About Bingo Hall
Equipment
It takes more than a handful of boards and bingo markers to run a successful bingo hall. Some of the most professional set-ups are sold as a whole unit and can run upwards of $7,000. While not every set-up need be elaborate, a few basics are needed.
Features
Bingo halls need to have the necessities for both the host and the players. The person manning the game should have a selection of balls that get picked at random, a bin in which to mix and out of which to pick the balls, a board that shows which balls were called. Players need game boards and markers to mark off the numbers that have been called. Some type of megaphone or public address system is also helpful, especially for larger or particularly noisy bingo halls.
Types
Bingo hall equipment runs the gamut from the simple to the highly elaborate. Anyone can make a ball bin from things as simple as an old garbage can or box, which can be shook up for easy mixing. A chalkboard could serve as the bingo board. On the flip side, elaborate bingo systems are also on the market. Some feature bins with a mixing arm, fully lit bingo boards for scoring and highly polished, professional bingo balls.
Benefits
Ball bins are best if they are clear, so nobody can accuse the game host of cheating or the bin being full of bogus balls. Another clear type of ball bin is the blower, the same type of contraption seen on some state lottery game telecasts. The balls are placed in a clear, dome-shaped container and a blast of air makes them blow around until one is shuttled up a chute to the top.
Considerations
Bingo halls aren't the only ones that can be set up with a host of bingo equipment. Players, especially the hard-core ones, have their own set of supplies. Some include bingo markers, or daubers, which are colorful pens used to mark the bingo cards as numbers are called. Players can also invest in bingo chips, which serve the same purpose and are available in a magnetic type which will adhere the chips to the board while playing but can removed easily. Bingo supplies can be carted to and from games in handy bingo bags, which are satchels set up to hold all the bingo supplies, including handy outside pockets for daubers and even a pair of eyeglasses.
Effects
To pull off a very professional bingo game, hosts can opt for equipment that is all top of the line. This would include a large, highly visible and lit bingo scoreboard and a professional ball blower for easy selection. The fancier bingo card selections include shutter cards, which can be used without any markers or chips. When a number is called, players can simply shut the little cut-out shutter over that particular number, scoring a win when the right combinations of shutters are shut.
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