What is Gambling?
The first thing to get out of the way is to define what gambling actually is. Well, gambling is when someone bets money or something that is of value to them on an event which has yet to happen. The purpose of the bet is to try and win something in return, failing to win will result in the loss of the original bet you placed.
Defining Bingo
I guess the next step now would be to define what bingo actually is. Bingo is a card game where players use cards to mark off randomly drawn numbers called by a bingo caller who typically uses a machine to pick the random numbers. The first person to mark off the required pattern wins the game by yelling “bingo”.
No Wager No Gambling
What this proves now then is that bingo is not actually gambling. It is only when a wager comes into the equation that bingo is classed as gambling and age limits and restrictions follow. In the UK to be able to play bingo you need to be 18. If you are not betting anything before playing the game then there is no age limit. This is why bingo is used in school to help pupils learn. At my school bingo was used in this fashion but the winner won sweets; this was not classed as gambling as nothing was wagered by us. If the teacher made us play with our dinner money, then this may have been different, plus the teacher would have had some angry parents coming to see her.
Playing Bingo as a Child
Did you ever play bingo as a child with your parents, where you played with 1p and 2p coins? At a small age “copper” is fun to win and keeps children quiet for long enough. In theory this should be classed as illegal gambling due to the fact that the child is betting money to win money. That being said, I do not think the police are going to come and kick the door down and arrest the adult for letting the child play and send the child of to young offenders.
Playing bingo offline may result in you being asked to provide ID if you do not look old enough which prevents underage gambling. Playing online however is different. Unless little Johnny had mummy’s credit/debit card then he is not able to play online bingo which helps stop underage gambling. If however little Johnny had mummy’s credit/debit card then his mummy needs to tell him not only is he underage but fraud is also very naughty.
Social Aspect
Some people forget that bingo is a very social sport; in fact, that is one of the reasons why most people keep playing the game, especially women. People get together to play bingo to talk to one another and share stories and thoughts. Most of the game is built around this which makes more that 50% of the actual game non-gambling.
If nothing is exchanged during, before or after the game then anyone can play bingo and the game is not classed as gambling. As soon as a wager enters the game is when bingo crosses the line of gambling. I am unsure of the official rules but if you are accompanied by someone who is of legal age and the establishment does not sell alcohol – as that involves other rules – and you use their money to gamble then an age limit should not matter. The game would be the gambling version however if this happened/was allowed. Bingo by itself is not actually gambling.