With local residents becoming increasingly drawn to competing bingo halls and riverboat casinos, many Bingo games run by Catholic churches and schools in the Chicago area are struggling to attract players. According to the Illinois Department of Revenue, between 2001 and 2003, revenue obtained through bingo was down by over $500,000, compared to the $162 million increase experienced by riverboat gambling.

Before riverboat casinos opened for business, bingo was basically all there was. With the advent of riverboat gambling, however, a wider variety of casino games became available. The glitzy atmosphere of the riverboat casino undoubtedly helped draw the crowds, as well. Instead of cramming into a church basement, gambling enthusiasts could now opt for a flashier, more dynamic riverboat casino.

Not everyone, however, could afford high stakes riverboat casino gambling and thus, a considerable portion of Chicago's residents have remained loyal to bingo. Nonetheless, despite the continued demand for bingo, competition has ballooned, with more bingo halls now open, many of which offer big prizes and high-tech games. Compared to these bingo halls, which are rented out to non-profit organizations for fundraising events, church bingo's nominal prizes and old-fashioned bingo games appeal to fewer and fewer people.