When thinking of gambling and the Olympics simultaneously, it would typically be sportsbooks that come to mind. With that said, the Olympic games are becoming more and more inclusive with each event, with competitive eSports being one of the latest additions to the events’ official line-ups.
eSports is one thing, but bingo fans and sports followers alike may be surprised to see UK bingo brand Mecca Bingo getting involved with the global sporting event as well. After a poll revealing that a huge number of voters would love to see bingo as an Olympic sport, Mecca is launching a brand new promotion to get the classic gambling game included as an official category in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Convincing the International Olympic Committee to include the game as a sport may be challenging, but Mecca Bingo has exceedingly positive statistics on its side. The Rank Group-owned operator recently held a poll asking the public whether they would be interested in the UK’s national pastime appearing at the world’s most legendary sporting showpiece.
95% of Voters In Favour Of Bingo’s Olympic Status
Thousands of respondents offered their opinions on the subject, and a whopping 95% of them voted in favour of bingo becoming the latest Olympic addition. Mecca now has over 1,000 voters voicing their support for the UK’s strongest bingo players to be indicted as members of the Great British team to compete in Tokyo. Better still, there is another online petition gathering signatures at the present in order to persuade the IOC to add the game to its ranks.
However, Mecca is even going one step further in its quest. The online operator has begun to prepare a formal application, as it believes that many of the IOC’s criteria for game inclusion can easily be met by bingo. Bingo also offers large-scale popularity in numerous regions, affordable methods of play and practice, and rules that are clear-cut and easy to understand and enforce.
While it may seem a bit far-fetched to include Bingo in the official Olympics, there could always be an unofficial version, which is held for other non-recognised sports. But it seems that in this case, there’s a definite element of seriousness in getting it to the Games, and Mecca and numerous ardent bingo fans are keen for the game to be officially recognised.
Olympic Bingo May Preserve Its History – And Its Future
A Mecca Bingo spokesperson stated that Mecca is proud to be continuing its campaign while knowing that 95% of Britons are supporting the firm’s plight. With the future of bingo relying so heavily on online and mobile gaming platforms, adding land-based bingo to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics could also preserve the integrity and the popularity of the game as it was played for many past generations.
However, Totally Gaming has a valid counter-argument. The gaming expert has noted that bingo isn’t the first gambling pastime that has attempted to be recognised as a sport. US poker players have pushed for recognition in the past, saying that the skill needed to be a professional player outweighs the chance factor of the cards.
Totally Gaming mentioned that the US poker pros’ attempt may have been a stronger one than Mecca’s as it would have strengthened poker’s identity as a sport in the US and was not privy to strict online gaming regulations. Regardless, Mecca Bingo is determined, and British bingo players are no less so in the face of their favourite pastime possibly featuring at the world’s most famous sporting event.