April 2008 Archives

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.  

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!

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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.

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.

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.

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 

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.

"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.

Online bingo website celebrates ninth year online by giving all players £9.00 free to play bingo games. Players both old and new will be returning to the site to wish Bingo.com a happy birthday.

Anguilla, BWI -- Bingo.com, the world's largest online bingo hall, is celebrating its ninth year online by giving away a large bonus giveaway to all players, new and old. The site, which has awarded over £37 million to its players since 1999, is making preparations to enable all players to credit their accounts with a bonus of £9.00 to play free bingo all weekend long, from April 18th - 20th.

My years working with Bingo.com have been punctuated with both challenges and triumphs. I'm overjoyed to see the growth that we've achieved thus far, and we are all very excited to celebrate our ninth year in the bingo business.

Registering to become a member of Bingo.com is, and has always been, free of charge, but this one-time special birthday promo code is unique to this anniversary event. Players will be able to enter their promo code once they log in to their account, to be instantly redeemed for their free £9.00.

The upcoming 9-year anniversary for the website offering free bingo and cash games, is an important one, as membership has grown substantially over the years to culminate in over 1,800,000 registered users. Free to join, many bingo players have flocked to the popular bingo site not just to play online bingo, but to enjoy the chat room games, read up on celebrity news, and take advantage of the many contests and promotions featured on the site.

Bingo.com CEO Tarrnie Williams is delighted with the 9th anniversary of www.bingo.com and its success over the past years, saying: "My years working with Bingo.com have been punctuated with both challenges and triumphs. I'm overjoyed to see the growth that we've achieved thus far, and we are all very excited to celebrate our ninth year in the bingo business."

Tarrnie added, "It has been challenging breaking into the UK bingo market, but hard work and dedication has gotten us to the place where we can enjoy being the foremost in online bingo entertainment, and continue to provide bingo games to our members for years to come."

Bingo.com's weekend birthday bash is expected to bring back old and new members alike, and festivities will be kicking off Friday, April 18th and will run until Sunday, April 20th.

Bingo.com, Ltd. (NASD : "BNGOF") is the parent company of the Bingo.com group of companies, which operates the popular online gaming community www.bingo.com. The Bingo.com group offers multiplayer bingo, slot machines, sweepstakes, and more. Players come together from around the world to chat, share, play and win at Bingo.com. With over 1,800,000 registered users and more than 800 new users everyday, www.bingo.com is one of the most recognized and most visited bingo entertainment destinations on the Internet.

www.prweb.com

The first thing in the bingo card is the space, you can make: 3x3, 4x4 and 5x5 bingo card using pictures from a theme that you select or substitute vocabulary words that you provide.

Teach almost any subject! If you can type it on your computer, you can put it on a bingo card. Vocabulary lists, letters, numbers, math facts, social studies facts, countrys, famous people -- the choices are endless!

You may want to laminate the bingo cards after you print them.  You can also print the call sheet on heavier paper or glue the page to a piece of cardboard before you cut the call pieces out.  These two suggestions will allow you to use these bingo cards for many, many games.

There are some pages that can help you make your Bingo Cards by giving you some tips or using templates. Some of there are: www.bingocardcreator.com, www.bingocardprinter.com, or www.dltk-cards.com/bingo.

Written by Phixel

www.go-bingo.com

The bingo news last week showing that average daily player numbers across all UK online bingo operators had increased by about 19% since September has been celebrated here at Bingo Street as yet more evidence that online bingo remains one of the fastest growing niches in online gaming.

For many of us at Bingo Street the data concludes what we know to be a fairly conservative estimate of the many online bingo halls serving the UK market and particularly the numbers of players accessing bingo online through Bingo Street itself.  

It would seem that the data does confirm what many of us already know:  That online bingo games are the hottest product of the moment and make for a very wise investment whether for operators or for players.

Yesterday, Steinberg reconsidered after concluding that a favorable lower court ruling protects bingo machines that generate more than $100,000 a year for a local charity, WIND Youth Services, that asked him to carry the bingo bill.

The bill, SB 1626, would have legalized electronic bingo cards, like those used in some versions of bingo machines. The measure was scheduled for its first committee hearing Tuesday.

Tribes contend that bingo machines violate a monopoly on slot machines and other electronic gaming devices that is guaranteed in their state gambling agreements. A breach of that monopoly would allow them to suspend hundreds of millions of dollars a year in payments to the state, one tribal attorney has warned.

