Between late-night study sessions, dinner with friends or an occasional downtown outing, it can be difficult to commit to a set plan for a night in Starkville. But when Thursday rolls around, one place consistently fills up before the clock hits 8 p.m. — the Landing. The cause of this weekly chaos is not live music or a big football game. It is bingo.
Every Thursday at 8 p.m., the Landing hosts a huge game of bingo where guests can turn competitive. Groups of friends arrive early to grab seats, order drinks and prepare for intense rounds of waiting on the right number to be called. By the time the announcer gets the first number out, the atmosphere feels like a giant sporting event that everyone is eagerly anticipating to win.
Part of the excitement comes from the prizes. Unlike traditional bingo halls, the Landing mixes humor and real value into what its players can win. Past prizes have included a television, loaded tea gift cards, restaurant gift cards, stuffed animals and even a Dyson Air Wrap. Winners 21 and older may also win a free round of shots for their table, adding an extra touch to their victory celebration.
Since prizes vary each week, regulars keep coming back eager, hoping the next week brings something even bigger than the last. Each week features multiple rounds with increasing prize values, which keeps players locked in for the entire night instead of leaving after one game.
Maddie Clayton, a freshman political science major at Mississippi State University, described her best memory at the Landing’s bingo.
“My second week going, I finally won a Starkville Nutrition gift card,” Clayton said. “After the victory, all I wanted was to go back and win even more exciting prizes.”
In addition to the prizes, the best part of bingo at the Landing for many students is the atmosphere. The game quickly becomes social, loud and intense with every number that is called. Strangers cheer each other on, friends tease one another over missed numbers and entire sections of the bar will groan at the same time when someone calls bingo before they can. There is a shared sense of suspense that connects everyone in the room, even if they arrived separately. It is competitive, but never unfriendly — the kind of competition that ends in laughter and high-fives.
Bingo attendee Savannah Trotter, a sophomore integrated digital marketing major, described her experience.
“Bingo at the Landing was so much fun. It definitely brought out a competitive side, and I wanted to go back every week,” Trotter said.
Another attendee, Ty Gill, a freshman kinesiology major, also had praise for the bar’s atmosphere.
“Bingo at the Landing was a fun and friendly experience, yet it kept a competitive atmosphere. You could feel the tension from everyone wanting to win, but also you make friends when new people come and sit around you, keeping the game fun and exciting,” Gill said.
Beyond just its prizes, the mix of energy, atmosphere and unpredictability has helped bingo stand out in Starkville’s nightlife scene. It offers something different — not just another bar night — but an event where anyone can win. It gives people something constant to look forward to in the middle of a busy and stress-filled week, too.
For some, bingo night is a stress reliever after long hours of assignments, studying, practicing and meetings. For others, it is a simple excuse to gather all their friends for a joyful and lively night out. Unlike typical bar nights that revolve solely around music or dancing, bingo gives the night structure. There is a purpose, a goal and the thrill of possibly walking away a winner.
Whether someone is a seasoned regular with lucky strategies or a first-time player just hoping for beginner’s luck, everyone has an equal shot when the numbers start being called. By the end of the night, some leave with prizes. Others leave with bragging rights, but almost everyone leaves planning to return the next Thursday bingo night at the Landing.
