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A pensioner from Clacton has won more than £41,000 at bingo.

The 61-year-old, who wants to remain anonymous, is also sticking by an agreement to give half of her winnings to the friend she plays the bingo game with.

The woman won the cash at the Gala Bingo Club in Pier Avenue, Clacton, on Monday.

She won the national bingo game prize of £39,535, the regional bingo prize of £1,999 and the house bingo prize of £100.

"I'm gobsmacked," said the pensioner. "I don't want to make any rash decisions while I'm still so shocked so I'll wait until I get the cheque before I decide what I'm going to so with the money."

The woman, who is married and has two children and a grandchild, has been playing bingo for 32 years and plays the bingo game at the Clacton club once or twice each week with her friend.

Written by James Dwan

www.gazette-news.co.uk

HARRISBURG -- The state House is moving to help nonprofit groups that raise funds by holding bingos, which have slipped in attendance as more casinos have opened around Pennsylvania and in neighboring states.

The House voted 180-18 yesterday for a bill introduced by Rep. Don Walko, D-North Side. It would permit nonprofits and charities like volunteer fire companies and church groups to conduct as many as four bingo events per week, instead of the current limit of two bingo events. The nightly limit on bingo prizes would rise to $10,000 from the current $4,000.

The trend toward lower bingo attendance was first noticed in northeastern Pennsylvania, where the Mohegan Sun casino opened near Wilkes-Barre in November 2006, and where another casino opened in the Poconos last year, Mr. Walko said.

"Bingo attendance fell about 40 percent in some areas, according to testimony we took at a hearing in January," he said. He added that a North Strabane volunteer fire department bingo event has closed, due to many customers going to casinos in West Virginia.

John Elliott, who sits on the Chartiers Township volunteer fire company's bingo committee in Washington County, said his Thursday night bingo has dropped to 85 to 90 players, compared with 130 or more before The Meadows slots casino opened just down the road in June.

He said the money raised at bingo is crucial to the department's operation because it goes for equipment, utilities, building maintenance and cleaning supplies.

The bill still needs Senate approval. Besides increasing the nightly payout and the number of bingo games permitted per week, the bill would:

• Allow charities, for the first time, to hold one progressive bingo jackpot per day, with a payout of no more than $50,000.

• Allow bingo players to use hand-held electronic bingo cards as well as traditional paper bingo cards.

• Remove certain bans on advertising; currently, nonprofits may not advertise their bingo jackpot amounts or the entrance fee to the bingo games, which is usually $15 or $20.

• Allow groups to compensate professional bingo callers who run the bingo games.

Written by Tom Barnes

www.post-gazette.com

Mecca Bingo shares have been given a slight boast after it was announced by Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe at a recent AGM meeting, that the government was expected to announce new measures to aid the falling bingo industry in the next couple of weeks.

The Rank Group, who also operates the Blue Square Betting business and Grosvenor Casinos, have stated that they were encouraged by their performance, in the face of adversity. It has been reported that they told their shareholders, "We have achieved a degree of success in adjusting to the smoking ban and the new bingo gaming regulations and have taken timely action to protect profits. Nevertheless we are conscious that the difficult consumer climate is likely to make 2008 a challenging year for the bingo gaming sector."

We all know that the double taxation law in the UK, coupled with the smoking ban has hit the bingo industry hard. Sectors of the bingo industry have been lobbing the government to try and get the double taxation law changed, but instead of coming to their aid in the recent budget, they gave them a slap in the face once more. Restrictions were also placed on how many bingo gaming machines they were allowed to have on their premises last year, which has just added to this crisis.

The game of bingo has been around for many years and has truly stood the test of time, with millions of people still enjoying the game today, but for how much longer I ask myself? After seeing so many bingo halls close down in the past year and with more reported closures on the way.

Paul Talboys, is the Chief Executive of the Bingo Association, he has a very level head on his shoulders and had this to say about the recent announcement by our Sports Minister: "The bingo industry is encouraged to see that the minister clearly has a genuine interest in the plight of bingo. But the bingo industry is operating under extremely difficult circumstances and the Government's failure to address that double taxation issue in the Budget places great emphasis on any positive statement the minister may make. Any celebration at this time may be premature."

Exactly what the Governments plans to do is still unknown, but it is thought by experts in the bingo industry, that some restrictions may be lifted regarding the £500 gaming machines. We will just have to sit back and wait to see once again, but they really do need to sit up now and take action. I hope this is not a case of giving in one hand and taking back in the other.

Written by Hollie

www.unluckyforsome.co.uk

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Written by John Witherspoon
www.bingostreet.com

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Rank Group Plc, owner of the U.K.'s second-largest bingo-hall chain and Grosvenor Casinos, said a sales decline eased after managers took steps to counter a decline in bingo customer numbers caused by a ban on indoor smoking.

Rank opened sheltered outdoor bingo gaming areas and installed electronic gear that permits remote play at its bingo halls to counter a fall in sales after England barred indoor smoking in public places in July. The company is vulnerable to prohibitions on tobacco use because about half of bingo players smoke, twice the rate of the general populace, according to executives.

``We have achieved a degree of success in adjusting to the smoking ban and the new bingo gaming regulations and have taken timely action to protect profits,'' Rank said. ``Nevertheless we are conscious that the difficult consumer climate is likely to make 2008 a challenging year for the bingo gaming sector.''

Rank fell 1.25 pence, or 1.3 percent, to 93 pence at 8:02 a.m. in London trading. The stock has gained 1.9 percent this year after dropping 59 percent in 2007, giving the company a market value of 363 million pounds ($712 million).

Government Statement?

The owner of Mecca bingo halls and Grosvenor Casinos had to remove some higher-jackpot electronic gaming bingo machines because of changes to gambling laws. The company also owns Spanish bingo clubs, Belgian casinos and the Blue Square betting Web site.

The government plans to make a statement containing ``good news'' for bingo companies, Investec Securities said May 1. Changes probably will include a relaxation of limits on bingo prize amounts, Investec said. Minister for Sport Gerry Sutcliffe was to make an announcement to Parliament ``shortly,'' a spokeswoman said at the time, without being more specific.

Bingo revenue at sites open at least a year declined 14 percent in the 17 weeks, the same pace as the drop in the eight weeks through Feb. 24, the statement shows. Sales on that basis at casinos fell 8 percent.

Profit doubled to 311.5 million pounds in Rank's last fiscal year on a gain from selling the Hard Rock restaurant, hotel and casino unit. The disposal capped asset sales that sharpened the company's focus on gaming.

Written by Louisa Nesbitt and Loveday Morris

www.bloomberg.com

The well known game of Bingo is today being played online by large numbers of bingo players across the globe. It has by all accounts turned into a multi billion dollar business, considering the vast subscriber base. The bingo game is rendered all the more interesting with variations in the rules of the game or patterns to be made, all of which are easily followed by bingo players.

Playing Bingo Online
Online bingo sites use a random number generator which 'calls out' the numbers in quick succession. Bingo players keep pace by crossing out the numbers on their bingo cards. One of the patterns in bingo is called blackout or coverall. All it means is that players have to cover the whole card in order to win the bingo game. Since Bingo is an inherently social pursuit, a chat feature is offered by most of the bingo sites enabling players to make new friends. They are also able to pick up new tips for enhancing their game and to improve the odds of winning, or they can simply engage in casual chit chat to pass the time. Some of the more talented bingo chat room hosts are artful in fostering a sense of community and interaction amongst chat room members.

90 Ball Bingo
90 ball bingo is fast emerging as the most popular version of the bingo game, as opposed to the 75 ball variant that was previously in vogue. The bingo cards are somewhat different in the 75 ball game when compared with 90 ball bingo. In the 90 ball game, the numbers on the bingo cards are arranged in three rows with each row having 5 numbered squares. Numbers range from 1 to 90. The remaining squares are blank and there is no free square. In the 75 ball game, the grid is composed of 5×5 squares, all of which are numbered save the one at the centre.

