Bingo is back: What to expect as the old favorite returns to Potawatomi Hotel & Casino

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS58) -- Bingo lovers are ready for the return of the game at Potowatomi Hotel & Casino after an over two-year pause due to the pandemic.

"We were driving to Madison to Oneida just to play bingo," Milwaukee resident Herman Bruce said. "It was really like a night out for us. We really enjoyed it. It was like a family thing, every week, we were here, every Saturday night."

Bruce is just one bingo fan who missed the old favorite at the Milwaukee casino.

"It was a weekly or bi-monthly thing we'd come here and play bingo," said Milwaukee resident Joe Orlich. "We used to sign up on Labor Day to get a seat in the bingo hall here. There'd be a big, long line signing up for New Year's Eve bingo."

The game is what started the casino over 30 years ago when it originally opened as a bingo hall. Now, the casino is getting back to its roots.

"Our guests have been playing bingo for a long time, and we're really thrilled that we're going to be able to offer it to them again," Public Relations Manager for Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Ryan Amundson said.

The grand return kicks off on New Year's Eve at noon in the casino's Legacy Ballroom, which is a new location for the game.

"Our guests are in for pretty much the same experience, just in a different space," Amundson said.

Amundson tells CBS58 that bingo will begin on electronic machines, but alternative options will be available soon.

Regular sessions are set to begin in the Legacy Ballroom on Jan. 4, running Wednesday through Saturday.

Pre-sale for the New Year's Eve kickoff is happening now. To reserve your spot, visit the casino's bingo reservation booth on their skywalk.