I can’t say I ever considered spending a Saturday night at a bingo parlor. But there I was. And all that stood between me and $100 was G-57.
It may seem like a conflict of interest: an evening of gambling sponsored by a church. But as history has proven, in the world of bingo, anything goes.
Bingo has a rather elusive history. While some records indicate the game originated in Italy in 1530,others say it dates back to ancient Greece. Whatever the case, bingo has stood the test of time — becoming one of the most popular games ever played. The American version actually started in the late 19th century as a diversion called beano, where players would mark their cards with beans. Rumor has it, one night, a tongue-tied winner yelled out “Bingo!” by mistake. The name stuck, and soon after, bingo was everywhere. The game became so common, in fact, that most people may have forgotten just how much fun it can be.
But not Maxine Kimbrel. This retired tavern owner has been playing bingo for 34 years. She said she comes for the easy-going social atmosphere. Kimbrel comes to The Arc of Oregon & Nativity Church bingo hall on Highway 99 six nights a week. She arrives with her personal collection of multi-colored ink daubers, the tools serious bingo players use to mark the matching numbers. Kimbrel has won as much as $1,000 on one card. She emphasized that she spends all her winnings on more bingo.
Arc manager Debbie McCauly said bingo is one of the truly simple pleasures of life, and the game is a relatively harmless form of gambling. She has been managing bingo for five years.
“The most important part of my job is to create a pleasant environment for the players,” McCauly said. “It’s a gamble, and anytime you take people’s money, you have to make sure they’re having fun.”
A portion of the profits made at Arc is used to provide mentally disabled people with education and housing.
The doors of the Arc open at 3:30 p.m., and it doesn’t take long for the excitement to build. By 7 p.m., the place is hopping. I never could have guessed how serious people can get about bingo.
One couple arrived with a carrying-case specifically made for bingo paraphernalia. Their ritualistic preparation was a bit intimidating; they were clearly bingo veterans. Then there were the multi-card players.
Mary Wooten is such a player. She bustled in and sat down few minutes into the first game. She was noticeably frazzled by her late entrance and quickly tossed her belongings aside. Then, she proceeded to lay out two dozen bingo cards in front of her. Wooten didn’t look up from her game once. As the numbers were called, she scanned her cards with the precision of a surgeon, marked those that matched and still managed to answer a few questions.
“This is the fourth night in a row that I’ve played,” Wooten said. “That’s a lot for me, so after tonight I’m going to take a break. But hey, it beats drinking.”
For players such as Wooten and Kimbrel, this game is obviously not child’s play. Bingo has evolved from the simple game kids play at parties. Players can still win with the traditional combination, but there are all kinds of patterns that signal a winning card. Certain numbers multiply the cash prize. One man won $400 with one of these numbers. This feat brought a round of applause from the packed house.
Who says bingo isn’t exciting?
So there I was. One number away. $100 would definitely have made me a believer in the power of bingo. But G-57 was never called, and someone else walked away with my loot. Perhaps bingo’s power lies not in the money, but in its nostalgic sense of community and good, clean fun.
Bingo.