Last checked: October 2026The short answer depends on which side of the table you sit on. If you play every week, expect to finish the year behind by about a quarter of what you spend. If you run a weekly game for a charity, an average night clears a few hundred dollars after prizes and costs. The numbers below come from a state report, and the calculator lets you run your own.
Averages worked out from Colorado’s 2024 charitable games figures, bingo only. Your hall will differ.
Run Your Own Weekly Bingo Numbers
Enter the crowd size, the buy-in and the payout for your hall. The result is for one night, so multiply it by 52 to see a year of weekly games. Tap “I’m running a game” if you are the one organizing it.
The hall keeps $600 of $2,000 in card sales for the charity and its costs.
Can You Make Money Playing Bingo Every Week?
On average, no. A hall pays back only part of what players spend, so the average player gets back less than they put in. You will have winning nights, and a few regulars finish a year ahead. Most finish behind by roughly the hall’s share.
Colorado publishes real numbers for this. In 2024, players there wagered $21,927,675 on bingo and halls paid back $16,214,895 in prizes, which is a payout of about 74%. The report counts 715,798 players across 11,144 bingo occasions, or about 64 players a night (Colorado charitable games report, 2024).
Divide those totals by the number of players and you get the average night out:
- Spent on bingo: about $31
- Won back on average: about $23
- Cost of the night: about $8
Play every week for a year and that is about $1,590 spent, about $1,180 won back, and about $415 gone. That is the price of 52 nights out.
What a year of weekly bingo costs at different budgets
This table assumes a 74% payout, the Colorado average. A higher payout at your hall shrinks the last column, and a lower one grows it.
| You spend each week | Spent in a year | Won back on average | Average yearly cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | $520 | $385 | $135 |
| $20 | $1,040 | $770 | $270 |
| $30 | $1,560 | $1,154 | $406 |
| $50 | $2,600 | $1,924 | $676 |
You will win sometimes, and the math still holds
In a room of 64 players who all spend the same, you hold 1 of every 64 cards, so you win about 1 game in 64. A weekly player at a 10 game session plays 520 games a year and can expect about 8 wins. Those wins are real money. Added up over the year, they come to about 74 cents for every dollar spent.
Buying more cards does not change this. More cards mean more wins and a bigger bill, in the same proportion.
How to make your bingo money go further
- Ask about the payout. A hall that pays back 80% costs you a third less than one that pays back 70%.
- Set your budget before you walk in. Decide on the pack you will buy and skip the extras at the table.
- Count it as a night out. If $8 buys you an evening with friends, that is good value. If you are playing to make rent, it is the wrong plan.
If bingo stops being fun, or you are spending more than you planned, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is free and open 24 hours a day at 1-800-GAMBLER.
How Much Can a Charity Make From a Weekly Bingo Night?
Here the math runs the other way. The share that players do not win back is what pays for the hall and funds the cause. Using the same Colorado figures for 2024, the average bingo occasion looked like this:
- Card sales: about $1,970
- Prizes paid: about $1,455
- Expenses: about $240
- Net profit: about $270
Run that every week and one night clears about $14,000 a year from bingo alone. Many halls also sell pull-tabs during the session. In Colorado, pull-tabs sold at bingo occasions added a further $2,534,264 in net profit statewide in 2024, which is roughly another $225 a night.
These are averages. Busy halls clear far more, and a small game can lose money on a slow night.
Three example weekly games
Each row uses a 70% payout. Change the numbers in the calculator above to match your own hall.
| Crowd and buy-in | Card sales | Prizes and costs | Left per night | Over 52 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 players at $20 | $800 | $560 prizes, $150 costs | $90 | $4,680 |
| 75 players at $25 | $1,875 | $1,313 prizes, $200 costs | $363 | $18,850 |
| 150 players at $30 | $4,500 | $3,150 prizes, $300 costs | $1,050 | $54,600 |
What decides how much a weekly game makes
- Turnout. The smallest game above needs 25 players before it covers its costs. Every player past that point adds $6 for the cause.
- Spend per player. Extra packs, specials and a concession stand lift the take without filling more seats.
- The payout you promise. A percentage payout shrinks with the crowd. Fixed prizes do not, so a slow night can cost you.
- Your costs. Hall rent, cards, daubers and the license come out every week, whether the room is full or half empty.
Most states require a license or registration to run charity bingo, and many limit how often you can hold a game and how much you can pay in prizes. Check with your state’s charitable gaming office before you commit to a weekly schedule. For the full walk-through of the math, see the bingo payout calculator page.
Weekly Bingo Questions
Can you make a living playing bingo?
No. Halls pay back less than they take in, so the average player loses money over time. In Colorado in 2024 the payout was about 74 cents for every dollar wagered.
How much does the average bingo player spend?
In Colorado in 2024, players spent about $31 per session on bingo cards, going by the state’s totals for wagers and players.
How much does a bingo hall make per night?
The average Colorado bingo occasion in 2024 cleared about $270 from bingo after prizes and expenses. Pull-tabs sold at the same sessions added roughly $225 more.
Is a weekly bingo night a good fundraiser?
It can be, if you can count on a steady crowd. Work out how many players you need to cover your costs, and compare that with the smallest crowd you expect.
Do I have to report weekly bingo winnings on my taxes?
In the United States, yes. All winnings are taxable income. A hall issues Form W-2G for a single bingo prize of $2,000 or more in 2026.