The revolutionary rise of online gaming has resulted in a new wave of popularity for many games, with new players joining every day. Bingo has been one of the games to have benefited. Having for so often been lambasted as ‘uncool’ and its players unfairly stereotyped, this new growth in popularity of the game has not come a moment too soon. Online bingo has brought bingo into the twenty-first century.

One casualty of the modernisation of bingo has been the bingo calls that players would have got so used to hearing in bingo calls across the world. With technology becoming more widespread in bingo halls, and millions playing the game online, there doesn’t appear to be any room in this new, updated bingo for the bingo calls that were a vital part of the game a few decades ago. In the past, it would not have been unusual to see national caller competitions held. Nowadays, though, bingo calls are becoming less prominent. Though the original aim of the calls was to make bingo clearer and more interesting, their lack of use in the modern era has not coincided with a decline in popularity for the game.

On the contrary, the UK online bingo business is bigger than ever, and only seems set to grow further with the continued rise of companies like Mecca. The loss of the old bingo calls have not resulted in a loss in popularity for the game, which is attracting a wider, more diverse audience than ever before. It is quite possible that given a few years bingo calls could be entirely removed from the game. With this in mind, here are a few favourite calls along with a brief explanation of how they came about.

1 – Kelly’s eye – Buttered scone – At the beginning – Little Jimmy – Nelson’s column – B1 Baby of bingo – First on the board – Number Ace
4 – The one next door – On the floor – Knock at the door – B4 Crowd says “and after” – Bobby Moore – Shut the door
5 – Man alive – Jack’s alive – One little snake
8 – Garden gate – Golden gate – At the gate – Harry Tate – One fat lady – She’s always late – Sexy Kate – Is she in yet – Wow, I could have had a B8 (USA)
9 – Doctor’s orders
10 – Downing street – Cock and hen (rhyming) – Uncle Ben (rhyming) – Gordon’s den (number 10 has – over the years – used the names of various priministers) – A big fat hen
11 – Legs eleven – Legs – they’re lovely – Kelly’s legs number eleven – Chicken legs – Skinny legs
21 – Royal salute – Key of the door – If only I was.. – Just my age – At 21 watch your son
25 – Duck and dive – At 25, wish to have wife
57 – Heinz varieties – All the beans (Heinz 57 varieties of canned beans)
66 – Clickety click – All the sixes