The seventh annual online bingo summit took place this month in London and according to most reports was a huge success. The summit was held at the Hilton Paddington in London. Attendance at the event was strong and the delegates were pleased with the summit’s content. Real online bingo players were on hand to offer their perspective. A lot of the meeting’s content was focused on mobile and social gaming but most of the players were not interested in either. Some players expressed a dislike of playing bingo on mobile devices. This year the player panel was arranged by OhMyBingo! and was moderated by Leigh Nissim. The most interesting pieces of information revealed by panelists were;

These players play bingo for the social aspect, not to win money.

Chat rooms are key and become the social life of bingo players, especially those who live in remote or isolated areas of the UK.

None of the players cared about the jackpot size of slots.

These players do not like playing bingo on mobile devices.

Favorite brands include Paddy Power, Mecca Bingo, Jackpot Joy and Bet365.

Many wondered if the industry is on the right track following the player panel discussion. A lot of the conference was focused on mobile gaming and most of the players present expressed little interest in mobile bingo. The age of the players was not revealed which could have been a factor. Most older players prefer to play on laptops or desktop computers. Younger players are more likely to play on mobile devices. The player panel confirmed what several surveys and studies have shown. Most online bingo players find the social aspect of the game important and are not playing for financial gain. The fact that most players did not care about jackpot size was somewhat surprising.

Affiliate marketing was a hot topic at the summit. In recent years the affiliate industry has become less profitable due to federal laws in the US, the poor economy, regulatory changes in several countries and decreased operator marketing budgets. Affiliate panelists agreed that regulation is more of a threat to the affiliate industry than an opportunity. Ben Starr of 15 Marketing mentioned Spain as a country that will require affiliates to apply for and obtain a license. Starr stated “We will wait on Spain- we want to see how things go for the operators first.” The summit closed with the usual party which was enjoyed by all.

During the past decade online bingo has experienced astounding growth. Why knew that a game once played by little old ladies would become an internet sensation? Technological advances have enables online bingo operators to provide players with high quality bingo games with amazing graphics and entertaining animations. Some online bingo sites have added live callers for an extra touch of realism. In the UK online bingo is the most popular online gambling game and per capita the UK is the world’s largest online bingo market in the world. Online bingo has come a long way since the first bingo sites were launched in 1996. Today’s online bingo sites offer players huge jackpots, generous bonuses, progressive jackpot games and regular tournaments. The industry has its own trade association and the industry hosts an annual online bingo summit in London.

Some experts say that big changes are in store for online bingo after years of record profits, consolidations and player saturation. Sreeram Reddy Vanga, Managing Director of Cozy Games, a successful provider of mobile, online and social gaming platforms, expressed his thoughts on the most interesting industry developments during the past year. Vanga stated “Bingo has always been an interesting platform to experiment and learn from. Over the last 12 months, the most exciting development in bingo would be the shift to the mobile and social platforms. He added “the addition of mobile bingo to online and social bingo has been the biggest highlight so far.”

Vanga said there are several challenges for the online bingo industry ahead. Vanga described what he feels is the greatest challenge facing the industry and stated “The biggest challenge so far has been saturation in the bingo industry. Added to that, would be the consolidation of online bingo industry where the large operators benefit from player liquidity and jackpots.” Vanga feels that the shift to social gaming could be a positive development and said that “with the mass shift towards social gaming, the competition to make bingo more exciting and appealing to retain online players is also a challenge.” Vanga was a featured speaker at the 2012 Online Bingo Summit held in London. The gathering attracts experts from every field connected with online bingo and is the biggest event of its kind.

The success of Zynga’s new bingo game on Facebook has many online bingo operators exploring the opportunities offered by social gaming. In addition to social gaming mobile bingo will be another growth area for the online bingo industry. Players can look for many changes this year and the future looks very bright for the industry.

In years past the bingo business in the United States was dominated by churches, veteran’s groups and various charities. Once the first Native American bingo halls were opened the industry changed forever in the US. Although there are still many charitable and church based bingo games to be found high stakes bingo games are attracting more players each year. Most charity based bingo games are low stakes affairs and the jackpot is determined by the number of players in the game. Card prices are relatively low at charity bingo games and operators have to pay for hall rental and some operating expenses.