Different Bingo Patterns
There are hundreds of different patterns being played out in bingo games in the different sites! One of the major advantages of using internet technology is that the costs and overheads involved in printing bingo cards are absent. This frees the site providers to be as creative as they wish and has resulted in some innovative patterns.

The Blackout or Cover-All Jackpot Game
The Coverall game requires bingo players to cross out every single number on the bingo card. There's a fixed payout for the prize winner, that generally decreases after the 48th number is called.

Static Patterns
The static pattern is the most common of all bingo patterns: these cannot be rotated or shifted on the Bingo card. Players get to win only when every cell that is highlighted in the game pattern image is marked on their Bingo card.

Crazy or Dynamic Patterns
Games where the pattern is permitted to be rotated in 90 degree increments are designated as 'Crazy' games. Unlike static patterns that do not allow the pattern to be shifted or rotated, Crazy games can be rotated by 90º, 180º or 270º for a winning pattern match. These can prove to be very interesting indeed yet can be more than a little confusing to the uninitiated. However, there's no need to worry: everyone can participate because most of the bingo sites have an 'auto daub' system that takes care of bingo card marking (as well as calling out 'bingo' when a bingo player has won). Some static patterns also have a 'Crazy' variation.

Conclusion
Coverall games may potentially carry big bingo prizes with the coverall jackpots being even more attractive. Bingo is of course a form of gambling and should be treated as such: set yourself strict limits and stick to them. That said, a coverall 90 ball bingo game or even a jackpot game offers the excitement of a potentially large prize. A progressive jackpot is perhaps the most exciting of them all as the prize money increases every day or every week until it is won. Accepting that this is a game of chance and that winning is a bonus (albeit a nice one!), whiling away a few hours and chatting to fellow bingo players in a well moderated chat room can prove to be a pleasant experience.

Written by Jason Tynan

www.bet123.net

A group of bingo players at Pondella Bingo in North Fort Myers were ready to cash in their bingo chips early Sunday morning and call it a night.

But just as they were finishing their last bingo game, two masked men burst through the front doors, struck a 78-year-old security guard to the floor, held a handful of bingo gamers at gunpoint before fleeing with thousands in cash.

Belinda Frangoulis, 58, said she was saying her goodbyes to the bingo hall's guard, Bill Vogel, at about 1:20 a.m. when the gunmen approached.

"They were dressed in all black, like ninjas," Frangoulis said. "Just their eyes were showing. One dragged me back inside the bingo hall, and I was screaming at the top of my lungs. And the other one dragged Bill in and pushed him to the floor and held the gun to his head."

According to Lee County sheriff's Deputy Richard Russo, another bingo patron, Diane Carroll, 60, was seated at a bingo table nearby. One of the suspects grabbed her by the hair and threw her to the floor, gun in hand, saying, "I told you to get down!"

They then made their way to the office, where manager Anna Wunder, 61, had fled for cover.

"Anna stated that one suspect came into the office by breaking down the door, and pointed a gun at her and threw the phone across the office," Russo reported.  Anna stated that she broke free, then (the robber) ran out of the office yelling, 'Take all the money!'"

She was able to run out the back door to a nearby automated laundry and called 911.

But the gunmen didn't stay much longer. It is believed they got away with $10,000 to $20,000 in bingo cash.

A third patron, Susan Morvan, also 60, kept quiet and hoped it would all be OK. She was not harmed.

"I thought they were going to kill us," Morvan said. "It all happened so fast, and I was just sort of in shock. I thought I was OK, but then when I was driving home, I was getting really nervous. Then I couldn't sleep that night or the night after."

Morvan works at a Naples bingo hall, and said the whole experience was unsettling.

Management at Pondella Bingo, located at 959 Pondella Road, declined to comment.

Written by Rachel Myers

www.news-press.com

Hamilton says town's legal briefs missed mark on issues

A Madison County circuit court judge has denied and dismissed a complaint filed by the Town of Triana seeking validity of its bingo ordinance and protection from raids by Sheriff Blake Dorning on bingo establishments in the town limits.

Triana officials requested a judge in March to declare they have a right under the state constitution to permit bingo for charity without interference from Dorning.

The complaint stemmed from the seizure of hundreds of bingo machines that were operating inside the town limits. In court papers, the county maintained the sheriff has the authority to act anywhere in the county when he believes a state law is being violated.

Circuit Judge Laura W. Hamilton ruled April 30 that no actual controversy exists between Triana and Dorning. The sheriff did not challenge the town's right to create its bingo ordinance, she said. If Triana had challenged the constitutionality of the state's bingo laws, the laws under which Dorning was operating, an arguable actual controversy would have existed, she ruled.

"None of the cases cited involved an action filed by a municipality against a state agency or entity seeking to determine if its local bingo ordinance superseded the state law," she wrote. "Rather, in each of those cases, a resident of the municipality filed an action specifically challenging the validity of the municipal law. Such is not the case here."

Hamilton dismissed the complaint without prejudice, which means Triana will be able to sue the county again on the issues in state court.

Written by David Holden

www.al.com

For some El Paso nonprofits, bingo is the only way to survive even though the future of the bingo game itself is in doubt.

One of these nonprofits -- Family Service of El Paso -- grossed $1.1 million in bingo sales and fees last year.

After paying prize money, fees and other expenses, the agency was able to keep $96,886 from its 154 bingo games.

"We couldn't do it without bingo," said Richard Salcido, director of Family Service of El Paso, which also participates in the state's charitable bingo program. "The proceeds help us to provide services, buy equipment and maintain the staff we need."

Family Service of El Paso provides mental-health services to people regardless of their ability to pay. Last year, it served 1,647 people with 8,986 sessions. Salcido got in early on the charitable bingo bandwagon. "We opened the first bingo game at the Bingo Plus center in 1985," he said. "I ran the organization's bingo games for 11 years and I know three-fourths of the bingo players who come out and play."

The Texas Lottery Commission regulates charitable bingo, which has undergone a genesis that includes various rule changes and a series of oversight agencies. Statewide, 1,241 nonprofits rely on charitable bingo to beef up their budgets. In 2006, $489 million in bingo prize money was awarded to bingo players and $31.7 million was raised for charities.

Salcido said Speaking Rock's casino operations and the city's no-smoking ordinance devastated more than half of El Paso's charitable bingo operations. "But, the day after Speaking Rock closed, we had one of out best days ever," he said. Still, "the bingo players are aging and there is no one to replace them. The young people today prefer video and other electronic games."

According to the commission, El Paso County has 13 nonprofits with a current bingo license. They include the Horizon City Kiwanis, which also uses the Bingo Plus facility for its bingo games, St. Paul Catholic Church and St. Anthony Seminary. Last year, El Paso's charitable bingo operations reported $7.1 million in gross receipts combined, and $543,133 total in charitable distributions.

"Our charitable budget is about $100,000 a year, and bingo accounts for $85,000 of that," said Pat Landleel, secretary of the Horizon City Kiwanis. "Bingo will survive as long as we can appeal to that segment of the population that has limited disposable income than those who might go to Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino. "We're doing better these days, not just because Speaking Rock closed, but also because we have fewer bingo operators than before."

Gone are the days of smoke-filled bingo halls taken over by players who ran on caffeine while watching their paper card and listening intently for the next bingo number. Today, the bingo halls are smoke-free, and charitable bingo players can choose from pull-up tabs and electronic cards for their bingo game session.

Given that religious organizations are involved in bingo, it is ironic the state commission describes charitable bingo on its Web site as "the oldest form of legalized gambling in Texas." The Rev. Jaime Yañez at St. Anthony Seminary said he doesn't think anyone has gotten addicted to the bingo games at the seminary. "We hold bingo for only three days in the year, during our annual fundraising bazaar that takes place over the Labor Day weekend," he said. "Our bingo games are modest compared to others, but bingo is very popular with the people who come to the bazaar."

