The Broke Bingo Addict

Running a bingo hall is no small task. Week after week, while bingo players are praying they get to yell bingo, there's a manager making sure everything runs smoothly. At Bell-Jeff Bingo in Burbank, California that person is Ruben Alvara. In a few weeks he and his team will celebrate the location's anniversary. In the meantime, he was kind enough to chat about some of things it's taken to get to this milestone. 

In addition to playing bingo on a regular basis, there are also special events occurring throughout the year. In July alone, there are some notable ones happening. Included among them is one at the Foxwoods Resort in Connecticut, as well as Winners in Stockton and South Point in Las Vegas. Checkout details about those and others in this episode.

One of the first places I played bingo when I moved to California, was the Morongo Hotel and Casino out at Cabazon. As much as I enjoyed it, I hadn't been there in awhile since there are so many other places closer to me where I can play. Nonetheless, It was nice to revisit it recently. And for better or worse, the lack of pulltabs definitely makes a difference.

Is it just me or has the cost of playing bingo on your average cruise ship (as opposed to Bingo Cruises), gotten out of control? Especially since the amount of actual games being played is minimal. That's one of things on my mind. The other is, where are all the bingo players I typically see going? Are they burning out?

Over the years, I've attended several bingo events. It quickly becomes clear that you have to go to them with the mindset that it's about the experience and not about winning. I'd gone to Southpoint's Extravaganza roughly six times before I finally won, splitting $25K. Which just goes to prove, if you hang in there, your day will come. That was the case for my third trip to Texas for the 2025 Bingo Palooza.

Just when you think you've heard it all, you find out IKEA is hosting free bingo events. Yes, bingo is branching out to atypical locations across the country, and this change isn't limited to the US or to department stores. Check out some of the new ways and places people are discovering  to play bingo.

Win, lose or draw, playing bingo is always a good time. The fun can be amplified when bingo halls or casinos host special events. With several happening throughout the year, this episode covers three that I was able to attend recently. They were Winners Stockton, Bosco Tech and South Point's 2 million-dollar extravaganza. The trifecta of Food, Friends and Fun!

These days playing bingo involves more than just paper and a dauber. Now you have to deal with strips as well as a variety of pull tabs, including all plays, instants and horse races. In an effort to keep it organized, the bingo caddy was created by long-time bingo player Bobbie Fortier. Check out how it all started and where it's going.

Sometimes there's just so much going on in the world of bingo that you forget to mention some notable events. A couple of those that were missed last time have been included in this episode. There are also a few little bingo related issues being chatted about. There's always something.  

Talk about your win-win situation. Not only are the holidays approaching, so are several exciting bingo events. Included among them are AJ's San Antonio Roundup, Foxwood's Oktoberfest High Stakes and Southpoint's Two Million Dollar Extravaganza. Check out this episode to get details for these, as well as other upcoming bingo events. 

Are you ready for a good time? Well, there is definitely going to be one at the third annual Bingo Rocks PA! The event is happening in Pottstown, PA on September 21st and 22nd. Reyna, one of the organizers, was kind enough to give us all the details about this fun event. Come check out the who, what, when and where of it all. 

Bingo is one of the most popular games in the world. As it continues to grow, you have to ask yourself, what makes it so special? Why do people play it over and over again?  Sometimes spending hundreds of dollars with no guarantee of winning. Like the chicken and the egg, is it because of the money or the community? Which comes first?

The basics of bingo are pretty simple. Get the right numbers before the other guy and yell bingo. But with so many bingo halls out there, it's good to keep a few other things in mind. As the saying goes, "knowledge is power." You don't want to miss your bingo due to an avoidable error.  This episode suggests a few things to keep in mind.

For anyone who thinks it's easy to run a bingo hall, it's not. There's a lot more that goes into it than most people realize. After closing in 2020 due to Covid, Bell-Jeff Bingo in Burbank has finally reopened. This is due in large part to the efforts of Ruben Alvara, the manager (and our prior guest). Listen to what he has to say about how it's going.

Recently Tonya, aka Confessions of a Bingo Addict and Bingo_Addict on TikTok, has been posting observations about bingo players. I'm sure, like me, there are several bingo players out there who can relate to them. Check out some of the ones mentioned in this episode and see what you think.

Bingo players tend to give pull tabs all the love, but strips also deserve some appreciation.  Yes, pull tabs can have some major payouts these days, but strips can have impressive winnings as well. Plus, strips have the added advantage of being a guaranteed opportunity to win.  So let's chat about them.

