Why Your Bingo Concession Shouldn't Make Much Profit.

One mistake that I think a lot of bingo chairpeople make when running a bingo is running a high cost bingo concession. If these bingo chairmen buy a bingo dauber for $1.00, they feel they must charge at least $1.50. If they buy a bingo cushion for $20.00, they think they have to charge at least $25.00. After all, in business, you buy something, mark it up to a higher price, and then you sell it, right?

Well, in the case of a bingo 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 bingo 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, I think most bingo concessions should look at the bigger picture. Low priced bingo supplies such as bingo daubers, bingo chips , bingo bags, bingo cushions, etc. attract new bingo players and keep existing bingo players at your bingo.

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

These bingo items, not the bingo supplies at your bingo 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.