In Gambling Meccas like Las Vegas and Reno Nevada bingo is making a big comeback. Last year one major operator spent millions on a new bingo hall on the fabled Las Vegas strip. In Las Vegas there are a few networked bingo games at what are known as ‘station casinos.’ These casinos offer one game per session and the jackpots are usually large. These games are comparable to the networked bingo games that take place throughout the UK. In Great Britain the National Bingo Game has created a few bingo millionaires and games are very well attended.

In the UK bingo is big business and generates billions annually. Every major city has several high stakes bingo halls and most small towns and villages have their own High Street bingo clubs. The bingo industry was well established in the UK by the mid 1960’s. Major operators like Mecca and Gala operated chains of bingo halls in the UK. Online bingo is also a big business in Great Britain. Today hundreds of bingo sites are targeting the UK bingo audience. Gaming industry experts say that bingo has been and still is the fastest growing sector of the gaming industry in the UK.

In 2007 land based bingo halls in the UK suffered a significant setback when a national smoking ban was imposed on the UK population. Many bingo halls went under and were forced to close. Little by little former players returned but operators noticed a sudden influx of younger players who learned the game online and decided to experience the excitement of live bingo. The increasing popularity of mobile bingo is driving further industry growth in the UK. Although online bingo is not widely available in the US due to federal regulations a recent decision by the US Justice Department may change the face of the online bingo industry. The future of bingo looks very bright on both sides of the Atlantic.

European Union regulations mandate a uniform flow of services and good throughout member states. Many believe that the mandate should include a legal and regulated online gaming industry in the EU but unfortunately this is not the case. The European Commission has been trying to establish an online gaming regime among member nations but has not had much success. At the present time individual EU nations have their own positions on internet gaming. In 2005 the United Kingdom was the first country to establish a taxed and regulated internet gaming industry. The UK Gambling Commission was established to regulate online gambling and so far the move has been a big success.

Shortly after the establishment of the Gambling Commission the UK created a ‘white list’ of online gambling jurisdictions. Up to now online bingo sites and casinos located in these licensing jurisdictions have been allowed to advertise their services in the UK and solicit business from British players. These offshore operators pay lower tax rates but this is about to change. Recently the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that the UK government will implement a ‘point of consumption’ tax. This means that every online gambling transaction that takes place in the UK will be subject to taxation.  The government hopes to level the playing field for gaming sites licensed and located in the UK.

In 2009 Italy became the first European mainland country to establish a legal and regulated online gambling regime. The first games introduced were online bingo, poker tournaments, skill games and fixed odds sports betting. The move was a success and in 2011 the Italian government introduced cash online poker games and online casino gambling. Industry observers expect the turnover of internet gambling to double in 2012. Italy only permits operators that have been licensed by the country’s regulatory body AAMS. The Italian government is also trying to block unlicensed offshore gaming sites.

In 2010 France established the country’s first online gaming regulations. Private operators were allowed to offer games after getting a license from ARJEL, France’s regulatory body. For now online gaming in France is limited to sports betting, horse racing and poker. Spain was the next country to legalize online gambling. Currently Spanish online gaming companies are trying to keep foreign competition out. Online bingo has been a big hit in some parts of Spain. For now it looks like the European Commission will have its hands full trying to establish an EU wide regulatory regime for online gambling.

In Alabama the politically motivated trials of several ‘bingo defendants’ resulted in two acquittals for the defendants. All of the defendants were found not guilty by a federal jury in Montgomery. The first trial lasted most of the summer in 2011. Federal prosecutors brought 138 charges against the defendants and presented tapes and elaborate testimonies. The jury found that 99 of the counts brought against the defendants had no validity. Federal prosecutors wasted $30 million taxpayer dollars on the first trial and were handed a humiliating defeat. Surprisingly the prosecution turned vindictive and federal prosecutors sought a second trial. The results were predictable and the second jury found the defendants not guilty on 27 counts.