Representatives of WIND, which runs a shelter for homeless children, could not be reached for comment. But the president of another charity that depends on the same machines was disappointed, if not surprised, by the move.

Steinberg becomes the second Senate Democrat to shelve a high-profile bingo-expansion measure in the face of tribal opposition. On Monday, Sen. Gil Cedillo of Los Angeles withdrew SB 1328, which would have allowed interconnected sessions of conventional bingo and lifted the $250 limit on bingo prizes.

Written by James P. Sweeney

www.signonsandiego.com

Playtech, a popular software platform choice for many UK online bingo halls and online bingo games operators, has been commissioned by online gambling company Betsson to provide it with an online casino product.

As part of the license agreement, Playtech will provide a download casino portfolio with over 110 games while also integrating Betsson's back-end system.

It's not known at the time of writing whether any bingo online games are part of the package, but it would be fair to speculate that Betsson will be interested in capitalizing on the growing online bingo market in Scandinavia.

Betsson CEO Thomas Kalita commented: "We are pleased to add yet another quality product to our broad offering. Playtech's proven track record as a software supplier, supported by its wide range of languages is of great value to Betsson especially when expanding into new territories."

The sisters are taking court action (pic: Viewfinder Pictures)

Three sisters are locked in a courtroom battle in an argument over their share of a £50,000 bingo payout.

Linda Kenny, 53, and Doreen Thomas, 57, are suing Edna Sexton, 59, for a share of her win at Buckingham Bingo Palace in Hunts Cross, Liverpool.

The pair claim their sister reneged on an oral agreement they reached in 2005 to split any winnings.

Mrs Kenny and Mrs Thomas are suing Mrs Sexton for £16,666 each, plus interest, at Chester County Court.

Mrs Sexton claims they had made a variation on the agreement in October 2006, deciding that any payment over £1,000 did not need to be shared.

Mrs Kenny told the court that the big win happened on the National Game during a family outing to the Buckingham Bingo Palace in June 2007.

"I actually bought Edna's National Game ticket for her because she was late arriving," she told the court.

You trust each other as a sister. Until this win we stuck together Linda Kenny

All three sisters were "overwhelmed and completely excited" by the win, Mrs Kenny told the court.

When told she had won, Mrs Sexton said she would put £10,000 in the bank and then go on a shopping spree with the rest, Mrs Kenny told the court.

It was later that evening that Mrs Sexton changed her mind about sharing the win, Mrs Kenny said.

The family rift later developed and the sisters decided to start court proceedings.

Family trust

Mrs Kenny told the court the sisters had played bingo together about 50 times at various venues, and had two previous £1,000 wins - which were shared.

She said: "We always shared. We have never disagreed before until this £50,000 win. It was always done equally, none of us lost out.

"We always thought it was a binding agreement between three sisters.

"You trust each other as a sister. Until this win we stuck together. I always hoped for a big win - now this is the outcome.

"We didn't ever think it would come to this because we did not think anyone would renege on it."

The explosion of internet bingo sites across the European iGaming space... the continued rise of internet penetration in Central and Eastern Europe... Proactive marketing campaigns deployed by bingo operators, bingo affiliates and bingo agencies. These are all contributing factors to the evident continued success of the Online Bingo market. Estimated to top $1.0 billion by 2010, it is not difficult to see how this underdog product (bingo) is fighting its way past the others to become the most popular online gaming product around today.

Steve Cook, European MD at Parlay Entertainment who will be speaking at the upcoming 3rd Annual Online Bingo Summit taking place on June 17th - 18th in London says "Online Bingo is the fastest growing sector in iGaming and continues to expand at an impressive pace"

Phil Fraser, Founder of Which Bingo who will be chairing the summit highlights the need for the online gaming community to come together in order to maintain the levels of growth online bingo is experiencing today "As online bingo continues its meteoric growth and development, so does the need for informative discussion, debate and interaction within the industry."

Commenting on the excitement that the online bingo industry is experiencing, Dominic Mansour, CEO at Bingos.com tells us "The Online Bingo space is gearing up to corner a large slice of the online gaming sector... things are very exciting right now."

"One thing is for sure, Online Bingo is set to grow significantly this year" says Ravi Virpal, Director at Bullet Business and continues "the Online Bingo Summit this year is completely focused on the bingo operators and their need to attract big spending online bingo players, how to secure customer loyalty and of course the push into new profitable European landscapes such as Scandinavia... The response has been overwhelming with over 50 companies already signed up to attend".

