Retro fun and high-tech thrills.
Visitors can enjoy the best of both worlds when they land at Planet Bingo in Mount Pleasant (2655 Main Street).
That’s because the long-running venue offers bingo play using electronic machines, which offer a choice of multiple games where you can get hands-on in the “dabbing” action, and experience the convenience of playing on a drop-in basis.
“When most people think of bingo, they think of session bingo,” says Abby Dy marketing manager for Planet Bingo, which is operated, on behalf of the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, by the Community Gaming Management Association (CGMA). “That’s your typical setting where you have to arrive at a certain time and it ends at a certain time.”
At Planet Bingo, drop-in bingo means just that.
“You don’t have to get here at a specific time and play all of the games during that time period to get your money’s worth,” Dy says. “With us you can come in literally anytime during your operating hours and play.
“And you can stay for an hour, a half hour, all day, it’s totally up to you.”
Helping provide that flexibility is Planet Bingo’s 300-plus, electronic bingo machines. Planet Bingo was the first in B.C. to graduate from paper bingo cards to the high-tech version back in the late 1980s, and since then there has been a steady evolution of technological upgrades to the machines that has enhanced game play.
“When people think of bingo they more than likely think of paper cards you physically dab with ink,” Dy says, adding players now press their video screen to mark a number called out on their card. “With electronic bingo, you will also never miss a bingo if you are pressing the ‘quick dab button,’ which keeps track of everything for you.”
That allows players to play as many as 60 cards at one time.
“Some people even play two terminals at a time,” Dy says, adding in old style, paper bingo there’s no way you’d be able to keep track of that many.
Plus, the electronic version will automatically bring your best performing cards during your game to the front of the video screen, so you can more easily see your progress.
“And if you win bingo, it will notify you automatically, too,” Dy says.
But if you want a traditional, old-school experience, players can physically press their screen to ‘dab,’ giving it a retro feel.
“At Planet Bingo, we offer the best of both worlds,” Dy says.
For more about Planet Bingo, visit their website at planetbingo.ca.
