Bingo is still popular, and two very different businesses show why. Tombola, the UK online bingo operator, was bought by Flutter Entertainment for an enterprise value of £402 million after reporting £164 million in revenue and about 400,000 average monthly users. Bongo's Bingo, a club-night version that began in Liverpool in 2015, grew to more than 40 UK locations and reached Ibiza, Dubai, Australia and the United States.
Updated November 4, 2026. Part of EPR's Gambling coverage.
Summary
- Flutter Entertainment agreed to buy Tombola in November 2021 for an enterprise value of £402 million and completed the deal in January 2022.
- Tombola reported £164 million in revenue and £38.5 million in earnings in the year to April 30, 2021, with about 400,000 average monthly customers.
- Bongo's Bingo held its first event on April 2, 2015 in Liverpool and had expanded to more than 40 UK locations by January 2023.
- The club-night format has reached Ibiza, Dubai, Australia and New York, and its founders set a goal of one million tickets sold in 2023.
- The two models succeed for the same reason: a familiar, low-stakes game that is easy to join and fun to share.
Contents
- How big is online bingo? The Tombola case
- What did Flutter pay for, and why?
- How did Bongo's Bingo make bingo a night out?
- How did Bongo's Bingo grow beyond Liverpool?
- How do the two models compare?
- What is the timeline of bingo's revival?
- Why does bingo appeal to a new generation?
- What can brands learn from bingo's revival?
- Frequently asked questions
How big is online bingo? The Tombola case
Tombola is a bingo-led online operator based in Sunderland, England, with a satellite office in Gibraltar. When Flutter agreed to buy it in November 2021, iGamingBusiness reported an enterprise value of £402 million. Flutter completed the deal in January 2022.
The financials explain the price. According to GGB News, Tombola earned £38.5 million on revenue of £164 million in the year to April 30, 2021, averaged about 400,000 monthly customers and employed about 700 people. More than 80 percent of its revenue came from the U.K., with 16 percent from Italy and Spain, and the report noted that it was one of the first companies to require deposit limits.
What did Flutter pay for, and why?
iGaming Future described Tombola as the largest online bingo operator in the UK and the number one bingo operator in Spain and Italy. Flutter's chief executive, Peter Jackson, called it the UK's premier bingo brand and said it aligned closely with Flutter's safer gambling strategy. The deal added what coverage described as an engaged, sustainable player base, with many customers active with the brand for multiple years.
The takeaway for communicators is that a category written off as old-fashioned can support a business worth hundreds of millions of pounds when the product is simple, social and low-stakes.
How did Bongo's Bingo make bingo a night out?
Bongo's Bingo was created by Joshua Burke and Jonny Lacey, who performs as Jonny Bongo, and the first event ran on April 2, 2015 in Liverpool, according to the company's own history. Lacey was known for a weekly pub quiz and Burke promoted club nights, and the format blends traditional bingo with dance-offs, rave intervals and audience participation, in the founders' own words.
Within the first year the show left Liverpool: the founders took it to Manchester and Leeds with more sell-out nights, according to the company's five-year retrospective. The Guide Liverpool reported the founders saying that within a couple of months people were queueing round the block and, two months after that, other cities asked to host the event.
How did Bongo's Bingo grow beyond Liverpool?
By January 2023, Pollstar reported that Bongo's Bingo had expanded to more than 40 UK cities and beyond, planned its first U.S. event and set a goal of one million tickets sold in 2023. A North West Business Desk report described an XL tour in large venues across Manchester, Newcastle, Leicester and Sheffield and the two biggest shows ever, back-to-back dates at the Exhibition Centre Liverpool in August 2022. The founders also pointed to keeping ticket prices low during a tricky time for many people.
The Guide Liverpool later noted that the show had reached Australia, Ibiza, Dubai and, in a month it described as then-current, New York. The company's blog also records that its first post-pandemic, full-capacity event took place at the founder's own Liverpool venue, signaling the team's return.
How do the two models compare?
| Detail | Tombola | Bongo's Bingo |
|---|
| Model | Online bingo operator | Live club-night bingo events |
| Base | Sunderland, England, with a Gibraltar office | Liverpool, England |
| Scale marker | £164 million revenue in the year to April 2021; about 400,000 monthly customers | More than 40 UK locations by January 2023; target of one million tickets in 2023 |
| Markets | More than 80 percent of revenue from the U.K.; 16 percent from Italy and Spain | UK, Ibiza, Dubai, Australia and New York |
| Milestone | Acquired by Flutter for £402 million (completed January 2022) | First event April 2, 2015; first U.S. event planned for 2023 |
| Hook | Low-staking, recreational online play | Rave-style atmosphere, dance-offs and audience participation |
What is the timeline of bingo's revival?
| Date | Milestone |
|---|
| April 2, 2015 | Bongo's Bingo hosts its first event in Liverpool |
| 2015 to 2016 | The show expands to Manchester and Leeds within its first year |
| Year to April 30, 2021 | Tombola reports £164 million in revenue and £38.5 million in earnings |
| November 2021 | Flutter announces it will buy Tombola for an enterprise value of £402 million |
| January 2022 | Flutter completes the Tombola acquisition |
| August 2022 | Bongo's Bingo plays its two biggest shows yet at the Exhibition Centre Liverpool |
| January 2023 | Bongo's Bingo reports 40-plus UK locations and sets a one million ticket goal |
Why does bingo appeal to a new generation?
EPR's view is that bingo works because it gives a group an easy shared activity. The rules are familiar, nobody needs prior skill and the game creates natural moments of laughter and conversation. Bongo's Bingo layered music, dance and humor on top of that simple structure, turning a game associated with older audiences into an evening young people buy tickets for. Tombola, meanwhile, built a loyal base around a low-staking, recreational proposition and an early focus on player protection. This section is analysis rather than reported data.
What can brands learn from bingo's revival?
- Reinvent the experience, not the rules. Bongo's Bingo kept the game and changed the atmosphere.
- Keep the entry point simple. Everyone knows how bingo works, so new audiences join immediately.
- Let word of mouth lead. Queues and sold-out nights in the first months drew requests from other cities.
- Keep prices accessible. The founders emphasized low ticket prices during a difficult period.
- Stay recreational. Tombola's low-staking approach earned a loyal customer base and a strong valuation.
- Build safeguards into the product. Tombola was among the first to require deposit limits, which fit Flutter's safer gambling strategy.
- Expand in steps. Bongo's Bingo moved from Liverpool to other UK cities, then to Ibiza, Dubai, Australia and the United States.
For related reading, see EPR's iGaming marketing guide, 20 iGaming marketing plays, the guide to compliance-first PR for FinTech and iGaming startups, the gambling PR analytics stack and the lottery PR coverage.