Last year, bingo helped raise $2,802 for the seminary. St. Paul Catholic Church conducted 141 bingo games in 2007 and Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd had 156 games. Local communities, among them El Paso, receive bingo allocations from the state stemming from prize fees charged to bingo winners. El Paso received $18,387 from its 2.5 percent in prize fees collected over the last three months of 2007. The state keeps another 2.5 percent of the prize winnings for its general fund. San Antonio, with a hot charitable bingo market, received $188,226, the highest allocation for a city, followed by Fort Worth ($86,999) and Corpus Christi ($67,644).

The state says 1,241 organizations use bingo to raise money. Under the state's formula, at least 35 percent of a group's adjusted gross receipts (after fees and bingo prizes) must be distributed to the charitable organization. Phil Sanderson, who administers charitable bingo for the state in Austin, said the lottery commission monitors bingo operations, does background checks on license applicants and conducts audits.

He said there were no enforcement actions for bingo-related violations in El Paso last year. Salcido views bingo as a precarious fundraising tool. "If Speaking Rock reopens, we may have to close down," he said.

Written by Diana Washington Valdez
www.elpasotimes.com

The anti-Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) bill introduced last April 10 by US Congressmen Barney Frank and Ron Paul has already garnered the support of ten co-sponsors.

The Frank/Paul bill seeks to stop implementation of the notorious UIGEA which saw many non-US gaming companies, including bingo, forced out of the US market.  The progress being made by the new bill signals a promising turn of events for online bingo games operators and online bingo halls hoping for a return to the lucrative US online gaming market.   

Frank and Paul put the new bill before Congress after a hearing by the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology that demonstrated the pitfalls and problems with implementing UIGEA.

Written by John Witherspoon
www.bingostreet.com

Bingo revenue has been slashed by as much as 30% since gambling joints were forced to adhere to the city's smoking ban in the new year, one Calgary bingo community association says.

Lil Rose, who is in charge of financial resources at the Acadia Community Association, said attendance for the bingo games they host at the city's bingo halls has dropped significantly since Jan 1.

Last year, the community association was raking in almost $5,000 a month through bingos across the city. That figure has now dropped to about $3,400, said Rose.

Yet bingo attendance has remained steady at the West Hillhurst Community Association, said executive-director Rod Popowich.

"I think bingo players are coming to terms with the fact that there is no smoking," said Popowich. "We're ... the same as we were a year ago."

At Jackpot Junction, bingo attendance has dipped about 10%, said manager Chris Sheridan.

"They're definitely happy it wasn't as big a drop as we anticipated," Sheridan said of the charities that benefit.

Written by Tarina White
calsun.canoe.ca

The ADF Bingo Hall in Mechanicsville had been warned by authorities just like many other bingo establishments that carried instant bingo machines. They did not heed the warnings they were given.

The Maryland Attorney's General Office declared many of the bingo machines that were being used in restaurants, bars, and other devices violates the state's law. Most of the establishments using the bingo machines have unplugged or removed the bingo machines from their facilities.

The ADF Bingo Hall, however, had not bothered with acknowledging the warning, and kept on using the bingo machines. By Thursday, their bingo machines, over sixty of them, had been confiscated by the police.

The owner of ADF had hoped that the Sheriffs Office would show up, this way, she could show them that the particular bingo machines she was using were legal. She never received that opportunity.

Police did come to her bingo hall, but it was not to see whether the bingo machines were legal or not. It was simply to confiscate the bingo machines. Diamond Game manufactures the bingo machines that the bingo hall was using.

Their President, James A. Breslo, had this to say, "She(bingo hall owner) was waiting for them to come by so she could demonstrate how these bingo machines were legal. That never happened, and without notice, they(authorities) just showed up and hauled these bingo machines away."

Written by Larry Rutherford
www.casinogamblingweb.com

GRAND RAPIDS -- Imagine a bingo game with 75 balls. You can play bingo sitting in a chair with a drink in your hand. And if you black out, you win.

Bingo!

For almost 80 years, the game of chance has been filling American Legion bingo halls, church basements and carnival tents. Now, a musical version is filling theaters, too.

And what better place for the Michigan debut of "Bingo, the Musical" than Grand Rapids, which was dubbed the Bingo Capital of the U.S.A. by BingoLingo.com earlier this year.

According to the Web site's unscientific study, Grand Rapids has more bingo halls and bingo games per capita than any other metropolitan area.

But it's the show's hilarious cast of characters -- not bingo's local popularity-- that led Circle Theatre to schedule "Bingo, the Musical" as its season opener.

"It has very silly characters and ridiculous situations," director Todd Avery said. "I don't know if you're going to walk away learning anything about bingo, but it's a real gut-buster."

Avery discovered the bingo show last year in Chicago's Apollo Theatre, where his sister-in-law, professional actress Cheryl Avery, played the leading role of Vern.

The musical got its start in 2000 when playwrights Michael Heitzman and Ilene Reid were in Denver workshopping another play, "Vices." Someone suggested taking a break at a local bingo hall.

"I won $200 -- not that it swayed me or anything," Reid said recently in a phone interview from New York. "It was the bingo culture that got me. Here were these lovable and zany characters, so driven that they wouldn't talk to you while a bingo game was being called."

Reid said she sat next to a woman who spent 30 minutes setting up her display of lucky charms.

On the plane home from Denver, Reid and Heitzman began outlining the bingo story. The final piece fell into place when they invited their friend David Holcenberg to write music and lyrics. He had been on tour as musical director of "Phantom of the Opera," and at each tour stop, he said, the cast would look for the local bingo hall.

"We discovered he's a bingo groupie," Reid said.

Holcenberg -- who also directed "Mamma Mia!"-- gets the credit for adding much of the authentic bingo lingo to the show, such as players singing "I am 16, going on 17" for the call of I-16 or responding to a call of B-12 with "Give me a shot of B-12." Bingo fans who saw the show in California also stayed afterward to help the writers correct any bingo faux pas, Reid said.

The story centers on three bingo-obsessed friends, played by Lisa Whitley-Butler, Noddea Moore and Aubry Talbott, who brave a storm to get to their bingo game.

Others in the cast include Kyle Burton Black as the handsome caller, Ruth Anne Molenaar as the bingo hall's proprietor and Christine Amon and Colleen Weibel as other bingo players.

The score features such songs as "Girls Night Out," "Anyone Can Play Bingo," "Gentleman Caller" and "B4."

"When you're as passionate about something as these bingo players are, it's just a natural progression to start singing about it," Reid said.

The object of the bingo show is to pay homage to the bingo culture, rather than poke fun, Reid said. Her research uncovered a study of people's heart rates in various extreme situations. The highest jolt, according to the study, was when a bingo player was one number away in bingo, Reid said.

"No matter how jaded you are, when you're close to winning, it's a high."

Audience gets involved

Here's how watching "Bingo, The Musical" at Circle Theatre works:

Every person gets a bingo card and plays along on three bingo games for cash prizes during the production. Circle Theatre's set will include a lighted bingo board, purchased on eBay, and a lighted bingo card on the stage floor to teach newbies various pattern games, such as arrow and diamond.

Written by Sue Merrell

www.mlive.com

Four people are charged with stealing money meant to help sick veterans and their families.

They helped run a non-profit bingo for the Women's Auxiliary of a Covington VFW post.

The current president of the post's Women's Auxiliary pulled the plug on the bingo and says more than $170,000 is missing.

Current says she's been waiting three years to tell what she calls a sad story of greed. It's simple, she's the current president of the Women's Auxiliary at the VFW Montague post in Covington. Three years ago the group began hosting bingo to raise money for sick veterans.

No one could believe the amount of money that starting flowing in by bingo games.

"The ladies seemed to be making money. At the meetings it would be something about 43, 54 thousand, and we're going, 'Wow, this is just great!'"

