Introduction

This Introduction identifies why bingo—a self-effacing game that is rarely taken seriously by academics—provides a vital new lens on debates about political economy and regulation. Within gambling studies, bingo practices can be used to further our understanding of mutual aid, of gambling law and policy, and of gendered gambling cultures. More broadly, bingo offers a lens through which we can see political economy and regulation differently. The Introduction summarizes this argument and provides an account of the three academic literatures—on diverse economies, regulation, and gender—to which the book seeks to contribute. It closes with a chapter-by-chapter overview. Finally, using two bingo prizes that reside in a domestic kitchen (a knife set, and a pair of mugs featuring Carry On characters that speak smutty catch phrases when lifted off a surface), the author also explains her personal investments in having the game—in all its ordinariness—taken more seriously in debates about the political economy of gambling regulation.