Bingo Supplies Should Sell For Less at Your Bingo Concession

Bingo supplies is an interesting business. As a distributor of bingo game supplies, we see a lot of good bingo managers, and a lot bingo managers that struggle. One mistake that I think a lot of managers make with their operation is running a high cost concession.

For instance, some bingo managers feel that if they buy a bingo marker for $1.00, they must charge at least $1.50 or some other number to their players. If they buy a cushion for $20.00, they think they have to charge at least $25.00. After all, when you're in business, you buy something, mark it up to a higher price, and then you sell it, right?

Well, in the case of a concession, I don't think so.

I am a firm believer that a bingo concession should not operate to make much, if any, profit. Instead, a concession should act as a "loss leader", or at least like a "break-even leader" for the entire bingo. Instead of looking to make a $0.50 profit on a bingo dauber, most concessions should look at the bigger picture. Your bingo's profit centers should be your bingo paper, electronic handhelds, pulltabs, and other gaming products, not your concession items. Low priced bingo game supplies such as daubers, bingo chips, bags, cushions, etc. should be used to attract new players and keep existing players at your event.

I've heard many stories about bingos getting more players to attend with low cost supplies. New players frequently will show up to your bingo (and skip another) because of a low-priced concession. And, both new and existing players that save some money on supplies will often enjoy spending that savings on additional electronic bingo cards, more bingo paper, and/or pulltabs.

These bingo items, not the supplies at your concession, should be a bingo chairperson's best profit makers. Think about it. There's a reason many casinos in Las Vegas will give out free food to people sitting at slot machines. In this regard, bingo is no different.

For more information on playing bingo, bingo supplies, ordering bingo paper and selections of bingo game sets please visit Bingo Supplies

"Bingo Bob" has been in the charity bingo distribution business for over 20 years, is the owner of the website WholesaleBingoSupplies.com, and blogs about the bingo industry on the Bingo Supplies Blog. This article my be freely distributed as long as it remains unchanged.