B ingo calling is an art and bingo callers are the artists displaying their talent through innovative ways of calling Bingo nicknames that have been picked out. For ages Bingo callers have been using various nicknames such as, Jump & Jive (35) and Heavens Gate (78) to add fun to the interesting game of Bingo.

With the advent of various Bingo sites, the traditional trend of calling out bingo numbers has been replaced by straight bingo calling which is electronic. This new rage of calling out Bingo numbers has become quite popular these days.

There are several reasons behind the popularity of straight number calling. The new and modern generation thinks that Bingo is a thoughtful game with loads of money involved ; one cannot afford to be light-hearted and frivolous when calling out the winning numbers in such a money-minting game.

So, it is that straightforward calling is now in vogue.  It is this style of calling that helped Mandy Gorgan win the UK Caller of the Year as far back as in 2004. With Gorgan winning the hearts of bingo players all over UK with her calling style, number calling with clarity picked up popularity.

Indeed Bingo games is serious business these days with rich rewards in the form of huge jackpots. With such high stakes involved, Bingo players need to concentrate on the numbers and the funny nicknames can cause distraction. This apart, cheesy Bingo nicknames like two fat ladies for 88 may even offend the feminists out there.

Not everyone is capable of taking things lightly and if you are one of them too, you can adopt straight Bingo calling. However, the traditional style of Bingo calling is still favored by many, especially in small town Bingo halls . While it is okay to stick to the old tradition, one should also try to innovate and come out with new variants. Surely you can fabricate Bingo nicknames that would catch the fancy of younger bingo players? How about Skinny Jeans for 11?

Bingo callers are given utmost importance as far as the game of Bingo is concerned. For some years now, Bingo players across UK have been voting every year to nominate their favorites as the national ‘caller of the year.’

This contest is conducted by the National Bingo Game Association (NGBA) which links more than 300 Bingo clubs across the nation annually. While regional caller awards are also given, the race is for the ‘national caller’ award.

Along with the coveted National Bingo Caller of the Year award, comes fame and fortune and opportunities to travel the world. Winners also get to call Bingo numbers at Las Vegas, the mecca of casinos.

For a Bingo caller, it is nothing less than a dream come true to win the award. In the words of Blake Robson, 2007 National Bingo caller of the Year, in the UK: “When they first announced me as the winner I was absolutely elated. Everything seemed to happen in a blur – I barely remember receiving the trophy. Within a few hours I was being interviewed on Radio Five Live, then the next morning I was a guest on BBC’s Breakfast programme.”

There are others who have also won the award. Brett Hyrjak, Karl Seth, Mandy Gargan, Mike Vyse, Peter Lewis, Alan Stockdale, Phil Groom, and Steve Linder – have all won this trophy in the past.

Alan Stockdale, one of the winners, became so excited that he called his job “the best job in the world” after winning the award.

With the Bingo industry growing at a fast pace, many Bingo clubs and sites have also started hosting in-house Bingo caller competitions. Michael Edwards won the award for Best Caller at the Gala Bingo Club in 2007. Last year when the NGBA failed to conduct the competition, Gala Club stepped in and Edwards was chosen as the Bingo Caller of the Year.

Wonder who would be the chosen one in 2009?