Speaking about the event following a successful sell out show last year Michael Braga, Group Marketing Director for Jackpot Joy offers his thoughts "Bullet Business' annual Online Bingo Summit is a great event and a fantastic platform for the bingo industry to meet and discuss opportunities and challenges being encountered by the bingo industry today."

Written by John Witherspoon

www.bingostreet.com

BingoPort.co.uk, a UK-based bingo information site, is reporting that its traffic data shows an increase of 19% in the number of daily bingo players taking part in online bingo games at UK online bingo halls.

The increase is based on the number of bingo players taking part in online bingo since the implementation of the UK's Gamblng Act last September.

Scott Logan, the co-founder and bingo site manager claims online bingo games operators such as Foxy Bingo, Ladbrokes Bingo and 888Ladies are currently taking the opportunity to "aggressively using media to acquire bingo players in order to gain a foothold in the growing marketplace."

Peterborough charities raised more than $1.5 million through the Kawartha Club Gaming Centre last year.

Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal presented a cheque to Mayor Paul Ayotte yesterday morning at the bingo hall to symbolically illustrate the annual haul.

Volunteers with 43 local charities raised the money through electronic bingo lottery terminal profits.

Arbor Theatre general manager Beverley Breedon said the theatre troupe receives about $60,000 a year, which helps offset expenses for producing plays for young audiences.

"We rely heavily on the funding. We're non-profit after all," she said.

The provincial government introduced pilot electronic bingo sites, including Peterborough, to help raise money for charities, in 2005. The program, in partnership with Ontario Lottery and Gaming, was expanded in 2007.

Ayotte also praised the contribution of local volunteers and bingo players.

Outside the United Way campaign, bingo is the largest community fundraiser, said Kawartha Bingo Sponsors Association president Darrell Rowe.

"It's a significant contribution which would not occur without you," he said about local volunteers.

"You are the single most important piece of the puzzle."

www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com

HOPES of reopening the much-loved Mecca bingo hall have been quashed by the firm's national bosses.

The Rank Group, owners of Mecca bingo hall, blamed a "discriminatory" tax regime for the closure of its Swindon branch this weekend.

The Mecca bingo hall, in Regent Circus, dropped its final ball on Saturday night.

But Coun David Glaholm (Ind, Penhill) said as the area manager was in Swindon yesterday and the company had no immediate need for the building, it could be temporarily reopened.

She said the closure was due to the "double taxation" of the bingo industry, which the Government failed to abolish in its last budget.

"The bingo industry is subjected to double taxation by the government in that we pay gross profit tax and VAT," she said.

"To a large degree this is the reason we have had to close the Mecca bingo hall in Swindon."

In a letter to Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Chancellor Alistair Darling, Simon Wykes, the managing director of Mecca Bingo, and Andy Campbell, the general manager of Mecca Bingo Swindon, spelled out the importance of bingo.

They said: "The Mecca Bingo club in Swindon employs 10 people from the local area; these jobs will now be lost.

"It provides a warm, friendly and fun social experience for thousands of bingo players from the area, many of whom are women; that amenity will now disappear.

"At least six licensed bingo clubs in Great Britain have closed since March 12, 2008 when the Government chose to ignore the bingo industry's calls for a fair deal in the budget.

"It seems likely that many more bingo halls will close by the end of the year unless you take action now."

Mecca Bingo announced the closure of the bingo hall less than a week before Saturday's curtain call.

Almost 200 bingo players came to the closing party, where champagne and music was on offer.

The building has been bought by the New Swindon Company on behalf of Swindon Council, who have earmarked the site for future regeneration.

A petition to protest against the closure has been compiled by angry bingo-lovers.

Written by James Wallin

www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk

Media speculation that the French gambling market, including bingo, is about to be opened to allow EU-based companies to operate there has been confirmed by a report that French Budget Minister Eric Woerth said the government is aiming for a "controlled opening" of the market by 2009 or 2010.

Woerth gave his view to France's newspaper Le Parisien.  He went on to further say that future private gambling operators, like bingo, will be licensed under French regulations and subject to the same regulations that govern the current gambling monopoly Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU).

