Bingo is prime-time family entertainment where every member of the family can join in on the fun, and perhaps,
win, too.
- Michael SlolelyClaude Mills, Staff Reporter
YOU CAN forget those jokes about old people and bingo. In Jamaica, the game of bingo has blossomed into a bona fide crowd-puller, attracting hundreds of children, teens and adults to games across the island.
So what's the reason behind the about-face that's giving bingo mainstream popularity? Good PR? Money? The thrill of the game?
Try all of the above.
In recent years a number of charitable organisations have been opting to use bingo as the focal point of their fundraising activities because of its high family entertainment appeal and its popularity.
"I think bingo is popular because it's an alternative form of entertainment out there the winning is merely a bonus. Some start out for fun, and then they get caught up in it, coming week after week. You have some who have become professional bingo players," said Winston Cassanova, a popular bingo-caller.
Patrons sometimes carry newspapers, markers, and glue to these events, and spend several minutes getting prepared so that they can play as many as 40 books simultaneously.
"It takes a measure of skill, and some people take their bingo very seriously, they want to look professional," added Mr. Cassanova. "Gone are the days when people used cornseeds to mark their cards. Today's bingo uses disposable cards for each game, and markers are used more bingo has gone hi-tech."
Another reason behind the recent surge in the popularity of bingo is the shenanigan of Donald 'Rampuss' Hayden, arguably the island's top bingo-caller. He commands a large following especially among the women because of his scimitar wit, risqué jokes, and his preacher-like delivery.
Hayden's wit is spontaneous, and he borrows catch phrases from the once-popular 'drop-pan' game to inject flavour into the manner in which the numbers are introduced. Each phrase denotes a particular number.
For instance: fat woman (8), government boots (10), bingoman's age, (18), young gal (16), gun or pi pi (45), fowl meat (28), vagina or sex (35). And when the bingo caller selects number 2 which is the popular word for 'homosexual', the crowd chants 'that a you!'.
"There was a time when bingo at the Ranny Williams (Kingston) involved a lot of uptown people, but it's different now. This is a different crowd, one that doesn't leave for home until well after 12 (midnight) so it attracts a lot of young people and a whole lot of higglers as well. People like how I call the numbers for the bingo and they come for the entertainment value," said Mr. 'Rampuss' Hayden.
"Don't be misled though, they come for the money, but the good thing is that even though they don't win, they leave having had a great time. There is a huge following for bingo now and people look forward to it."
Bingo-callers have to use razor sharp wit to deal with the verbal abuse dished out by the crowd at times.
"You have to be sharp...sometimes the members of the crowd don't mean to be rude, but they say funny but insulting things sometimes, and you have to take it in stride," Mr. Casanova said.
With prizes such as US$5,000, CAN$5,000, $100,000 bonanza games, and main prizes of $500,000, the money is a definite attraction. Outside the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre, one of the most popular venues for bingo, vendors hawk soup, jerked chicken and boiled corn, while inside, popcorn and sodas are the snacks of choice.
One of the great charms of bingo is that everybody can play. At the tables set up in the venue, women, men and children marked numbers on their cards as the caller announced the number on 'seeds' which he takes from a machine. When someone hears a number called, he marks the corresponding number on the bingo cards he or she has bought.
Someone wins a game of bingo when they get all the numbers required to win a game. The games feature several variations such as H bingo, X bingo, Z bingo and the 'full house' games which attract the large cash prizes. When someone wins, they immediately get up and shout 'Bingo' and makes his way to the caller to confirm his win.
However, sometimes patrons make mistakes, and prematurely yell bingo, only to discover onstage that they haven't won, much to their chagrin. These unlucky persons are then faced with a 'walk of shame' from the stage back to their seats where they are sometimes jeered and taunted by the crowd.
"That's the toughest part of the bingo because the crowd is made up of a lot of higglers, and loud people, and they shout terrible things at you...to make you feel ashamed," one female patron said.
At a bingo event, there is no pressure to dress up. At the events, most women sported casual skirts or faded blue jeans, and some wore sweaters to ward off the cold night air. The men were dressed casually as well.
Bingo games for charity are held almost every Friday night at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre and thousands of bingo enthusiasts vie for prizes in contests organised by various non-profit organisations and community groups.
The cover charge is $500, and each patron is given a set of books to play the games that will be played that night. However, more books can be bought for additional money.
"As an entertainment alternative, it sometimes works out cheaper than going to a night club or someplace else," Yvonne McCalla, a 27-year-old advertising agent, said.
"And bingo is fun for everyone...
winning is just a bonus."
