If you’ve always wanted to play bingo but have no idea how, there is hope. The Niverville Gold Rush Bingo committee has you covered.
All you need is a bit of cash to pay for your cards and dabbers. Maybe some snacks too.
Then one of the bingo volunteers will help you figure out the game, according to Monique Lasko, one of seven Niverville Gold Rush Bingo committee members.
“If somebody has never played bingo, there are a lot of people there to help them,” Lasko says. “We’re more than willing to sit down and explain it to them. We’re there to help.”
She adds that new players shouldn’t feel intimidated.
Word must have gotten out, because Lasko is seeing more new players in the bingo hall. The Valentine’s Day event on February 11 saw 140 players, for example.
That’s the most Lasko has seen in the three years that bingo has been offered in Niverville.
Every Tuesday night until the last Tuesday of April, the Niverville Gold Rush Bingo hosts bingo. Originally held in the Golden Friendship Centre, the group has since moved to the Heritage Centre’s east ballroom so more people can play.
The events begin at 7:00 p.m. and run until 9:30 p.m. The doors open at 6:00 p.m.
The roots of Niverville Gold Rush Bingo began after a discussion on Facebook. People really needed a place to meet and enjoy bingo, Lasko says.
“There was nothing. Right after the pandemic, people wanted to get out.”
Now in its third year, the bingo night is taking off. The group uses the old-style ball cage, since upgrading to electronic bingo would be an expensive endeavour. Electronic boards in the hallway keep participants in the know about game rules, prizes, and pricing.
Currently, $20 will get you into the game. But for $25, you can purchase a beginner’s pack.
“There’s one of everything in it,” Lasko says. “So you don’t miss a game or worry about which game you need if you’re new to bingo.”
Bingo cards range from a three-to-view pack for $5 to a 15-to-view pack for $20. Participants must be 18 and over to purchase bingo cards or collect prizes, although children are allowed on the premises. Bingo dabbers are $2 each.
Lasko explains that different games have different prizes. Currently, the biggest accumulator, the BONANZA, is just over $5,000. Jackpot amounts are listed every week. Both grow each week when they’re left unclaimed.
To date, the Niverville Gold Rush Bingo has spread $37,800 of raised funds between the Golden Friendship Centre, Youth for Christ, and Growing Minds Childcare Centre. The group operates as a nonprofit.
