BJ's Bingo & Gaming

Technically located in the suburb of Fife, BJ's Bingo & Gaming is a bingo / gambling hall in Tacoma, Washington. Just off Commencement Bay, adjacent to the Port of Portland, BJ’s is a local’s hangout featuring a café, a bar, live bingo every day of the week, and even some electronic games.

Tacoma isn’t much of a tourist spot – it’s a sleepy college town that shares an airport with Seattle. Gambling halls like BJ’s are perfect for what they’re designed for. They provide the million or so people in a ten-mile radius with legal wagers on games of skill, difficult to find in a state with harsh anti-gaming laws.

Games

The main attraction to BJ’s is bingo. BJ’s hosts games seven days a week, three or four times a day depending on their schedule. There is a morning session, an afternoon session, a night session, and a “moonlight” (late-night) session. This is big-money bingo, with around $10,000 in prizes paid out each session. The 600-seat bingo hall is one of the biggest in the state.

Around the corner from the bingo hall are what BJ’s calls “bingo slots.” These are slot machines with a few rule and feature modifications to make them legal in the state of Oregon. They have set payouts and restrictions on how much can be wagered, but otherwise they’re similar to modern video slots in Las Vegas or Atlantic City. At the time of this review, the site had some 250 of these machines available during all hours of bingo operation.

Restaurants & Bars

A café and bar, separated by a small lounge area, are open at all hours of bingo operation. The bar serves wine and beer, with no liquor license at the time of review. The café serves sandwiches, pizzas, and other simple snacks, and food can be ordered and delivered to the bar area.

Hostesses are available for one-on-one VIP service for a fee.

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