Exclusive Look: A Day in the Life of a Canadian Bingo Caller

Playing bingo is easy — working in the space however, is a whole different game. There really aren’t many jobs involved in the game outside of bingo callers. Maybe there’s an usher here or there, and maybe someone who checks you in, but it’s really just the bingo caller that’s the star of the show.

Bingo callers made a name for themselves because bingo is so popular in Canada. If you’re looking to audition for that role, here’s everything you need to know about it.

A bingo caller is simply the person who calls out the bingo numbers at a bingo hall. Players come in with their bingo card and when the bingo caller shouts out a number – say, something like “B34” – the players then stamp off or mark off the number that has been called.

The other role of the bingo caller is to notice when someone has called bingo. At that point, the caller stops calling the numbers and the player comes up to have their card verified. If it’s accurate, the player wins and the bingo caller will start off a new game. If not, then the bingo caller will continue to call out numbers for the current game.

At a high level, the responsibilities of a bingo caller are to manage and run the game of bingo. They’re the ones who keep the train on the tracks as the game plays out. They have to announce the start of the game, accurately call out the numbers, and then go through the proper procedure when a player has called out bingo.

If the bingo caller is not focused or makes mistakes, that’s when chaos can arise in this otherwise orderly game. A good bingo caller will always make sure the game runs smoothly and add a layer of entertainment.

Fun and engagement: How bingo callers interact with players

While the general role of a bingo caller is very formal, there are some who choose to be far more engaged. It’s not required but it is appreciated when the bingo caller serves as the host of the party. That might mean meeting and greeting players when they enter the hall, telling stories and building rapport. Then the game becomes far more friendly and engaging for players, rather than transactional.

A good bingo caller will help the players feel welcome. They’ll also be able to answer questions about the game if any come up and manage all the ins and outs of the game – even if there aren’t that many.

There are no specific rules for bingo callers in this department. This is more of a personal feeling type of thing. However, the warmer and welcoming you are, the more work you’re likely to get. Learning a few bingo jokes for callers will surely help you with the crowd.

How much do bingo callers get paid in Canada?

Bingo callers should expect to earn anywhere from $20 to $50 an hour depending on the venue. If it is consistent work, they can expect to make something like $50,000 – $60,000 a year. The reality, though, is that there aren’t many full-time roles for bingo callers in Canada – if any at all.

The popularity for real money bingo games that are in-person has waned over the years, so it’s more likely that you’d be calling a game here, a game there. In that case, you might get $50 a game or $100 to $150 a night.

How technology has had an impact on the bingo caller role

Bingo halls used to be rocking in the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s, but things changed once the internet came about. To start, the whole feel of playing in a hall has now become archaic. Driving to a venue, sitting at a table, waiting for each number to get called out…it’s a lot of effort for the game.

Instead, players can go online and play at an online casino. They don’t have to drive anywhere; they can play right from home or right from their phone – wherever they are. On top of this, players can either choose to speed up the game, so that numbers are called faster, or play multiple games at once.

Bingo also doesn’t require a ton of attention, so nowadays, in a world of multitasking, players would prefer to play the game while watching TV and/or doing something else.

Bingo has been part of the social fabric of Canada for decades. There was no “Bingo Canada” organization, per se, but there were all sorts of games going countrywide from schools to charities to casinos to simple socials. A common activity would be to play bingo for a cause, where some money would go to a winner but some would be raised for a foundation. Even to play for free bingo Canada games would be easy to find.

In modern day society, things have changed. It used to be easy to find a bingo game going each week, whether it be a casino, community center or school. Now, the game is hard to find.

There used to be a few famous bingo callers in Canada who would have the right balance of calling the numbers and hitting the right notes with humor and entertainment. They were great hosts and you can still try and follow their footsteps if you like.

Just keep in mind that there isn’t as much in-person action for bingo, so the job is not as in demand as it once was.