Located in Rosemead, California, Bosco Tech had its Summer Shake Up 2024. This Western themed event saw bingo players coming in from across the country, including Pennsylvania, Texas and Hawaii. The hall's manager, Paul and his staff worked hard to make this bingo weekend a success.  Also aided by TikTokers like, Big Vin, Mama Guam and Sassy Sonia, I think it was.

Year after year, there are a variety of bingo events across the country. Giving bingo players the opportunity to play the game they love,  visit with friends and, of course, to win money. This week's episode gives a brief overview of notable bingo events from California to Connecticut. 

There are a couple of things to chat about. One of them being how upsetting it is to miss your bingo. That could be because you felled to yell bingo or because the caller didn't hear you. Either way, it's beyond frustrating. Another thing is how bingo impacts people around the world and not just America. Bingo is the true universal language.

It's amazing how much bingo swag is available these days. This includes daubers, dauber toppers, t-shirts, organizers and tumblers, just to name a few. All of which can be personalized with things like your name, your favorite sports team or special occasions. Trying to name all the places you can purchase  these things would be pointless, but we gave it our best shot. 

As has been mentioned before, today's bingo is not your grandmother's bingo. It's more than just a bunch of little old ladies in the church recreation room.  It's made up of all kinds of people, including men, women and children. One of my favorites is Don, who goes by @datdammdaddiii on TikTok. He has such a fun, joyful personality and it's great to learn more about him.

Everyone loves to yell bingo, but sometimes it's not in the cards. No pun intended. So what to you do when you're riding a losing streak. Do you take a break from playing or do you just keep going? Check out some of the ways Bingo players try to change their luck.

Whenever there's a large group of people, it includes a large group of personalities. This is definitely the case in the bingo community, particularly when it comes to making noise. Some people like to yell bingo loud and proud, some people like to get rowdy when certain numbers are called, while others like to stay on the mild mannered side. No matter what the style, we all love bingo and need to be respectful of one another. Just saying. 

As one of the most popular games across the globe, a British website called hityah.com compiled a list of 50 bingo facts. Some of them are specific to online bingo, but they are all interesting. Some of them are even surprising. Wait until you hear #47. 

Pulltabs, pulltabs and even more pulltabs! That's one of my takeaways from the recent Bingo Palooza 2024 held at H-Town Bingo in Houston. Another one is fun, fun, fun! More than just bingo, these types of events are also about traveling to new places, meeting new people and finding new ways to enjoy bingo.  Check out some more details in this episode.

It never ceases to amaze me how much there is to still learn about the bingo community. Going up North to play was an eye opening event. During that trip, the multi-talented Crystal Rice brought some interesting differences to my attention. In this episode,  we chat about her experience with bingo, including her explanation of "Bingo Math."

Bingo has been around for centuries and continues to grow, but it has seen some changes. One of the most notable being the amount of money that can be won. There are also big changes in what it costs to play. This episode weighs some of the pros and cons of where to play bingo to get the most bang for your buck. 

How time flies when you're having fun. Still, it's hard to believe we're starting season four. To get things going, here's some information about upcoming bingo events and a key takeaway from my recent attendance at the 8th anniversary for Winner's Bingo in Stockton. To say it was eyeopening would be an understatement. 

There are so many things to enjoy about playing bingo. That includes spending time with good friends and making new ones.  But the absolute best thing is when you get to utter these words, "I GOT IT."  That's especially true when you're playing for thousands of dollars. And thanks to South Point's $2 million dollar extravaganza, I got to say it myself.  What a great way to close out 2023.

The bingo community is as diverse as it gets. It's filled with fabulous people of every age, race and religion. In addition to numerous bingo halls across the country, TikTok's bingo influencers are contributing to the growth of the community. Included in that group is Pressure of @bingowithpressure. Hear what she thinks about being an influencer and what the bingo community means to her.

CBS recently premiered the new bingo game show Loteria Loca. Billed as TV's first multi-cultural, bilingual game show, it exposed latin-style bingo to a national audience.  Despite some issues noted in this episode, I was hopeful it would be a success. Sadly, moments before posting, I learned it's been cancelled. Nonetheless, I hope you'll listen to my thoughts about the show.

So you want to play bingo, but you don't want to leave your home. You also don't want to spend any money, but want to still win real prizes and be part of a great community. If that's the case, Bingoport.com is for you. Learn more about America's #1 free online bingo experience in this week's episode.