Current says those staggering profits would be counted in a back room at Pike Place Bingo. And when $54,000 in the group's bingo fund suddenly dropped to $20,000, members started asking questions and monthly meetings went from bingo fun to tense.

Two former auxiliary bingo members, Anna Ruff and Deborah Bartlett , Anna Ruff's brother, Billy "Butch" Daniels, along with former VFW member in charge of book keeping, Jeffery Franklin, are now under indictment for allegedly pocketing bingo profits.

More than $170,000 is missing from just one year of bingo,Current says investigators are just now looking for missing money from year's two and three.

"It's sad! When you got people out there dying and you've got these men coming over here that you can really treat well and take care of their families for them, with a $170,000 what do you think we could have done?"

Local 12 was still trying Friday night to get in touch with the four people charged for their side of the story.

Meantime, the Kenton Commonwealth's Attorney's Office says no one at the VFW or with Pike Place Bingo have done anything wrong.

www.local12.com

But owner Stephen Bartle, from Hay-a-Park, Knaresborough, claims the bingo business is no longer viable and he has submitted a planning application to demolish the building and build eight one-bedroom apartments.

In their application to the council, developers said: "No operator could be found to continue running the bingo hall in last 11 months. It is not considered to be of heritage or aesthetic value."

The proposed redevelopment will result in the loss of 13 jobs - four full-time and nine part-time.

Christopher Bateson, who lives in Roker Road next to the bingo hall, said the loss of the bingo hall would be felt by the club members, the majority of who are pensioners and live locally.

He said: "Surely the loss of a significant community facility which enhances cultural diversity in the town generally and the east side of the town in particular is to not to be tolerated?"

The bingo hall originally opened as The Palace in 1914 as a variety theatre and by the end of the second World War was devoted largely to showing films.

The cinema closed in 1962 with another coup, a double feature showing of The Prisoner in the Iron Mask and Journey to the Seventh Planet.  The Lucky Numbers bingo hall opened two weeks later.

Written by Ashley Marshall
www.harrogateadvertiser.net

Foxy Bingo are setting records this may by giving away a staggering £500,000 in bingo prizes. The bingo games will be held in several rooms and will cost as little as 25p, 50p or 75p with £50 and £75 giveaways to £10,000 bingo games.

Also, people now have the option to pre-purchase tickets up to a week in advance for selected games. For the new £25,000 jackpot game, you can book your ticket a whole month in advance.

If that wasn't enough, Foxy Bingo are also offering you the chance to win a 37" Panasonic television every single week. Foxy Bingo offer a wide range of promotions, including a £10 no deposit bonus and hundreds of bingo bonuses.

www.onlinecasinonews.com

Shares in Rank, which owns the UK's second-largest bingo chain, jumped 6.5 per cent yesterday after hints that the Government may be about to throw the floundering bingo industry a lifeline.

Speaking at the annual general meeting of the UK Bingo Association, Gerry Sutcliffe, the sports minister, said that both he and the Prime Minister were sympathetic to bingo's problems, and that he expected to announce measures to help address these difficulties in the next few weeks.

There is no doubt that bingo operators are suffering. Some 13 clubs have closed this year. The private equity owners of Gala Coral Bingo, the largest bingo chain, have had to put up an extra £125m to ease the group's financial stress. And Rank issued a profit warning last October that wiped more than 20 per cent off its value.

Part of the problem is the smoking ban, with slowing consumer spending adding further woes. But the bingo industry mostly blames the Government. The main gripe is the "double taxation" that levies VAT on bingo's participation fee, a charge not imposed on any other form of gambling. The other bone of contention is last year's Gambling Act, which re-classified bingo slot machines and imposed limits on the number of high-prize games in different types of venue, taking a huge bite out of bingo halls' incomes.

Despite the boost in investor confidence after the minister's speech, the bingo industry is more cautious. Paul Talboys, the chief executive of the Bingo Association, said: "The bingo industry is encouraged to see that the minister clearly has a genuine interest in the plight of bingo. But the bingo industry is operating under extremely difficult circumstances and the Government's failure to address that double taxation issue in the Budget places great emphasis on any positive statement the minister may make. Any celebration at this time may be premature."

Written by Sarah Arnott

www.independent.co.uk

Bingo Suite has been acquired by the same folks who brought you Bingo House a leader in the online bingo industry.

Panama City, Panama -- Bingo Suite is pleased to announce the return of its online bingo site. Bingo Suite will re-launch today with all previous balances returned to its bingo players when the old owners went out of business.

Bingo Suite is back and better than ever. Bingo Suite is now owned and managed by the same people who brought online bingo players Bingo House--a leader in the online bingo industry since 2002. The experience of the staff at Bingo House ensures the quality that online bingo players have come to expect from Bingo House. Bingo Suite will continue to offer the best selection of online bingo games to be found on the web.

Bingo Suite would like their former bingo players who had account balances under the old owners to know that those balances have been credited to their accounts by the new owners. "We will be working hard to provide the best online bingo experience possible, and we are excited about the re-launch of Bingo Suite," said Jay Davies, marketing director at Bingo Suite and Bingo House.

"The owners at Bingo House had purchased the defunct Bingo Suite site," said Susan Strafford, writer for the Internet Bingo Blog--a blog that reports on the online bingo industry. "It's great that they were able to honor the deposits that had been made by Bingo Suite's previous players."

Bingo players both old and new will be able to take advantage of the great bonuses and promotions offered by Bingo Suite. Returning Bingo Suite players may log in using their established username and password. Bingo Suite offers new depositors a 150% deposit bonus for a first deposit, a 200% bonus for a second deposit, and a whopping 250% bonus for a third deposit.

Be sure to check out the 'April Showers' promotion going on right now on Bingo Suite. Bingo Suite also has a fantastic selection of slots. Players at Bingo Suite can play in American English, UK English, or Spanish. No matter what language you speak, be sure to visit the new Bingo Suite and see for yourself.

Written by Anthony Wayne
www.prweb.com

The bingo game at St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church social bingo hall was over. But a few elderly men were just about ready to close up Tuesday night when a man wielding a shotgun burst in and stole the bingo proceeds.

Walter Rewnicki, 86, of Arnold, was counting the money and started to resist, but another elderly man urged his colleague to hand over the loot.

Pongrance and Rewnicki were among about six bingo players getting ready to leave Tuesday. It was about 10 p.m.

Pongrance recalled the robber saying, "That's my money. " In reality, the money would have helped to keep the lights on at the church's social bingo hall.

But Rewnicki at first thought it was a "joke or something" because of the way the robber raced into the church bingo hall.

When he saw the shotgun, Rewnicki got mad.

Pongrance said police asked him not to reveal just how much money was taken, but he said there was an unusually good turnout of about 90 bingo players.

Police Chief Joe Doutt said police are stepping up patrols.

Bingo is important to helping the small congregation keep its doors open, said the Rev. Anthony Balistreri.

Balistreri wasn't there Tuesday night. He is thankful no one was hurt.

Written by Chuck Biedka

www.pittsburghlive.com

FAIRMONT -- Although bingo halls are exempt from the newly revised Clean Indoor Air ordinance, three of the bingo establishments in the county will be going smoke free in the next few days.

West Virginia Three Rivers Festival Bingo, the Baxter Fire Department bingo hall and the Fairmont Knights of Columbus bingo hall will all become smoke-free establishments voluntarily.

The Three Rivers Festival Bingo Hall will become smoke free this Friday, said Joe Merendino, festival president and manager of the bingo operation. For the past five years, the festival bingo hall had both a smoking and a non-smoking section during games.

He added that the decision to go smoke free in bingo halls was made because of numerous reasons, the first of which was the health of the patrons. Merendino said he had talked to bingo players with health problems who had told him they would not come to the bingo games because people were allowed to smoke there.

