Theater arts have been a great source of entertainment for many societies in history, and the modern age has only made them achieve a massive new level of prominence. Today, what used to be confined to theaters and stages has spawned a multi-billion-dollar industry spanning the globe, with excellent (and horrible) movies and TV shows hitting the scenes every month.
Now, movies and TV shows are one of the primary sources of entertainment worldwide. Their allure comes partly from their representations of historical and current trends with which we can all relate. After all, people enjoy seeing familiar places, people, and activities on great TV shows—which is why it might interest you to know that the rising gambling trend, especially bingo games, has not been ignored by the industry.
So, in this post, we’ll discuss bingo games and the movie industry. Let’s dive in.
Brief Overview of Bingo Games and Their Popularity
Jake Volkman, the Chief Editor of the Citeulike gambling portal, commented the topic of best online bingo and gambling games as follows:
“Bingo originally came from Italy and has rapidly become a global phenomenon in the online gambling industry. At first, bingo games were arcade games in bingo halls. Anyone who wanted to play bingo had to get to the nearest gambling arcade.
However, then came the internet age, and online gambling became a thing. People could now play bingo games in online bingo casinos. The multitude of bingo sites available is arguably one of the reasons bingo is so popular today. In addition, there is a modern online bingo by CiteULike, which is available from any device at any time.
Naturally, with so many online bingo sites around, there is a competition to deliver top-notch gaming experiences to the online bingo world. That has caused an arms race to produce exciting bingo games for players with many notable bingo titles or names like 75 and 30 Ball Bingo.”
Bingo Game Scenes in the Movies and TV Shows
So, here’s the part you’ve been waiting for – bingo game scenes in the movies. Now, while online bingo sites have allowed people to play bingo online for quite a while, there don’t seem to be any movies or TV series featuring any characters playing bingo online.
The reason for this is relatively easy to grasp: bingo games online aren’t easy to film, whether on an online bingo site or in bingo apps. Furthermore, online bingo games don’t exactly offer the same cinematic vibrancy that you can get from a live bingo game in a hall.
When you play online bingo games, every other bingo game player is in a different part of the world. And the necessary scene switching to portray this in a movie would be better used for something like a lover’s giggly online chat if you will. That being said, let’s see our picks for the best bingo scenes in movies and TV shows.
1 – The Blacklist
Our first pick is the massive hit TV series produced by Jon Bokenkamp and co. This 9-season series has been airing since 2013 and features a cast of some of the finest actors in Hollywood, delivering a masterful act that has kept audiences worldwide glued to their seats.
The character of Raymond Reddington, brought to life by John Spader, is very interesting to follow. He is first introduced to us as an odd man in a suit who walks right into an FBI site and surrenders himself (revealed to be THE crime boss) after evading the FBI for ages. This sets in motion a series of captivating events spread over 9 seasons.
In any case, our bingo scene of interest comes along on the 18th episode of season 8, named after the antagonist: The Protean. In this episode, Reddington’s dynamic and vibrant character comes to life as he visits a small gathering where the resourceful Paula Carter and some friends are playing real money bingo games.
Here, he has Paula spin a story about him being a priest in search of some dishonest rip-off. The bingo game is then adapted so that the people there have to call through a massive list of phone numbers to locate the target for a large cash reward.
2 – Bad Grandpa
This comedic masterpiece is presented to us by a Jackass. Okay, that’s not true. It comes to us from the producer, Jeff Tremaine, and the character of bad grandpa (whom some might consider a teensy bit of a jackass) is played by none other than Johnny Knoxville.
The gist of this movie is that grandpa takes his impressionable little kid on a cross-country journey where they run into male strippers, motorcycle bar patrons, and other unknowing bystanders – and one of the popular bingo games, 75 Ball bingo.
In this scene, we have grandpa naturally testing everyone’s patience throughout the game until he executes the pièce de résistance—drinking the bingo marker fluid. While there are no players on bingo sites in this movie, it does contain some masterful bingo comedy.
3 – The Simpsons
Do you love satire? Then how about 34 seasons of rich and unrivaled satirical genius? This series satirizes virtually every aspect of American society, from the unhealthy eating in America (typified by Homer’s obsessive-compulsive face-stuffing) to runaway capitalism (as seen in Mr. Burn’s scorched-earth capitalism). It’s an absolute must-watch.
Our scene is from the 20th episode of the 10th season, where Lisa and Jasper play free bingo games at the retirement home. Jasper invites Lisa to play bingo with him. Lisa, too, becomes enthusiastic about earning the jackpot. In a thrilling game of bingo, she is particularly excited when she scores four numbers in a row and needs one more.
4 – Eyes Down
In August 2003, the British classic, Eyes Down, was broadcast. Each installment of the comedy lasted roughly 30 minutes, telling the story of Rio, a bingo hall manager portrayed by Ray Temple.
Ray was a well-known bingo hall owner in Liverpool whose hall offered some of the best exclusive bingo games, but he also fits the mold of a disgruntled manager. He was not the most exemplary employer to his employees and always found a way to strike out at his clients.
Overall, his irate demeanor was funny to watch, especially when he talked about his workers. The show, which had bingo scenes, ended after 15 episodes. The Eyes Down television series will keep you howling in laughter, provided you have a sense of humor.
5 – Gordon, Gino, and Fred: American Road Trip
Recently, two well-known chefs and the host of the TV show “First Dates” restaurant have amused the country with their humorous antics. The last episode, “Brokeback Mountain,” featured a trip to the Little Longhorn Saloon in Austin, Texas, when things really spiraled out of control.
One of the regulars’ favorite bar games is called Chicken Shit Bingo, to which the comedic trio is introduced. In this game, each participant is given a number on the floor of a chicken coop, and the first number a bird poops on is the winner. Gino manages to win a prize despite the game being played at the Little Longhorn Saloon for 25 years, much to Gordon Ramsay’s chagrin.
Other Films with Bingo Game Scenes
Apart from these, there are many other films with bingo scenes.
- The Babadook (2014)
- Better Call Saul (TV Series)
- Curb Your Enthusiasm (Sitcom)
- Inglourious Basterds (2009)
- Big Momma’s House (2000)
- King of the Bingo Game (1999)
Best Online Bingo Sites Nowadays
These are some of the best online bingo sites where you can play paid and free online bingo games after watching movies from our list:
- Goldenheartsgames.com
- Jackpotjoy.com
- Mrq.com
- Casino2020.co.uk
- Galabingo.com
Conclusion
Bingo continues to be one of the industry’s best online and offline gambling games. However, it’s still quite unlikely you’ll be seeing any of your best online bingo games in the movies for now.
But it’s still the case that many fun representations of the game in cinema have probably inspired some people to get on the best online bingo site they can find and start playing online bingo.
