A night at Merkur Bingo in Cricklewood, London

Disclaimer: This post was written in collaboration with Merkur Bingo and I was gifted the experience below. All words and pictures are my own.

I’ve never been into gambling as I’m far too sensible and risk-averse but I do enjoy a game of bingo. Saying that, I’d never played properly; strictly holiday camps and PTA events only! However earlier this week I was invited along to Merkur Bingo in Cricklewood, London I thought well, why the hell not? What else would I be doing on a Monday evening?

Getting to Merkur Bingo, Cricklewood

Merkur Bingo is a national chain with clubs in Crickelwood in London, Lowestoft in Suffolk and Northampton. The closest to me is the London branch.

It was actually really easy to get to; a number 16 bus took me from Paddington and dropped me right outside the door where I was surprised at just how huge the building is. And I mean huge; with slot machines (which I have to admit don’t interest me in the slightest), a bistro, several bars and a huge bingo hall where hundreds of people can gather for regional and national games, it’s a place you can’t miss!

The Bingo

To play Bingo at Merkur, you have to sign up for an account and membership card which is free and easy to do. Any winnings are all kept on the card, which you can cash out at any time. When you sign up you also get a members’ pack with £5 of a meal or a drink and money off bet packages.

We were shown what to do by the manager which was lucky because as absolute noobs, we didn’t even know what you were supposed to shout if you won (turns out, it doesn’t matter – you can just shout anything. But do it loudly!).

There are two ways that you can play bingo at Merkur Bingo.

The first is the classic way, on paper game cards which you buy in strips of six and mark with a dobber as the numbers are called out. Each strip has every number on it once so you get the hang of it quite quickly although it’s fairly fast paced so you don’t have time to check your phone or get distracted while the game is happening because you’ll miss a number and never catch up. Be warned!

You can also play electronically on tablets which you take to your table and log into with your account number. You can automate the electronic games so they auto-dob the numbers as they come up and you only have to hit the ‘claim’ button if you win (so no having to shout out!). If you struggle to keep up, it’s a good option You can also choose to play both the paper game and electronically if you want more chances to win. On Mondays, Merkur have a special deal, with the electronic tablets starting at £25.

Throughout the week there are various different games and prizes on offer.

On the Monday, we played a full set with the early game starting at 6.15, and the main session ending around 9.15. There is a late session too, but we didn’t stay for that. Although it was fairly empty when we arrived, was surprised at how busy it got for the main session, with all kinds of people – there were your older ladies of course (nb: do not mess with them) but also younger couples and groups dotted about.

We played three early session games, 11 main session games and and some ‘extra’ games; the Cashpot, the National Game, the Link (played nationally) and the Treasure Chest. We played both electronically (which has a £1 surcharge) and also on paper to try both out, and the cost for the entire evening was £69.50 per head (books cost £1.50 a set with a paper package costing £21). I would probably just play on paper if I were to go again, because even though it doubles your chance of winning, personally I think I prefer the old style paper game as it keeps you on your toes.

The main session comprises 11 games, and you can win £100 for a line, £200 for two, and £1000 for a full house during each one. There are other optional games during the ‘break’ including the national (where you can win up to £50,000!) and the Treasure Chest game, where I managed to win and split £200 with one other player.

The food and drinks at Merkur Bingo

You have a table to play on, and there are gaps between each round of bingo so you have time to get food and drinks if you wish.

We tried it out as we received complimentary food and drinks but I’ll be honest, I wasn’t really expecting a lot – maybe a burger and chips or something similar. However the food – served in a canteen-style bistro – was actually really, really good.

I went with goat curry with rice and beans, and it was honestly one of the best meals I’ve had in ages – and there was so much of it too. My partner got BBQ chicken and it was so big he couldn’t finish it, and he once won an eating competition.

It also cost £4.50 for a glass of wine, which to me seems very reasonable – particularly in London. However I’d like to have it noted that a few glasses of wine do not make the whole bingo process easier!

Things I’ve learned:

• Bingo is INTENSE. Don’t chat or get distracted. Put your phone away. Massive respect to everyone that can keep up.
• The food was really good and the drinks reasonably priced (but admittedly a few wines does not make keeping up with the dobbing much easier!)
• It’s not expensive to play – for an evening out you’re looking at around £40-£60 with food and drinks, depending on which games you play. You could play the lot both electronically and on paper, and have food and wine for under £100, which seems reasonable to me for an evening’s entertainment.
• There are plenty of breaks for food and drinks and chatting (but don’t chat while the bingo is on or you WILL be shushed and rightly so!).
• You might win! There were loads of games and most full house prizes were £1000
• It was actually really good fun. We both had an enjoyable time – much more so than I would have predicted, and to top it off I walked away with £100 in my pocket!

Be gamble aware!

Although a night at the bingo is good entertainment, it is of course a method of gambling. Never gamble money that you can’t afford to lose. See Gamble Aware for advice and support.