"We'll probably lose some people when we enact this," he said. "But we'll pick some people up, too."

Merendino also said breaks would be given between bingo games so smokers could go outside to light up.

"In the long run, this will benefit the bingo operators and the people who come to the bingo games," he said.

The Fairmont Knights of Columbus bingo game will go smoke free on Thursday, said Angelo Viani Jr., grand knight. He said the Knights of Columbus bingo members decided to have smoke-free bingo games because they were having trouble keeping workers for the events.

"We had a couple of people quit because they couldn't tolerate the smoke any longer," he said.

Like Merendino, Viani said that he believed the Knights of Columbus members would see fewer people attend the bingo games soon after the events become smoke free. But he added that business would increase once word got out to non-smokers.

The bingo game sponsored by the Baxter Volunteer Fire Department will go smoke free on Sunday, said Destry Jones, fire chief. Jones said he firmly believed that making the bingo game smoke free would cause attendance to plummet.


Written by Paul Fallon
www.timeswv.com

Media reports speculating that Denmark's government are close to altering its online gambling policy (including bingo) seems to have been confirmed by more media reports that a regulatory and licensing approach is being seriously discussed.

The news will be welcomed by online bingo games operators and European-based online bingo halls looking to gain access to the growing Scandinavian online bingo market.

Denmark's minister for taxation, Kristian Jensen, has been heard on Danish national radio saying that the government was looking at opening up its current monopolistic system in favour of strictly regulated and licenced online gaming companies.  The move comes after months of pressure from the European Commission (EC) which has sought to convince the Danish government that its current gambling laws are in contradiction to European trade law.

The minister is quoted as saying: "That's a possible situation, if the foreign bookmakers can live up to the strict regulations we have (in mind) for those who want to offer legal gambling in Denmark. I do not wish any wild west situation. I want a regulated market."  That included bingo markets.

Bingo online has been gaining in popularity in Denmark over the last year with the market for free online bingo proving to be one of online gambling's fastest growing niches.

Written by John Witherspoon
www.bingostreet.com

Online Bingo

Traditionally, people who like playing bingo had to wait for an occasion where a number of bingo players gathered together, as in a club event or social get together. Today, bingo enthusiasts can enjoy a bingo game without needing to step out of their front door. This is particularly attractive for the elderly or infirm for whom a trip to the local Bingo Hall may prove to be simply too much.

Online bingo is now being played on the Internet by millions of bingo enthusiasts of this much loved bingo games. Modern bingo sites offer good prize money and an ever-growing array of easy-to-use features including bingo chat rooms which easily replicate the social element of the traditional bingo game.

How to Play Online Bingo

Any bingo player will need to complete a brief registration process via a simple form. They will then be able to buy one or more bingo cards for each game in which they wish to participate. Bingo cards are purchased from a balance that is deposited in the on-site account created when the bingo player joins.  These bonuses are usually credited to the bingo player's account and can almost always be redeemed against game bingo cards.

Bingo cards typically have 3 rows and 5 columns. Numbers between 1 and 90 (or between 1 and 75 depending upon the region in which you are playing) are called at random by a bingo game host in quick succession. These are marked off by bingo players as they find the numbers on their bingo card/s. The object of the bingo game is to be the first to complete the bingo pattern that was announced at the start of the game by the caller or game host. Winners must call out Bingo! immediately upon completing the pattern. Their numbers are verified and they are then declared the winner/s by the bingo host.

In the bingo online version, as with any gaming site, the system provides for random generation of numbers. Depending on the bingo game and site in question, you may have the option to take your pick from a series of bingo cards that are on display. Many bingo sites also have an 'auto daubing' feature, whereby the called numbers are checked off by an inbuilt mechanism. Similarly, an 'auto-bingo' feature provides for the system to call out Bingo on behalf of the bingo player immediately the pattern is completed: perfect if you are about to complete your bingo card and the doorbell goes!

Prize money won by bingo players is automatically deposited into the winner's on-site account. Every online bingo site has its own set of policies with regard to withdrawals from this account.

There are several variations in the way bingo games is played and the rules for individual games. The bingo jackpot prizes are the most exciting of the lot, and are the dream of many a bingo player.

Progressive Jackpots

The progressive jackpot generally has a large prize to be won and the game may extend to several games in one. The jackpot is won by player/s who are able to complete all the numbers on the bingo card within a pre-specified number of calls. Progressive jackpots involve winning several bingo games in succession, with the prize money increasing correspondingly until the final game is won.

Progressive bingo jackpots offer quite a thrill to bingo fans and are proving popular as a result. Every time a bingo member joins and plays one of the progressive jackpot online bingo games, part of their bingo game card money goes into the pot, so it keeps growing until someone wins the game all the way to the final stage, which is the progressive jackpot. Rather like a lottery roll-over week, the longer a progressive jackpot game runs without someone winning it, the larger the final jackpot will be.

Responsible Gambling

Whatever your experiences, always remember that you are paying for entertainment rather than making a living. Always gamble responsibly and within your own financial limits.

Written by Chris Olding

www.bet123.net

Negative equity holds no fear for one woman and her friends following a £450,000 UK bingo platinum jackpot win, it has emerged.

The 40-year-old winner tells National Bingo of the pact she and her best friends made to pay off each other's mortgages should they hit it big.

Meanwhile, the husband of one of the trio of friends was woken with the news in China, where he has been working.

"He didn't believe us at first - but then, it still doesn't seem real to any of us," the winner tells the UK bingo operating body.

The total £890,000 available was shared between two players after both reached bingo in 44 calls.

In March, another platinum jackpot winner revealed she intended to honour an agreement with her bingo-loving friend by splitting her winnings equally.

As a result, 38-year-old Soraya Lowell gave £583,000 in cash to her next door neighbour Agnes O'Neill, National Bingo reported.

Written by Bob Bardsley.
www.onlinebingo.co.uk

A pair of UK bingo jackpot winners have big spending plans ahead, reports National Bingo.

The bingo game's operating body notes the variety of planned destinations for the lucky punters' winnings.

For a 37-year-old Grimsby bingo woman, a holiday to the Caribbean is likely to take a chunk out of her £17,000 win.

Meanwhile, a £38,000 UK bingo jackpot scooped at the Wallsend Gala Bingo club is to help pay for the bingo winner's upcoming wedding.

The winner, 32-year-old Kelly Potts, tells National Bingo: "My boyfriend and I have no savings but now we have the money to pay for a honeymoon and a hotel for our wedding reception."

"My sister-in-law and I were bored so we decided to go and play bingo - I broke my heart with crying when I won," she adds.


Written by Bob Bardsley.
www.onlinebingo.co.uk

Research released by popular Bingo Street-rated 888ladies.com shows women from the English town of Wigan are pocketing around £5 million each year as they play online bingo.

Bingo Street has learned that an average of 110,000 women in England's North West are going online to play online bingo games every week. Traffic at Bingo Street confirms this trend as the online bingo industry continues to enjoy massive growth.

The 888ladies.com research also confirms the expanding social nature of bingo online as up to one in 20 of the women surveyed invite friends for some online bingo.

Bingo Street has added to the findings of the research saying that online bingo portals such as Bingo Street are also becoming important elements in how online bingo players access their favourite online bingo halls.

Written by John Witherspoon
www.bingostreet.com

I knew bingo was powerful in Alabama. I did not really know how powerful bingo was until this legislative session. Each day I encounter more of its tremendous power.

Bingo is so powerful that the Alabama Senate has been considering it since Feb. 21. We have now passed April 21 and we are still in its throes. Except for the mandatory consideration of sunset legislation, bingo has consumed all this time.

Bingo is so powerful in Alabama that it exists without state regulation. It spread through the many local constitutional amendments, 18 to be exact. Bingo, however, is no longer paper cards, elderly ladies and local charities. Electronics have made bingo parlors into low-scale casinos. Ours is probably the only state in the nation that has legal gambling without state regulation.

