The UK's Most Bingo-Mad Towns Have Been Revealed. The South West Didn't Make the List

Tipton. Burton upon Stather. South Shields. If you are drawing up a mental map of Britain's bingo heartland, the South West barely registers. According to a new study ranking the UK's most bingo-obsessed locations by online search volume, the first place that could be considered anywhere near this part of the country does not appear until position 25. For Exeter, the picture is even quieter.

The findings, examined by Bookies.com, home of the top online casinos, analysed Google Trends data for the term 'bingo' and five related search phrases across every corner of the UK over the past year. Each location was given a combined score based on its relative search volume per capita, and the results paint a clear picture of where bingo fever runs hottest.

The Towns That Love Bingo Most

Topping the national ranking is Tipton, a town in the West Midlands, with a combined Google Trends score of 330 across all six search phrases. It is followed by Burton upon Stather, a North Lincolnshire village with a population of fewer than 3,000, which managed a score of 324. Third place goes to South Shields in Tyne and Wear, with 314.

The pattern across the Top 20 is striking. Every single entry in the upper half of the ranking comes from the Midlands, the North of England or Scotland. County Durham and Tyne and Wear lead the way with three representatives each. Northumberland, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and Lancashire each contribute two.

The first entry that could be considered part of the South of England does not appear until position 25, where Essex village Mistley breaks the northern stranglehold. For context, Mistley has a population of around 2,000 people.

Why the North Dominates

The dominance of northern and Midlands towns in the rankings is not entirely surprising. Bingo has deep roots in those communities, historically tied to working men's clubs, seaside resorts and the kind of close-knit social culture that thrived in post-industrial towns across the region. The game became a staple of British leisure in the years after the Second World War, and its popularity was particularly pronounced in areas with strong community hall traditions.

Online searches for bingo reflect both active interest in playing and nostalgia for the game's social dimensions. In towns where bingo halls remain part of the fabric of local life, search volumes tend to be correspondingly higher. The online version of the game has also grown significantly in recent years, drawing players who might not have access to a local hall or who prefer to play from home.

Where Does That Leave Exeter?

Exeter does not feature in the study's rankings at all, which places it firmly in the quieter half of the national picture. That said, Devon is not without its bingo heritage. Mecca Bingo in Exeter has long been a fixture for locals, and the game continues to attract steady interest across the county, both in person and online.

The absence from the top rankings does not mean Exeter residents are indifferent to a flutter. The broader gaming picture in Devon suggests consistent interest in leisure gambling of all kinds, from horse racing at Exeter Racecourse to the growing popularity of online casino play. Whether that interest eventually translates into higher bingo search volumes remains to be seen.

The Numbers Behind the Study

The research used Google Trends to assign each location a score between 0 and 100, based on search volume relative to population size. Six terms were analysed in total: 'bingo' and five closely related phrases. The scores were combined to produce a final ranking covering towns, villages and cities across the entire UK.

The methodology favours smaller communities with high per-capita engagement over large cities where search volumes are diluted by population size. That is why London, Birmingham and Manchester do not feature prominently, despite generating far more absolute searches than Tipton or Burton upon Stather.

For now, the study confirms what many already suspected. When it comes to bingo, the heart of the UK beats loudest somewhere north of Watford Gap.