It's here again. Time to give an update on some of the notable bingo events going on in the country over the next few months. This includes events in Los Angeles, San Antonio and Las Vegas. Get details on what is happening not only in bingo halls, but also in casinos and even a cruise ship.

It wasn't that long ago the pandemic closed bingo halls across the country. Thankfully, they are not only back open, they are thriving. Bingo players now have numerous options about where to go play. This episode gives a breakdown of some of the latest openings in California.

Ruben is not only a longtime volunteer at Cri-Help Bingo, he is also the creator of California Gold. To our knowledge, this was the first one-dollar pull tab to have a $2000 payout. Ruben tells us how it was created in this episode, along with giving some insight about selling pull tabs.

As much fun as playing bingo is, it's even more fun when you win. So just imagine how much fun it is when you have a massive win. Margie won $20K at one of South Point's two-million dollar extravaganzas and talks about how the experience was for her.

One of the key components of a good bingo hall, is the bingo caller. Responsible for controlling the room, they can make or break your enjoyment when playing.  Tori has been a bingo caller for over 20 years. We get to hear about her experience and thoughts in this episode.

As the bingo community continues to grow, this seems to be a good time to do a review of some common bingo lingo that is used in bingo halls. Technically, this is specific to Southern California, but can serve as insight of what to expect across the country.

After being closed due to remodeling and Covid, Morongo's bingo hall reopened earlier this year.  In a recent visit to its newly renovated location, I had the opportunity to add to the debate about whether or not less is more. 

Isn't it great when you're looking forward to something and it's as good as you'd hope it would?  That was definitely the case with the recent two-day bingo event at Bosco Tech.  Now that he's rested, Paul (the manager) talks about some of the details.

Well, the two-day Bosco Tech event is finally here. And as exciting as that is, it's not the only bingo event around. Here's information about upcoming bingo events from California to Pennsylvania.  Included are updates for previously mentioned events, as well as details for some new ones.

Bingo here, bingo there, bingo bingo everywhere. Among the upcoming bingo events this year is the "Cali Friend-zy" hosted by TikTok influencers @iamcashofficial, @bingonursealy, @bingoplayer15 and @kiki.marie4. The latter gives us a quick breakdown of what to expect. The episode also includes details about the Circus Bingo Blanco private event on June 17.

Looks like people just can't get enough bingo! Almost as soon as one bingo event takes place another is starting. This episode gives a quick breakdown of some of the upcoming ones, including Bosco Tech in June, Cali-friend-zy in July, competing bingo cruises in November and more.

Every now and then, it's good to shake things up. Typically playing at the same three bingo halls for the past three years, I decided to checkout someplace new. This episode gives a review of my experience at St. John Bosco Bingo in Bellflower, California. There were some solid pros, mixed with a few cons. 

Over the past year, I've been able to meet many of TikTok's bingo players. I've also been blessed with the chance to chat with several of them and get insight into what they think about TikTok and the bingo community.  In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with Kiki Marie, who has been requested by listeners time and time again.

Every now and then, things will pop up that I want to pass along, but don't really have enough info to make a full episode.  Because of that, this episode is a mix of some  bingo-related thoughts that I want to share. 

Time and time again, I've mentioned that bingo is comprised of a wonderful community.  Included in that group is Reyna Kilpatrick-Campbell, the founder of Bingo On Purpose. In this episode she talks about her efforts to use bingo as a way to raise money for worthy organizations.

Bingo "Meet and Greets" have been popping up all across the country. Recently, Tonya (aka. Confessions of a Bingo Addict) sponsored one in Houston called Bingo Palooza 2023. This was my first time playing bingo in Texas and boy was it something. Here's a brief rundown of the event.

With the pandemic stalling the option to play live bingo across the country, the BingoMeNow app was a godsend. The app gave  bingo halls the ability to sell buy-ins for regulated bingo games in the midst of the pandemic. This let bingo players get back to playing bingo. That said, there are  pros and cons about using the app.

Turns out that with over 30 years in the bingo community, Mike has tons of things to say. He was kind enough to come back for another episode to give more information about what goes on in the life of a bingo manager. Here is to part two of a great conversation.

Years ago, when I was thinking about starting my podcast, Mike from Cri-Help  bingo was the first person to agree to be on the show.  We've finally had the opportunity to chat. Learn how he got started in bingo, and what he thinks about Cri-Help and its community.