Bingo is so powerful that not one red cent in state revenues is paid. There may well be billions of dollars gambled without any monies flowing into public coffers. Indian gambling also produces no state revenues.

Bingo is so powerful that no one knows how much money is involved. Its revenues are completely shrouded in secret.  Some estimate that $200 million in profits are made each year from bingo in Macon County. We are not talking about gross, but pure profits.

Gambling is so powerful that the press is silent. It does not aggressively raise questions about how bingo is unregulated, that it does not benefit the state and that it ties up the Legislature.

The power of bingo manifested itself in Greene County in 2006. By law, the sheriff regulates bingo in Greene County. When Deputy Sheriff Isom Thomas won the Democratic primary for sheriff, the nomination was blatantly taken away from him. I tried to help, but bingo was too powerful.

Sheriff Thomas contacted me when he heard that local legislation had been filed to transfer his authority to regulate bingo. He said that no one had talked to him about it. I agreed to help. I just could not contribute to the injustice.

I decided I would not vote for the bill. I also decided that I would not vote for any other bingo legislation. Since these are proposed amendments to the constitution, not voting is powerful. Such bingo legislation requires a three-fifths affirmative vote of each body of the Legislature. That means 21 of 35 votes in the Senate. I knew my vote would be needed to get 21.

I tried to work out a compromise that would allow the sheriff to participate effectively in appointing the proposed commission to regulate bingo in Greene County. The powers that be would not agree. I held on to my vote.

The Senate has been considering just the Macon County bingo bill all this time. The Greene County bingo bill has not even come up for consideration. In my 25 years in the Alabama Senate, no bill has been debated this long.

Sixteen of 22 Democrats are willing to vote for bingo, but that is not enough. Some Republicans considered voting for it even though it will likely cost them re-election. Most Democrats refusing to vote for bingo have come under great pressure and some have come under political threats. That's how powerful bingo is in Alabama.

These bills were promoted as instruments that would provide funds for local entities and transfer regulation of bingo from sheriffs in Greene and Macon Counties to racing commissions. These bills, as originally introduced, do so much more, including the following: expand gambling beyond the counties through the Internet or remote locations; bar the courts of Alabama from looking at any bingo action taken; insure that monopolies would continue in these counties; give immunity to nearly everything; etc.

Bingo is so powerful that it has friends distrusting friends, allies turning against allies, and members of both Republican and Democratic caucuses threatening to bolt.

The Senate cannot continue in this situation. We can't pass the bingo bill, and we can't get off it. Bingo is too powerful for me. I hope it's not too powerful for the people of Alabama.

Sometimes we think we know about something, but we don't. When we face it in struggle, we know it differently. I have known about gambling in Alabama for years, but did not perceive its dimensions clearly. Now my eyes are opened wide.

Written by Hank Sanders

www.montgomeryadvertiser.com

ONE of Medway's oldest citizens, and fan bingo, has died at the age of 106.

She was known for having a great zest for life and celebrated her 106th birthday last year playing bingo at the Gala bingo Club in Strood.

In March this year she found herself in the Guinness Book of Records for being the oldest bridesmaid in the world when she was an attendant at her great-granddaughter's wedding.

She was also the oldest customer at Specsavers opticians, in Chatham, and when she was 105, she was given her glasses free as a gift.

Manager Anthony Jordan said: "Staff here are very sad to hear Edith has passed away.

Matt Yeo, assistant manager at Gala Bingo, added: "Edith celebrated several of her birthdays here. Most of our bingo staff knew her and liked her very much. She will be missed by us all."

"She said she didn't like people saying they were bored, she said there was always something to do. She really did have a great zest for life and always said she'd been lucky at bingo."

Under the C for church -- an expanding congregation in Riversdale is moving into a bingo hall.
The irony is not lost on the church's pastor.  "We actually think it's wonderful," said Jim Randall, senior pastor of City Centre Church.

"That's the best part," added associate pastor Brad Mayer.

The expansive building on 20th Street West was built as a grocery store. When the grocery chain pulled out of the neighbourhood, a bingo hall moved in. Soon, it will be a house of worship.

"The reality is people get addicted to bingo. We know because we deal with those people. As a matter of fact, they'd come here and drop their kids off at Kidz Club (the church's program for ages five to 12 that includes supper and activities) in the evenings and then go and play bingo and all their support cheque would be gone."

City Centre Church, started in 2001 as an outreach of Saskatoon Christian Centre, has moved a couple of times as the number of people attending church grows and its programs expand. Since 2002, it has been located on 20th Street West between avenues G and H, but the congregation has grown to the point that a larger sanctuary is needed. The programs of City Centre Community Renewal Initiatives, including a kindergarten to Grade 12 school and an adult education program, will continue to be delivered out of the current building even after the bingo hall is renovated into a 800-plus seat auditorium.

"By pulling the church out of there, we'll leave room for growth."

Donations from the congregation paid a large portion of the down payment on the church's future home.

"We've been here six years and there's a lot of families that have really been changed and touched. And this is their church now. It's not somebody coming in and doing church for them. It started that way but it's now their church and that's the way we want it to be."

City Centre is waiting for its permits from City Hall before renovations begin. Randall hopes to be in the new facility by the end of the summer.

Written by Lana Haight, The StarPhoenix

www.canada.com

HAGERSTOWN - The young faces stand out on bingo night at The Village at Robinwood.

Residents of the retirement community look forward to more activity than usual when South Hagerstown High School students help with the bingo game.

"The last time we were here, we had applause and a standing ovation," said junior Emily Forrester, a member of South High's National Honor Society and Key Club, the school's service organization.

Students from both groups take turns monthly leading evening bingo at Robinwood. The young people spin the bingo wheel and call out the numbers or play bingo along with the residents.

The students are rewarded with smiles from the residents, stories of the past and the opportunity to learn patience as bingo numbers have to be repeated often.

South High teacher Bob Hornbecker hatched the idea for the standing bingo date to help students fulfill the group community service hours required as members of South High's National Honor Society.

Most sign up because of their desire to serve the community, Jozik said, although some join looking to fulfill the student service-learning hours required to graduate.

Elizabeth Rohrer, 85, remembers what a "nice kid" Hornbecker was growing up. She added that she looks forward to the students' visits.

Brittany Iseminger, a junior, whose grandmother is in a nursing home, said she doesn't get to visit her often. She said she thinks her grandmother would enjoy having young people play bingo with her.

"They like being visited and play bingo games. They're all really nice and it's fun," Brittany said.

www.wtop.com

The game of bingo may not be lost for a long time to Camrosians as the Camrose Resort Casino has plans to establish a location.

The casino will be applying for a bingo licence in the near future and depending on the time line of processing, bingo could be returning soon.

"If it comes true, it will be in one of the rooms in the convention centre, on the hotel side," said general manager Frank Kaan. "It's not that hard to block off a room to seat 200 people who wants to play bingo. We have a lot of options in front of us."

If the bingo license is approved before the rest of the hotel is constructed, the buffet room may be converted into a bingo room. Along with spatial options, the casino is exploring options of how often to offer bingo: nightly or on certain nights only.

"It will be another offering for our hotel guests as well as the Camrose bingo community," said Kaan.
During the garage sale of the bingo hall, formerly located in the Duggan Mall, the casino purchased the majority of large bingo equipment including tables, caller tables and bingo light boards.
At the current time, relationships are being built between former bingo association members and the casino management. Both sides are eager for casino expansion and bingo licence approval to once again have the bingo game in Camrose.

Written by Nicole Madu
www.camrosecanadian.com

The lure of cashing in on the online bingo games phenomenon is being used to great effect by Bingo Fabulous in securing new online bingo players.  

The popular online bingo hall's affiliate programme is open to anyone with a web site looking to get a piece of the online bingo pie.  Bingo Fabulous pays 25% of the net revenue the site earns on each and every bingo online player sent to them from their affiliate sites and the deal appears to be paying off.

