of your numbers easier. Dove Bingo, in particular, hosts a range of excellent bingo rooms from Pragmatic Play, including all the major varieties, like 90, 75, and 30 ball bingo. 

However, if you want to give brick-and-mortar bingo a try, check out some of the following or keep reading for more details:

• Hijingo Bingo: 90 Worship Street, London, EC2A 2BA.
• South Coast Inc. Southampton and Weymouth.
• Club 3000: 24 locations across the UK, primarily in the North.
• Shipleys Bingo & Social Club: Bristol, Edmonton Green and Kidderminster.

3. Mecca Bingo

Behind Gala, Mecca Bingo is probably the best-known bingo company in the UK. You’ve probably seen the iconic rainbow logo at least once, and there’s a reason they’re so widespread. There are 55 Mecca locations across the UK, so you won’t have to go far to find one. Mecca also prides itself on being a multi-entertainment company, offering more events beyond just bingo! So find one near you and give it a go. 

Here are some of the most prominent Mecca locations that you can visit and enjoy a plethora of bingo games at:

• Mecca Bingo Blackpool: Talbot Road, Blackpool, FYI 3QX.
• Mecca Bingo Camden Town: 180 Arlington Road, Camden Town, London, NW1 7HL.
• Mecca Bingo Swansea: Parc Cymdu, Carmarthen Road, Swansea, West Glamorgan, SA5 8LJ.
• Mecca Bingo Leicester: Freemen’s Park, 80 Aylestone Road, Leicester, LE2 7LB.
• Mecca Bingo Leeds: Cross Gates Road, Leeds, LS15 7PE.

4. Merkur Bingo

Formally known as Beacon Bingo, Merkur Bingo is one of the most prolific bingo brands across the UK. It runs more than 200 locations up and down the country! Merkur Bingo doesn’t make it easy to find your nearest location — the website’s ‘find a club’ feature doesn’t work very well — but it’s well worth seeking one out for the food, slots and social bingo experience. 

Here are some of the top Merkur Bingo locations:

• Merkur Bingo Northampton: 78 Weedon Road, Northampton, NN5 5BG.
• Merkur Bingo London: 200 Cricklewood Broadway, London, NW3 3DU.
• Merkur Bingo Lowestoft: 3 Battery Green Road, Lowestoft, NR32 1DE.

5. BJs Bingo

BJ’s Bingo is a smaller Bingo Club with just three halls to its name, but these three bingo halls are well-liked and hold fantastic events throughout the year! The BJ’s Bingo locations serve tasty food, have some generous deals for customers, and even support an online bingo site to appeal to a broader range of people. If you’re looking for a relaxed experience and have a BJ’s Bingo near you, give it a look!

You can find BJ’s Bingo halls at the following locations:

• BJ’s Bingo Leigh: Unit 1 Ellesmere St, Leigh, WN7 4LQ.
• BJ’s Bingo Kitts Green Birmingham: 250a Mackadown Ln, Birmingham, B33 0LE.
• BJ’s Bingo Reading: Gillette Way, Reading, RG2 OBS.

6. Crown Bingo

Crown Bingo is another small set of bingo halls. These locations are a little old school, bringing back the classic idea of UK holiday-making. Crown Bingo has been around for more than 50 years too, so while it does show a bit in the locations’ interior decoration, you know it’s a company with lots of experience.

If you’re interested in visiting one of the three Crown Bingo clubs for yourself, you can find them at the following addresses:

• Crown Bingo Bogner Regis: 64 London Road, Bogner Regis, PO21 1PT.
• Crown Bingo Cosham: 15 High Street, Cosham, Portsmouth, PO6 3BU.
• Crown Bingo Havant: Somborne Drive, Leigh Park, Havant, PO9 5AN.

7. Opera Bingo

Opera Bingo operates a handful of top-tier bingo halls in the North of England, all striving to provide a fun, laidback and friendly bingo experience! Membership at Opera is free, and the company is proud to be beginner-friendly, always welcoming to players who don’t yet know the games. Additionally, you can find food, music and a lively community of people to keep your bingo games entertaining. 

Here’s a list of the Opera Bingo locations if you want to check them out:

• Opera Bingo Carlisle: The Rex, Denton Street, Carlisle, CA2 5EN.
• Opera Bingo Workington: John Peel House, Ladies Walk, Workington, CA14 3BA.
• Opera Bingo Whitehaven: Tangier Street, Whitehaven, CA28 7UZ.
• Opera Bingo St Helens: Hippodrome Bingo, Corporation Street, St Helens, WA10 1EQ.
• Opera Bingo Barrow-In-Furness: 3 Holker Street, Barrow-In-Furness, LA14 5RQ.

8. Admiral Bingo

The Admiral brand is more commonly associated with its huge number of brick and mortar casinos across the UK, however, it does have various halls dedicated to bingo. Customers of Admiral Casino / Bingo can also enjoy a vast selection of online bingo and casino games on the official Admiral Casino or Admiral Slots sites. Thanks to the large number of Admiral locations players can feel a real sense of community wherever they play.

