According to figures released this week by search engine giant Google, playing bingo over the Internet is becoming increasingly popular across every age group and gender and is the mightiest rival to online poker.
Although virtual poker has long been thought of as the most popular Internet gaming pastime, Google revealed that bingo has rapidly caught up and is now engaged in a race to decide which game is the most dominant.
"Due to the presence of so many bingo operators, competition is becoming more and more intense forcing bingo sites to offer more and more benefits, bingo bonuses and added benefits to ensure loyalty and traffic," read a statement from Google.
"Although bingo has been considered to be a female game in the past, the taboo has diminished as more and more male players are traced in the chat rooms of online bingo halls. The wide offerings and the quality of the service are the main reasons of the increasing popularity."
Another reason for the growing popularity of bingo is the fact that the game is very easy and straightforward to play. Google stated that, unlike poker, online bingo players do not need to wager major amounts of money as cards can be bought for very little.
In addition, it stated that bingo is an online game that can be played while browsing the Internet with attention not mandatory, unlike poker. In the modern game, play is almost automatic, as players are not expected to call out bingo when they've won. All they must do is purchase their cards on time before a session begins.
Finally, the majority of online bingo sites now offer chat rooms with around-the-clock support enabling players to meet, talk and share views on their favourite games.