The report is welcome news to the online bingo games industry which has been denied access to the French market under the current regime.  Online bingo halls and online bingo operators can now look forward to building a market in what was once a closed industry.

Woerth said he expects plans for the liberalizing of the market to be completed this year and a test phase to be launched in 2009 or 2010.

The Jackpot Factory (www.jackpotfactory.com), a leading online casino group known for first-rate customer support and honest play, has entered the world of online bingo with the successful launch of All Bingo Club (www.allbingoclub.com).
 
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David Brickman, the Jackpot Factory's Vice President of Player Affairs, said in a joint statement with All Bingo Club, "We're really proud of our bingo operation. In only a short period of time we have managed to create a buzz and build up a nice reputation. Registering at All Bingo Club is very straightforward; there is nothing to download and all eligible players will automatically receive £5 free to try it out."
 
Mikki G., All Bingo Club's Manager, said, "Online bingo is highly popular here in the UK because it's a fast moving game that is played for low stakes and in a friendly environment. All of our games have a special chat feature, which is moderated by experienced bingo hosts, who make sure the fun never ends. It's a great way to spend an evening since it doesn't cost much and players get to meet loads of people without leaving their home." 
 
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press@jackpotfactory.com
www.jfspokesman.com

A bid to bring slot machines to a Surrey bingo hall is part of an effort to create mini-casinos across B.C., says an anti-gambling group.

"Government is addicted to gambling," says Bill Chu, founder of Multicultural Coalition Against Gambling Expansion.

Bingo halls are being re-equipped with slots all over the province, Chu said yesterday.

"You could call them junior casinos. The government is adding 100 slots here, 100 there. It's getting crazy."

Boardwalk Gaming and Entertainment wants to put 75 to 150 slot machines in its bingo hall at 7093 King George Highway in Surrey's Newton area.

"The goal is to maintain bingo as the marquee game and add a variety of additional entertainment options that will attract new customers," said Boardwalk president  Jordan Gnat.

"Modern bingo centres do not have table games and are limited to a maximum of 150 slot machines."

The B.C. Lottery Corp. calls the proposed facility a community gaming centre, not a casino.

"Bingo games don't create wealth for the government," he said. "Slot machines are the real killer [in terms of generating revenues]."

"The tax burden is being shifted from corporations to the little people who gamble," Chu said.

And he said Surrey residents "should be upset" at Boardwalk's plan to turn its bingo hall into a mini-casino because casinos attract gamblers and "Surrey has its own social problems already."

As of March 31, 2007, there were 6,161 slot machines provincewide. The Richmond casino, with 908 slots, was the top revenue-earner for the fiscal year at $233 million. The Burnaby casino (676 slots) earned $165 million, the Coquitlam casino (939 slots) $158 million and the Langley casino (530 slots) $115 million.

Surrey's only existing casino is at the Fraser Downs Racetrack in Cloverdale, which has 403 slots. Last year it generated $52 million, seventh best in the province.

Boardwalk has submitted a rezoning application with Surrey to add slots to its bingo hall. City staff are reviewing the proposal but have yet to submit it to council, where it must receive preliminary approval before passing to the public-hearing stage.

If the project is approved, construction would take 10 months, beginning this fall. With slots, the bingo hall's workforce would almost double to about 60 people.

Boardwalk has redeveloped bingo centres in Burnaby and Mission in the past three years. A Squamish project is also on tap. As of last year, there were five bingo halls in B.C. equipped with slots.

Last week, Delta council said it has no objections to the "substantial changes" being proposed by Boardwalk for its Surrey bingo hall. Delta's input was required under Lottery Corp. rules, which stipulate that a municipality within five kilometres of a proposed gaming facility must be consulted.

A recent report by the Canadian Gaming Association said the industry, including bingo, directly employs 16,403 workers in B.C. The report said gambling is one of the largest entertainment industries in Canada, with countrywide revenues of $14.6 billion.

"It is larger than television and movie rentals," the study said.

www.canada.com

BINGO regulars said a fond farewell to their central Swindon haunt as Mecca Bingo closed its doors for the final time.

But bingo players may yet be thrown a lifeline. Talks will be held today between council bosses, who plan to use the site as a key regeneration plot, and company managers about keeping the Regents Circus venue open.

Coun Philip Young, cabinet member for economic development, regeneration and development, said: "We've got no timescale. We're drawing up the plans for what we'd like to see there.

"But we do want to make the most of it until we know what's happening.