"As long as the players our affiliates send continue to play online bingo with us, they make money," said Kipper Wells at Bingo Fabulous. "It's extra cash for them and new players for us, so it's a win-win situation."

Prospective affiliates need only sign up and then place a Bingo Fabulous banner or text link on their website through a unique Bing fabulous tracker that's assigned to them.

With free online bingo performing as one of the fastest growing niches in the online gaming industry, the affiliate concept is a proven way for many website owners to get in on the action. Registration with Bingo Fabulous' affiliate programme is as simple as visiting their site and navigating to their affiliates page.  

Written by John Witherspoon
www.bingostreet.com

The National Bingo Games, "National Caller of the Year 2008" Title is now up for grabs. This title is one of the most sought after titles by bingo callers throughout the UK and one of the most prestigious titles they can win within the bingo industry.

The race is now on to find the bingo caller of the year for 2008, so if you play at a land based bingo hall and your bingo caller makes it through to the regional finals, you can go along and give them your moral support as well as getting to see all the action take place first hand.

Last year this proved to be a fierce competition between bingo callers with Allen Musa from Buckingham Bingo in Preston, Blake Robson from Mecca Bingo in South Shields, Mark Lunn from Mecca Bingo in Wednesbury, Melanie Ceazer from Gala Bingo in Enfield, Robert "Will" Willard from the Mecca Club in Cwmbran and James Cook from Mecca Bingo in Edinburgh all becoming Regional Champion Winners for 2007.

Only one person however, can take away the title for National Bingo Caller of the Year and in 2007 this went to Regional Champion Blake Robson, who works at Mecca Bingo in Dean Road, South Shields.

This is what Mr Robson had to say when he won, "When they first announced me as the winner I was absolutely elated. Everything seemed to happen in a blur. I barely remember receiving the trophy. Within a few hours I was being interviewed on Radio Five Live, then the next morning I was a guest on BBC's Breakfast programme. It wasn't really until I walked into my club the following day and got a standing ovation that the sense of achievement in being Britain's best bingo caller really sank in.

"A couple of weeks later I was back in London to be trained as an Ambassador and media spokesperson for the bingo industry. That was a great experience, I learnt so much in just one day, including lots of techniques to help me get the best out of myself in an interview. Now it's only a few weeks until Denise and I are off to Las Vegas, we can hardly wait. Winning this competition has made a tremendous difference to my life."

Alan Stockdale was the Bingo Caller of the Year Winner in 2001 and bingo players are still able to hear him call out their bingo numbers today at the online bingo website, Think Bingo. Alan has been quoted as saying, "I've got the best job in the world."

This prestigious title will mean a great deal to your bingo callers, and they have to go through quite a long process to make the regional finals, so if one of them comes from your local bingo club, don't forget to give them your full support!

The Buckingham Club in Middleton is celebrating a brace of UK bingo jackpots having been secured by its members.

More than £100,000 in prize money has been shared by two of the venue's players in the space of ten days, reports National Bingo.

On April 6th this began with a 53-year-old woman's £80,000 victory on the national game.

This was followed on April 16th by a further £34,000 being scooped by a woman from Chadderton.

"You always hope it's going to be you who wins, but you never really believe it will be," the latter of the two told National Bingo.

Buckingham Bingo is encouraging its members to visit the club, which has recently undergone an overhaul.

"Manchester's finest bingo club refurbishment ever is now complete," the gaming operator asserts.

The company adds that it prides itself on providing its members with a good quality service and approachable, friendly staff.

Written by Bob Bardsley.
www.onlinebingo.co.uk

Nonprofit organizations -- churches, schools and fraternal organizations -- have depended on bingo profits for years and years to carry on their worthwhile programs. Now they would like to convert to electronic bingo that would be more attractive to folks becuz it would pay higher stakes. Participating charities bingo would be hooked up to the same bingo game and there would be a single pot thus a bigger pay-off.

Currently, bingo offered by nonprofits is losing appeal because casinos are offering glitzier pay offs. A bill to allow electronic bingo by charities is before Sacramento electeds. There's strong opposition by the casinos who claim it's an invasion on their turf. Some of the electeds who reap lush campaign support from casinos and are even told what they should have for breakfast aren't likely to be sympathetic toward nonprofits who can't afford slick, highly paid lobbists.

Racetracks are facing the same dismal future as the nonprofits. They would like to offer casino-type gambling along with horse racing. Casinos are strongly opposed. Since pari-mutuel wagering was legalized in 1933, racetracks have paid the state billions of bux in fees and taxes but now it has a more lucrative cash bovine. At least one casino in the county currently wants to add even more slots to its huge inventory.

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Written by John Witherspoon
www.bingostreet.com

A CARLISLE man has been given an Asbo banning him from all pubs and clubs - except the bingo hall.

Michael Dicker, 23, from Birdoswald Drive, was given a special allowance to attend the Gala Bingo on Botchergate - a licensed premises - because he does not drink there.

City magistrates approved the exemption yesterday after hearing an application for an Asbo to keep Dicker from consuming alcohol, being under the influence of alcohol and entering any licensed premises.

They heard how he often goes to the bingo with his girlfriend and does not drink there.

Dicker previously admitted two counts of being drunk and disorderly and one charge of resisting a police officer.

Prosecutor Alan Lovett told the court that on March 14 a worker from Domino's Pizza in London Road left work to find Dicker and another man leaning on his car.

He refused to move and Dicker who was drinking from a can of beer, is said to have told the man: "I'll go away if you give me a tenner."

Police were called and Dicker was arrested.

On March 20, he was again arrested at Walkabout bar in English Gate Plaza for being drunk and disorderly and violent with police officers.

A female officer suffered an injury to her hand and a bruised knee in struggle.

Mr Lovett said: "Staff from the Walkabout pub had to assist officers as he struggled violently.

"It took six of them to hold him down and two pairs of hand cuffs had to be used."

He added: "It is his behaviour on the streets that is a cause for concern."

Mr Lovett suggested an Asbo banning Dicker from entering the city centre between 6pm and 6am to "protect people socialising in Carlisle from anti-social acts committed by Mr Dicker."

Defence solicitor John Smith admitted that Dicker has a problem with drink and said he appealed to Pub Watch to ban him from certain pubs as he "believed this would help him behave".

He said: "He wants an Asbo but he wants an Asbo on his terms. I have explained this is a matter for the magistrates. But he does go the bingo and wants to be able to continue going to the bingo."

A supervision order of six months was also enforced and Dicker was ordered to pay £100 compensation to the police officer whom he resisted. Magistrates warned Dicker that if he breaches his Asbo, which expires on April 21 2010, he could face prison.

Written by Linzi Watson
www.newsandstar.co.uk

Support for Barney Frank's attack on the current Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) has been coming from the US banking industry according to and article in The Hill, a Washington DC publication.

US Treasury officials have admitted that drafting the regulations for UIGEA are proving problematic and are being made more difficult by the strong opposition of the financial industry that will be required by UIGEA to act as policeman for the US government.

"I don't know what can be done or will be done legislatively, but we certainly appreciate the interest," said American Bankers Association lobbyist Floyd Stoner, of Frank's new andti-UIGEA legislation.

"While I do disagree with the underlying objective of the act (UIGEA), I believe that even those who agree with it ought to be concerned about the regulations' impact," Frank said in a statement. He has consistently argued that UIGEA's proposed regulations are "...impossible to implement without placing a significant burden on the payments system and financial institutions."

Non-US online bingo games operators and online bingo halls were badly hit by the implementation of UIGEA in late 2006 which seeks to disrupt financial transactions between online bingo operators and US customers who want to play online bingo.  A successful change in favour of Frank's new IGREA legislation would see online bingo operators able to return to the world's most lucrative online gaming market.

