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August 26, 2004updated 22 Nov 2022 11:59am

Profile hopes to hit the jackpot with new free Bingo magazine

By Press Gazette

It’s Eyes Down! for the NBGA’s customer title, available in local halls

Bingo fans are to be targeted by the launch of a new lifestyle magazine called Eyes Down! The 72-page title is published on behalf of The National Bingo Game Association, which is hoping to attract the millions of people who head to their Mecca armed with their stubbers every week.

Aimed at women aged 35 to 44 who have a relatively high disposable income, it will feature fashion and holiday advice and hints on how to spend a big win, as well as real life stories from big bingo winners. Eyes Down! will also feature a growing number of celebrities who are said to be taking up the game.

The editorial content will be produced by Profile Pursuit, parent company of the Profile Media Group. The first issue of the quarterly title will be published in November Eddie Taylor, director of publications at Profile Pursuit, said Eyes Down! would have more of a “lottery mentality”, given that the prize money most nights is £100,000 – and £200,000 on Sundays. “It’s a great magazine for us and an absolutely brilliant demographic. It’s a very targeted audience who have basically been underappreciated by customer magazine publishers,” he told Press Gazette.

It will have a print run of 1m and be distributed via the NBGA’s member clubs. According to the NBGA, the audience base of bingo players has shifted significantly in the past five to 10 years, with an estimated three million people now regularly playing the game in the UK.

“It is going to be there for them to collect, when they buy their ticket they’ll get a free read. As for content, the audience is packed with real life stories – we have come across a lot of people who use bingo as a way of getting themselves back into the community, people who have had accidents, for instance, and used it as rehabilitation,” he said.

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Taylor has also organised a series of company Bingo nights to help staff get in the mood and better understand their audience. The first will be held next week at the Mecca in Islington.

“We are hoping to get a couple of Arsenal players down there. I don’t know if being on the magazine will exclude us from winning any of the prizes that will be on offer – I certainly hope not.”

Cate Langmuir, who edits the Good Ski Guide, also published by Profile Pursuit, is editor.

The National Bingo Game is played every night of the year- apart from Christmas Day – with two games every Saturday.

Since it began 18 years ago, a total of £775m has been paid out to winners, with the total weekly pay-out to players of more than £1m.

By Ruth Addicott

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