Mecca, one of the UKs largest bingo club operators and a major brand in the mobile gaming space, is aiming to bring bingo up-to-date for the mobile age with a new real-money bingo game made entirely of emoji.

The game, which launched this week, replaces the standard numbers on bingo balls with a selection of 50 emoji characters. Players have to match 10 emojis to win a cash prize, with an option of five different tickets presented when they begin a game.

The game is available on Meccas iOS app, as well as in a dedicated bingo room on the companys website. It is expected that this mobile-focused style of play will appeal not only to existing players, but to a younger audience who have never played bingo online before.

“Emoji Bingo is a genuine industry first for Mecca,” said Simon Woolf, director of mobile at Mecca Bingo. “Taking the fastest growing language in the world and building a mobile bingo game around it is a real innovation by the company.

“The interactive elements involved, the quicker games and the first-of-its-kind use of emojis will help bridge the gap between social and real-money gaming and drive new, younger customers for Mecca Bingo.”