Why Are Bingo Players So Superstitious?

“If a black cat crosses your path, it signifies that the animal is going somewhere.” - Groucho Marx

If this quote is anything to go by, Groucho was pretty grouchy when it comes to superstition. Luckily, we’re not all wired the same way and we’ll happily throw salt over our shoulder and wear lucky underwear when we play.

When it comes to superstition in bingo, a lot of it comes down to sheer confidence. “I won once in that seat, so it must be lucky.” When you have your lucky charm on your side, you feel unstoppable. Players have all kinds of weird and wonderful ‘winning’ rituals and we’re going to take a peek at some of them.

Are we really a superstitious bunch?

Let’s call a spade a spade: many bingo players are highly superstitious. We’ll do anything in our power to try to persuade Lady Luck to give us a chance on any given night. This is as true in bingo halls as it is with online bingo sites.

Now, you might think your nan is more superstitious than your mates, but a study has shown that young bingo players are actually more superstitious than older players. Who would’ve thought!

Popular bingo superstitions

If you’ve been to a bingo hall then you’ve probably seen it all! Troll dolls, beanie babies, rabbit’s tails/feet, hats, pants and everything else in between. This doesn’t just happen in halls, however. We’d bet that you’d find a lot weirder things going on at home since online players don’t have to deal with prying eyes.

Here are some lucky rituals bingo players use to try to improve their luck:

Lucky objects

Ask anyone at a bingo hall about lucky charms and you’re likely to get shown some pretty strange stuff. But as long as it’s legal, you can bring it to the game. Of course, given our name, we’re particularly partial to a pair of lucky pants. If your pants turn out to be lucky too, we do recommend changing out of them from time to time, so that the luck doesn’t wear out — and so they don’t start to smell of course.

Lucky numbers

Trust us, when you win a jackpot you’re going to remember the numbers you chose. But lucky numbers don’t just apply to bingo. Think lottery tickets and password combinations. There are people that will do some pretty wild things to get their hands on a card with their lucky number/numbers on it!

There’s also unlucky numbers too. Some people won’t even play bingo on Friday the 13th, although we’re guessing Jason from the Friday the 13th movie would be keen. Do you think his mask would be his lucky charm? Or perhaps his machete? Whatever the case, it’s all about which numbers float your boat.

Lucky seats

As one of the most quotable movies of all time, Mean Girls hit the proverbial bingo nail on the head with, “You can’t sit with us.”

While most folks you encounter at a bingo hall will be friendly, some of the regulars are likely to have their lucky seats. Sitting on someone else’s lucky seat in a bingo hall is like throwing their lucky pants in the garbage! Even if they’re stinking up the place, it should never be done. It’s always best to move out of someone’s seat and grab yourself another chair. Besides, who needs a lucky seat when you’ve got your extra special lucky underwear?

Lucky roomies

Everyone has one of those friends who seems to always get into trouble. You know a night on the town with this mate likely means you’ll wake up in the Czech Republic with no idea of how you got there, or how you got that ugly tattoo on your thigh.

Well, a lucky roomie is quite the opposite. This is when good things always happen when you play bingo with this person, whether you’re seated next to each other in a bingo hall, or just in the same room in an online bingo game. It’s totally acceptable to make your mate your lucky charm. The added bonus is that even if you don’t win, you’ve probably had a cracking time while doing some bingo bonding.

Lucky Pants Bingo: It’s all in the name

It goes without saying (but we’ll say it anyway) that no amount of lucky charms, superstitions, or even a freshly ironed pair of lucky pants has any real bearing on your chances of winning that jackpot or scoring a date for the night. Some days luck is on your side, and sometimes it isn’t. Superstitions just give us the confidence we need going into a game. At the end of the day, whether you use a lucky charm or not, it’s important to keep your wits about you and play responsibly.

At Lucky Pants Bingo we feature a wide range of slots, scratchcards, and bingo games, all served with a cheeky helping of bingo banter. For the chance to win great prizes and join a fun, friendly bingo community, sign up with us.