Bringing Bingo Home
It was a few summers ago that I stopped getting out as much as I used to. I used to always be out, whether it be to the shops or the houses of friends, days out in the city or my local Bingo hall. Unfortunately all of that pretty much came to an end. I took a bad fall on a curb as I crossed the road to the shops. I busted an important bone in my foot and I haven't been able to walk too comfortably on it since.
Thankfully, my Son had just bought a new computer. He's always been into video games but got a new PC to concentrate on his studies, not that he did much college work with it! Whilst he was out with his mates, I started using it more. At first I used it for basic things like writing letters and keeping a diary. Before long I was using the internet. I was keeping up with the gossip from my favourite soaps, ordering some clothes here and there, and most recently, playing games!
These days my Son jokes that I play more games on the PC than he does. He's out more and more, and I'm on the web playing away as if it's my last ever chance! The thing is, it's just so fun! At first, I started playing Bingo. My local hall is a walk to the bus stop and then another long walk at the other end. It was just too much of a challenge for my foot to face and after making the journey a few times, I packed it in. Bingo online seemed the obvious answer. I got to hear callers just like in a real hall, but even more money was on offer.
After winning a few thousand pounds over the course of a couple of months, I started to get a bit braver, and looked around at other games to play online. I came across a really exciting Deal or No Deal based game at Jackpotjoy. You could choose a box like the TV show and sometimes the Jackpot was even higher than on the screen! After a while I got bored and moved to Diamond Bonanza. It had really bright colours and every time I looked at the screen, the Jackpot seemed to have got even higher.
Having got lucky quite a few times, thing started getting a little boring after being a member for about a year. I stopped playing as much as before and spent more time watching television or chatting to friends over the phone. Then during an advert break, I noticed that Jackpotjoy was on the telly! The clip was for The Price Is Right Bingo and it brought back all of the memories I had about chatting away in Deal or No Deal’s chat room and winning a nice treat here and there on Diamond. I was up out of my seat quicker than I had been hopping TV stations. I logged back into Jackpotjoy and loaded the new game.
What I loved about The Price Is Right was that not only was it Bingo like before, but the colours and sounds had improved heaps. The ball caller’s voice was really similar to the one on the old TV show and everyone in the chat room was really friendly and in high spirits about the new addition to Jackpotjoy.
After buying a few cards, I noticed that not only Bingo games were happening, but bonus games too. I wasn’t sure how many there were, but hung around to find out. Within an hour, I had seen three different ones! They made me feel like I was sitting in the audience of the The Price is Right on TV. I had to keep reminding myself that it was still Bingo! The Chat Room favourite seemed to be Spin The Wheels without a doubt. You had the chance to win a brand new Mini Cooper or a cash equivalent! Then there was Way To Go Plinko. You could drop the ball and then watch your winnings grow by up to three times. Finally, Come On Down popped up. On that, you could spin the wheel and win anything from another free Bingo game card to a cash prize!
The Price Is Right Bingo reminded me why I ever spent so much time on Jackpotjoy. The fun factor was still there but had grown, and I wondered why I ever turned away from the PC for the television screen! You get really drawn in by everything that’s going on, and there’s interaction too, so it’s not like you’re becoming a vegetable like you would just watching daytime shows day in and day out.
It’s funny actually. The other day I was chatting to Charlie and he said that I was talking about my online bingo friends as if I knew them in real life, but I sort of do! There’s a whole bunch of us that are always in the chat rooms at the same times, and we chat in between games about all sorts. It sounds a bit weird I know, but I really do consider them my real friends. Whenever I have something on my mind, I’m on there and smiling again within a few minutes!
Well anyway, that’s my little story about how life has become a lot more fun since logging on and playing games online. I’d like to be getting out of the house more, but there’s been no luck in sorting my bad foot out. I’m just very grateful that there’s a community in the box that sits on my living room table. Without those lot, and the exciting games, I don’t know what I would have done.
Oh, and then there’s of course the cash prizes! You get so carried away you don’t always realise you’re winning so much. To date I’ve won at least £7,400!