Below readers can find a list of the most popular Admiral Bingo / Casino locations. Why not check out one close to you today?

• Admiral Bingo Falkirk: 75-77 High Street, Falkirk, FK1 1ES.
• Admiral Bingo Bradford: Unit 11-5 Queensgate, Bradford, BD1 1RB.
• Admiral Bingo Hull: 8 Chapel Street, Hull, HU1 3PA.
• Admiral Bingo Hull: 442 Hessle Road, Hull, HU3 43H.

9. Carlton Clubs Limited Bingo

Founded in 1998 Carlton Clubs currently operates 10 bingo clubs across Scotland as well as an online bingo platform and a dedicated mobile app. At the Carlton Clubs bingo halls players will find good value food and drink, friendly staff, a comfortable environment, and a range of fruit machines. So if you are a Scottish bingo lover check out one of these great locations.

Carlton Clubs is very popular in Scotland; below is a list of all existing locations.

• Carlton Clubs Bingo Fraserburgh: 30 Mid Street, Fraserburgh, AB43 9AJ.
• Carlton Clubs Bingo Stirling: 28 Allan Park, Stirling, FK8 2LT.
• Carlton Clubs Bingo East Kilbride: 11 Southgate Centre, East Kilbride, G74 1LT.
• Carlton Clubs Bingo Dunfermline: 14 Whimbrel Place, Fife Leisure Park, Dunfermline, KY11 8EX.
• Carlton Clubs Bingo Elgin: 25-27 South Street, Elgin, IV39 1JZ.
• Carlton Clubs Bingo Dalkeith: 18-20 Buccleuch Street, Dalkeith, EH22 1HA.
• Carlton Clubs Bingo Livingston: Almondvale Centre, Livingstone, EH54 6HR.
• Carlton Clubs Bingo Buckie: 29 West Church Street, Buckie, AB56 1BP.
• Carlton Clubs Bingo Glasgow: 201-203 Dumbarton Road, Glasgow, G11 6AA.
• Carlton Clubs Bingo Inverness: Beechwood Park North, Inverness, IV2 3ED.

10. Leo Leisure

Leo Leisure is the largest independent bingo operator on the South Coast of England. It was founded in 1985 in Portsmouth and has since expanded to various locations in the South. On addition to the bingo halls Leo Leisure also runs a Leo’s Play Den (a soft play centre) in Eastbourne and a cinema in Ryde. On top of this, users can enjoy the online bingo platform on offer which provides bingo, slots, and great bonuses for new and exiting players. If you are really looking for a sense of community Leo Leisure is definitely a great option.

Below is a list of the Leo Leisure Bingo locations currently in operation in the UK:

• Leo Leisure Eastleigh: Bingo Club, 12 Leigh Road, Eastleigh, SO50 9FH.
• Leo Leisure Weymouth: 18 Crescent Street, Weymouth, DT4 7BX.
• Leo Leisure Southampton: 19-23 High Street, Southampton, SO14 2DF.
• Leo Leisure Ryde: Commondore Bingo, 2 Star Street, Ryde, PO33 2HX.
• Leo Leisure Eastbourne: 1-3 Pevensey Road, Eastbourne, BN21 3HJ.

Games on Offer at Brick-and-Mortal Bingo Halls

There are so many great bingo game variants outs there, and players all have their own preferences to which game they like to play. Below we have explained the top variants played at bingo halls across the UK. For details on online bingo games check out our dedicated page.

90-Ball Bingo:

Played on a 3×9 grid this game is very common at bingo halls. Each row on the ticket contains 5 numbers and each column has 1-3 numbers with numbers 1-9 on column one, 10-19 on column 2, 20-29 on the third, and so on, up to 90. Players win by completing one line, then two, then a full house.

80-Ball Bingo:

This bingo game is on a 4×4 grid and is laid out as follows: column one is red with numbers 1-20, column 2 is yellow/orange with number 21-40, the third column is blue or green with 41-60, and finally, the 4th column is white with numbers 61-80. The ways to win this game include full house, outbox/inbox, four corners, and one line (among others).

75-Ball Bingo:

This variant is considered the most difficult due to the vast number of ways to win including letters, gimmick patterns (e.g. turtle or plane), tricky shapes (e.g. spudnik), and, as you can imagine, there is a huge variation in each of these categories. The grid contains 5 columns and 5 rows with a range of numbers 1-75 and one free space in the middle of the ticket.

30-Ball Bingo:

Also referred to as speed bingo, 30-ball bingo is played on a 3×3 grid and consists of 9 random numbers from 1-30. Players can only win by being the first to mark off all the numbers on their ticket and complete a full house.

What to do if you have a gambling problem

We understand that gambling can be fun, but it’s important to gamble responsibly. If you are struggling with a gambling problem, please don’t hesitate to ask for help. There are people who can help you get on the road to recovery.

Here are some resources that can help you:

• National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133
• GamCare: https://www.gamcare.org.uk
• GambleAware: https://gambleaware.org/