Lakewood | New Jersey, New Jersey

Lakewood, home to the biggest Orthodox Judaism community in the USA, is a beautiful, popular winter resort that attracts many visitors annually. With over 106,300 residents, 59% of the recorded population are Jewish, and Lakewood is filled with Jewish places of worship. So it's really no surprise that Lakewood's bingo hall is right in the beautiful Temple Beth Am!

Where Can I Play Bingo in Lakewood, New Jersey?

In Lakewood and looking for your local bingo hall? Ask anyone and they'll definitely point you in the right direction! Temple Beth Am is well-known in the town for its bingo fundraising and the impact it's had on the temple. Over the past 25 years, the temple's bingo nights have been a major fundraiser for the venue. With a massive turnout per event, bingo has raised over $500,000 for Temple Beth Am! That goes to show how loved this temple is, and how much the community stand with each other, and stand behind fundraising for what they love. Located on Carey Street, this temple is right at home in a Jewish community. A great hall within the temple is converted into a homely place to play bingo. It attracts a large audience and is known for its fun evening. The temple follows a lot of ways in which a public place can be turned into a bingo hall: tables are added, refreshments are made available, a host calls the numbers, and a group of volunteers run the show!

What Happens During a Bingo Game?

If you're into bingo, you'll definitely know where your local bingo hall is. In Lakewood, that's Temple Beth Am--right in the heart of the Jewish community. If you want to be part of one of the biggest fundraisers for the temple, join in! You can help to add to the current standing $500,000 raised for the temple. Who wouldn't want to be part of that and give back to the community? So you're thinking of checking where to play bingo in Lakewood, and you've found this temple? Great! What next? With available parking on-site and nearby, the temple offers an incredibly accessible location for people to drive to. Once inside, you'll either be assigned a table--if you're in a large team--or directed to any other table where solo players might be. This way, everyone gets socialising with each other! Bingo and making new friends? Sounds wonderful, right? Some events sell extras--things like bingo books, in order to play more games; some sell cushions; others sell things like ink daubers or bingo-themed bags! It's up to you whether you want to play one game or ten! Or maybe even more! Bingo, in itself, as a singular game, can be quite short, but there are often multiple games so if you're a fan of it already you'll know to prepare for a longer evening. The host will call for everyone to prepare, and then begin drawing numbers. Number by number, the host will call out and if you have the number called, cross it off on your grid! Bingo is competitive--only one overall winner and a prize (if your local bingo hall offers this!) but getting the numbers that match your grid is completely spontaneous! Sounds fun! Some bingo events have a winner when a full line is crossed off--then they proceed onto the full house: where all squares of your bingo grid is crossed off. Then you're the winner! And if there's any cash prize or general prizes, you'll be able to collect those at the end of the game!

How Do I Pick a Bingo Hall to Visit in Lakewood, New Jersey?

That all depends on personal circumstance! If you're someone with specific availability--say, you have children, so you can't attend a bingo game that might start at 3pm but you could do a 7pm game--you'll need to make sure the bingo game you want to attend suits your schedule. Are you a driver? Then you'll want a local bingo hall that has a parking lot on site! With this wonderful temple, you'll have that! There is a strict no-smoking policy on site and it's important these rules are adhered to. So if you're a smoker, this might not be the perfect local bingo hall for you. However, you're free to smoke off the premises and before and after your bingo game! Furthermore, if you're a person who loves giving to the community and charity, you'll love being a part of this bingo hall! With a standing 25 years of donations, you'll get to join in the fundraising fun and give back to the community!

What Makes a Bingo Hall Good?

Lakewood has many Jewish places of worship, so why this particular temple? Well, there are many ways to consider this. Temple Beth Am is a great location, right in the way of over 7 major bus routes. Many people know it and will easily point it out to anyone who asks. With the hall inside the temple, there’s more than enough room to set up tables. The hosts of Temple Beth Am set out separate round tables throughout the bingo hall space. They have space and more than enough parking. On top of that, despite Temple Beth Am not being in an area of high demand for eating places, the bingo events are still provided with refreshments of drinks and snacks. Who would turn down a cup of coffee over a game of bingo? You don’t want to miss out on this wonderful fun-packed evening.

Gambling and New Jersey

Many churches, schools, and fire departments are the venues for town bingo halls. This is because bingo events are non-profit organisations in New Jersey. Despite the state’s liberal views and laws on gambling, bingo is a fundraising tool and has supported many community buildings and places of worship across many towns in New Jersey. In 2013, New Jersey legalised online gambling, so long as the business has a physical store to go alongside it. Any businesses found without a physical store but operating online are shut down. Temple Beth Am has raised over $500,000 for the temple through bingo events and has a long-standing of 25 years in the community. Many people want to be a part of that and take pride in Lakewood, in the town.

Interesting Facts

Lakewood is the center of Orthodox Judaism--with 59% of its population being Jewish--as well as home to the biggest yeshiva outside of Israel. This is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on open-minded studies of traditional religious texts.
The name "Lakewood" was penned in 1880, earning its name because of the large quantity of pine forests and lakes in the town.
There are over 6,500 students at Beth Medraash Govoha, the yeshiva.
Due to its lakes and pine forests, Lakewood has always been deemed a popular health resort, and a great place to visit in the winter.
Its contribution to the winter season as a resort offers cross-country skiing, while in the summer months, Lakewood boasts a large popularity for beach volleyball.