Written by John Witherspoon
www.bingostreet.com

MANILA, Philippines--Last Monday, April 14, Arnell Ignacio made his renewed bid as host and quizmaster of the game show "Gobingo," which is making a comeback on GMA 7. The show's "mechanics" are easy to follow, so viewers can enjoy watching it and not have to worry about complicated steps and rules.

Arnell's breezy hosting style also helps. And last April 14's celebrity contestants--Eula Valdez, Glydel Mercado and Angelika dela Cruz--were similarly lively and entertaining, particularly Eula, who was so excitedly bubbly as she won round after round.

The first round featured a wide range of easy questions, with correct answers corresponding to numbers encircled on the contestants' respective bingo boards. Eula won P4,000 for topping the round--a rather modest initial prize for a big-deal game show like this.

Round 2 featured five different categories of similarly easy questions, with Eula again coming out on top. She won P8,000--a bit better, but still relatively low.

Next, the contestants answered questions fast, to completely fill up their boards. Eula's prize for this round was P12,000, and she then moved on to the bonus round, which required her to fill up a row on the bingo board, to win the top daily prize of P70,000.

All in all, Eula won P94,000--not bad for a single guesting on the game show.

The good news is that home viewers will soon be able to play along with the studio contestants, with P150,000 at stake for each telecast.

So far, so good. However, the show is so simple that, after some weeks, it could become too predictable for its own good. To make sure this doesn't happen, more interesting questions should be devised, and contestants as lively as Eula should be enticed to join.

Written by Nestor Torre

showbizandstyle.inquirer.net

A lucky grandmother from Paisley is celebrating after her big bingo win of £38,000, on the National Bingo Game. This also caused the gran to have a sleepless night directly after her win as she could just not calm down.

The shock when that a big bingo win comes your way can affect people in lots of different ways, most bingo players would have dreamt at one time or another of winning the big one, but when it does happen, disbelief can strike, and it can take a while for it all to sink in that it was actually you!

Lady Luck struck at the New Globe Bingo Club for the 69 year old gran, who was sadly widowed five years ago. As they say all good things come in threes and that is exactly how many times you win when you hit the jackpot on the National Bingo game, as it has three great cash prizes attached to it.

To make this big win happen, the lucky lady called house on the National Bingo Game in 42 numbers, which was the lowest amount of calls in any of the 470 bingo clubs that were participating in the game on the night. First the lady won the National Bingo Game prize of a whopping £36,580, next came the fantastic regional prize of £2,000, plus she also won her bingo clubs own in house prize of £60, which gave her total winning for a night out at the bingo of more than £38,000!

This is the lucky Paisley grandmother's quote in her own words: "I am only just calming down now, she said, although I still think I must be dreaming. It is certainly a night I shall never forget, or the date as it was my daughter's birthday. I will be treating my family of two daughters and five grandchildren, although they all tell me they don't want it and to spend it on myself. It has certainly come at a great time for me. I have just had my house re-wired and it is in such a mess. Everywhere needs re-decorating. I was excited when I won the £60, and thought that would buy most of the wallpaper. Then when they announced I had won the National as well it was a shock but a lovely surprise. Everyone clapped and gave me a big cheer."

It seems like this great bingo win could not have gone to a nicer lady, and it is sure to make life just that little bit more easier for her now!

Written by Hollie

www.unluckyforsome.co.uk

Sportium, the sports betting joint venture between Cirsa Slot and Ladbrokes has won a license to operate in Spain's Madrid region.  Ladbrokes counts online bingo amongst its many online gaming interests with the Spanish online bingo games market being tipped by many online bingo industry watchers for growth.

Initially the activity will be focused on sporting bets, covering a broad range of sports that will include soccer, golf, tennis, basketball and flat racing, among others. It's not clear if at this stage Ladbrokes will be capitalizing on its online bingo operations to forge a foothold in the fledgling Spanish bingo market.

The venture says it expects turnover to be in the region of Euro 80 million during the first year.

Written by John Witherspoon
www.bingostreet.com

A five-figure UK bingo jackpot win has made one birthday even more memorable for the lucky recipient, it has been revealed.

While it was not her own birthday, the victorious Paisley grandmother explained that April 15th is a significant date on her calendar.

"It is certainly a night I shall never forget - or the date, as it was my daughter's birthday," she told operating body National Bingo.

She added that she hopes to treat her offspring with the money, but that her two daughters and five grandchildren all want her to spend the bingo winnings on herself.

In all, more than £38,000 was secured between the UK bingo jackpot, regional and house prizes.

Meanwhile, a 62-year-old winner had to be called back to the Kilmarnock Gala Bingo club recently, the bingo game's operator has announced.

She was on her way out of the venue when the results of the national bingo game were revealed, leaving the club's manager to catch her up to let her know of her success.

Written by Bob Bardsley.
www.onlinebingo.co.uk

A building that used to house the Central Bingo Hall in the middle of Barrhead is no more, after it went up in smoke a few days ago. It has been reported that loads of people were evacuated from nearby buildings, while the fire was ripping through the former bingo hall.

It took more than 45 fire fighters from around the county, coming in from as far away as Cumbernauld to tackle the fire, but they were beaten back by the intense heat and flames. It was then deemed too dangerous for the fire fighters to stay in the building amid fears the ceilings and floors could give way at any second.

The former bingo hall was first built back in the 1030's and its intended use was to be a cinema for the town, it was turned into a bingo hall back in the 1970's, but it had been closed for some time before this massive fire struck.

The fire was so intense that the whole street has to be corned of, with traffic being diverted on another route. John Cooper, who was the fire chief in charge of the whole operation said this, "At one point there was a serious danger of flames spreading from the building to premises on either side. Bar 51 and The Gym, and that helped prevent the flames spreading. The fire crews, who came from all over, did very well to contain the outbreak to the bingo hall."

Once the building is deemed safe, the fire service will be able to start their investigation, and the police will also be carrying on their own ongoing inquires into the matter. Six nearby businesses also remained closed yesterday.

Written by Hollie

www.unluckyforsome.co.uk 

BUDGE up, Grandma - there's a new girl in town. The stereotypical image of old women with purple hair playing clickety-click in their slippers is fading. Scoring (off numbers) is an ever-growing trend among younger females.

With dedicated "student nights" and online bingo soaring, the industry's attempts to update its image, with celebrity endorsements by the likes of Denise Van Outen and Catherine Zeta Jones, appear to be paying dividends.

More than 8.5 million people played bingo last year, and the most recent statistics show a rise of more than 15% in younger players. Nearly half of players are now under 45, according to the Bingo Association.

Written by Alison Chiesa
www.theherald.co.uk

The latest round of Sun Bingo has wrapped up in fitting fashion - with the six winners of this week's final instalment of the game including some veteran players.

Among those learning they'd won a share of the $10,000 jackpot yesterday afternoon was Rose Senio, 81.

The Ottewell-area resident said she's been playing Sun Bingo from the very beginning, but sill had a tough time believing her numbers had finally cashed in.

Senio also revealed she plans to reward Allan for bringing her extra Sunday Suns and Bingo cards throughout the six-week contest. And she wants to spend the rest on a keepsake.

"I'll buy something so that I can remember I won it at Bingo," she said, smiling. "Maybe a chair for the house."

Another loyal Sun Bingo player, Brian Hermary of Gibbons, a 49-year-old truck-driver with Northwest Transport Ltd., pledged to go one better.

Other winners yesterday, though no less delighted, were of a more practical mindset.

Kenneth Hearn, 43, was thinking about putting the cash toward van repairs and other bills.

Rick McSparron, 58, said his cut could go toward replacing the cash stolen in a recent break-in - as well as buying an alarm for his Norwood home.

Though a veteran Bingo player himself, he was actually claiming a share of the $10,000 prize yesterday for colleague Michelle Coffey in Fort McMurray.

And an out-of-town winner from Camrose rounded out the list of winners in this, the fi