SPEED Bingo is the newest product to be launched by a York-based company following the success of its pub quiz app.

Family-run tech company, SpeedQuizzing, has expanded its product portfolio with the launch of a free, interactive bingo hosting platform.

It can be accessed through the SpeedQuizzing app, and means pubs will be able to host fast-paced, interactive games of bingo without the need for pens and paper. Instead customers can connect to the game and play through their smartphones or tablet devices.

As the app is free, anyone can download it and use it to host bingo games either in the pub or elsewhere – no activation payment is required.

A pre-populated 4x4 grid of 16 numbers, from 1 to 80, is automatically generated for each player on their own touch-screen device, with players pressing each number as it is called out by the host.

The game is designed to be fast-paced. Should multiple players achieve ‘bingo’ on the same number, the software will determine the victor according to who successfully completed their digital card first.

It’s the first non-quizzing game to be developed by the company whose headquarters are on the outskirts of York. It is also good news for pubs looking for alternative forms of entertainment to boost sales and footfall.

Joint SpeedQuizzing founder and head of tech, John Leach, said: “We’re constantly evolving and developing our quiz games, but this is the first time we’ve done something away from that and we’re thrilled with the result.

“Bingo has made a real comeback over the course of the last few years and we wanted to create our own take on a classic game, taking the best bits and blending them with 21st technology to create something new and exciting.

“We believe we’ve done exactly that with Speed Bingo and we’re confident it’ll help to drive footfall, sales and fun in pubs at a time when such a tonic is badly needed.”

The launch of Speed Bingo marks the end of a milestone 12 months for SpeedQuizzing, with year-on-year sales of its digital quiz packs up by 35 per cemt and SpeedQuizzing events hosted in over 1,000 venues every week. These range from small village pubs with a handful of teams, to large bars with up to 400 players.

The company hopes 2020 will be even stronger, with plans to add new features to its SpeedQuizzing app.

The duo behind the business, John and his brother Alan – better known as the drummer in indie band Shed Seven – are also looking to take SpeedQuizzing into new markets and grow its international presence, building on the 225 SpeedQuizzing events currently hosted in over 25 countries every week.