First, if you're saying that the two onstage contestants each won $.50, that's on them. They had chances to take better deals and chose not too. It's easy to get a little greedy. The time I played onstage I could have taken a deal for $172, didn't, and wound up winning $20. I have seen people win $.01 and $1000.
You won the $25 bingo package. You did not have to pay the $23 to upgrade to the $48 package. It is optional, though they try to push it.
Finally, we agree that bingo is really a ripoff even more now than before, with the extremely low payouts. On the $5000 coverall jackpot, in order to win that, you need to cover your card in 49 numbers or less, still a nearly impossible feat. 😎