The Mecca Bingo area manager is expected in Swindon today and it is hoped the council can have talks then.

"We hope to talk on its future to get him to understand the importance of the bingo hall to the people," said Coun Young.

"But I do think we need to be absolutely clear as we've had no indication that Mecca are wanting to have it open.

On Saturday almost 200 bingo players made what might be their final pilgrimage to the Mecca bingo.

They ended their evening with champagne and music.

Betty Windslow, an 84-year-old from Rosewood Court, said it was the latest in a long line of bingo venues to shut.

"I was widowed seven years ago and bingo has become a big part of my life. I don't know what I am going to do."

Gilbert Hawkins, 73, said: "It is disgusting what they have done here.

"It is the only time the old people that come here get out of the house.

"There are a lot of old people crying because of this."

Rita Hawkin, 69, of William Street, said: "Bingo is the only form of entertainment a lot of the people who come here have. They were most upset when they were told last Friday."

She attended on Friday and Saturday evening for 30 years and can still remember when they played bingo on their laps when it was still a cinema.

"The older generation, they come to socialise. They haven't got anywhere else to go.

Hazel Bleay, 82, of Newlands Road, Broadway, who has been coming to the bingo hall for decades, said: "I love to come here. It's so friendly and the staff are really wonderful."

"It's part of my life, it's kept me going.

"Otherwise you are stuck in watching the box and I don't want to do that."

Written by Emma Streatfield

www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk

The winner of this week's Sun Bingo game is extra lucky - he's the first to keep the entire jackpot all to himself.

"I'm in a little bit of shock," Daniel Lawlor said yesterday afternoon.

The feeling is understandable since the 22-year-old took home $10,000 yesterday.

In weeks 1 and 3 of the Sun Bingo contest, two people split the bounty, while groups of five and four won in weeks 2 and 4.

After triple-checking the numbers, Lawlor called to claim his prize and was told he was the first to phone in all morning.

With his mom in tow, he came down to the Edmonton Sun offices, where he watched the clock count down until the time was up and he was declared the sole winner.

"I just started smiling," Lawlor said.

The shipper/receiver said he has been playing Sun Bingo for three years but never expected he'd win this big.

Lawlor plans to use the cash to pay some bills and celebrate a bit, but will put the lion's share in the bank for future investments like his own home.

It has now been a year since Wales went smoke free in all public places, which of cause included their bingo halls. The verdict is now in on what the impact of the smoking ban has had on the bingo industry there.

Figures in have revealed that the smoking ban has helped people take the decision to kick the habit for good and has been a major improvement on the public's health, plus there were fewer smoking related prosecutions than were expected by the Welsh Assembly Government. Sadly, the same cannot be said for what the impact of the smoking ban has had on the bingo industry in Wales and the UK.

"Across the whole of the UK Bingo Halls have seen a 25 per cent drop in admission over the last year" a spokesman from Top Ten Bingo in Wales confirmed. They also went on to say, "Profits had been hit. It started to fall after around 8-10 weeks and promotions that have proved successful are not quite so successful anymore. Now we're looking at new ways of promoting the bingo business. He also said "That many bingo halls were in old buildings where it was impossible to build smoking areas".

It is not just bingo halls that have been affected and the other industry to bear the brunt of the Smoking ban is pubs and bars. As always there are two sides to every coin or opinion, and this is what one pub landlord from Wales had to say on the subject: It's been bloody marvellous, and I would say 99 per cent of customers agree. The smell has gone and it makes the pub fresher. Even smokers have been saying how much better it is since the ban came in".

Now for the other side of the coin. Dennis Newman, who is the owner of the Somerset Arms in Port Talbot, had this to say: "He'd like to see designated smoking rooms introduced. The smoking band has hit us hard. In the first few months it was all right because people could go outside. But as soon as winter came we noticed a difference. People don't want spend money in a pub to have to sit outside and smoke".

Was this a good or bad thing to happen in the UK? Everyone will have their own personal opinion on the matter and there will always be people who are all for this and people that completely oppose this law. It does seem like most of the world will soon be smoke free in public buildings, as even in America we are seeing lots more states introducing the smoking ban now, which is also affecting their bingo halls and casinos.

What is the verdict from smoke free Wales? It really is a mixed opinion from what I can see, where there seems to be pluses and minuses from both sides of the coin!

Written by Hollie

www.unluckyforsome.co.uk