Rebel Bingo Hits New York a Second Time!

Bingo is popular on both sides of the Atlantic but in the United States bingo is still stuck with an image as a game for little old blue haired ladies in funny clothes sitting in smoky church basements and bingo halls. While there may be some truth in this stereotype, in the UK bingo has become a game for hip younger players and the average age of the typical bingo player is well under 40. Last year the newest bingo craze hit the UK in the form of ‘Rebel Bingo’ which swept through urban areas all over the UK. There are now several websites devoted to Rebel Bingo and there are also blogs and forums much like the ones set up by online bingo fans.

Earlier this year Rebel Bingo was introduced to New York and was an instant hit with the younger set. Invitations to games are usually by email and the subject reads something like “Brooklyn Young Person’s Health and Safety Meeting.” Rebel bingo usually has sellout crowds as players struggle to be part of the action. The latest installment of the Underground Rebel Bingo Club took place at the Bell House, a converted 1920’s warehouse, to a sellout crowd of enthusiastic players. The earlier session of the Rebel Bingo Club took place in July and the email subject announcing the games read “Brooklyn Young Person’s Neighborhood Watch Meeting” and drew a crowd of over 1,000 bingo players.

The inventor of Rebel Bingo was on hand for the latest event. James Gordon, 28, who goes by the bingo name of Mr. Flames, hosted the games. Mr. Gordon invented the game with childhood friend Freddie Sorensen. (a k a Freddie Fortune) Gordon and Sorenson were both freelance TV producers on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ and ‘Big Brother’ but didn’t like their jobs and decided to try something original and new. Gordon had this to say about the first Rebel Bingo games, “We thought we’d put on this gentle bingo night with campy cabaret music, and people would say, ‘Well, that was charming.’ But instead everyone got drunk and started screaming about winning these silly prizes.”Rebel Bingo was born.

Rebel Bingo games have been described as one big debauch and word not normally associated with bingo. Unfortunately for online bingo players an internet version of Rebel Bingo has not been developed. In all likelihood it will only be a matter of time before Rebel Bingo goes online.

By Anthony Wayne
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