The six defendants in the second trial were VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor; lobbyist Tom Coker; state Sen. Harri Anne Smith, I-Slocomb; former casino spokesman Jay Walker; former state Sen. Larry Means, D-Attalla; and former state Sen. Jim Preuitt, R-Talladega. The prosecution alleged that a conspiracy took place where bribes were traded for votes on gambling bill in the 2010 legislature. The controversy centered on electronic bingo machines that anti-gambling Governor Riley said were illegal. The bill in question would have allowed a referendum on electronic bingo and would have given Alabama casino owners the same rights as Native American casinos.

The legislation came after a series of politically motivated raids by then-Gov. Bob Riley’s anti-gambling task force. The bill was introduced to clarify Alabama’s bingo laws and set regulatory standards and taxation policies for electronic bingo. The raids shot down several operations and hundreds of casino employees were out of work. The bill passed in the senate and it was revealed that the FBI was investigating the votes of house and senate members in favor of the bill. It should be noted that throughout the dispute Native American casinos continued to operate in the state and paid no state or local taxes.

After the second trial the defendants emerged from the courtroom relieved-and broke. The defendants paid a very high price for their vindication. They spent two years fighting the charges and were forced to spend most of their money on legal fees. Four of the six defendants are over 70 years old and two of the defendants say that their retirement security has been totally ruined. The justice department has been humiliated and millions have been wasted on these vindictive politically motivated federal prosecutions.

A few years ago a shadowy form of bingo emerged. The games were held in secret at undisclosed locations and at the time rumor had it that the games could get pretty rowdy. The first Rebel Bingo games were held in the UK and the game has crossed the Atlantic and is now firmly entrenched on the east and west coast cities in the United States. Rebel bingo was the brainchild of two friends and in a recent interview Freddie Fortune, also known as Freddie Sorensen told interviewers about the game’s beginnings.

According to Sorensen both creators were fairly intoxicated when they invented the game. When asked just how intoxicated the duo were when they invented the game Sorensen stated “Quite drunk but not hammer drunk. There’s an optimal level of drunk to be at when you play Rebel Bingo – like just drunk enough to open your mind and lower your inhibitions, but not so drunk that you don’t know who you are anymore and you’re just annoying. It’s a game of skill. You need to be on the ball.” The rules for Rebel Bingo are pretty straightforward and are listed on the official Rebel Bingo website. The rules include;

No old people.
No boring people.
No office parties.
No hen parties.
No stag parties.
No work suits.
No cameras or photography. (It appears that occasionally this rule is waived.)
No customer service.

In the United States and Canada the game is played in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Diego, Miami, Washington D.C. and Toronto. Believe it or not there are also games in Beijing and Madrid. In the UK Rebel Bingo is played in 12 cities. As can be seen Rebel Bingo has global appeal and is spreading to new cities and countries. Those interested in attending games can go to the official Rebel Bingo website and sign up for email alerts. Rebel bingo games are not announced in advance and are spontaneous events. Players can RSVP by clicking on their city and signing up for the alerts which will tell where tickets may be purchased.

Obviously Rebel Bingo games do not attract the usual bingo players found in bingo halls and church basements. Those wondering what sort of prizes can be won will have to attend a game to find out. According to the official Rebel Bingo website; “Players at The Underground Rebel Bingo Club win big, hardcore prizes. That is all.”

For players that may have a complaint about an online bingo site there is not a lot of information about resolving complaints and disputes. Fortunately disputes and complaints are at online bingo sites and operators go to great lengths to provide stellar customer service. In the UK and Europe players are protected by various gambling commissions and regulators. Offshore gaming sites are another story. Resolving a complaint with some offshore operators can be difficult if not impossible. Some sites have been known to ban players who have lodged a complaint. Other excuses used to ban players have been ‘bingo bonus abuse’ and at some sites being perceived as a ‘difficult player’ has resulted in bans. Some sites will not respond to complaints and make email and phone contact as difficult as possible. For players who may have a complaint here are a few tips.

Players should always know all of a site’s terms and conditions. Wagering requirements can be excessive and some promotions and bonuses may be misleading. Players should familiarize themselves with all of the rules especially those connected with withdrawals and bonus wagering requirements. Most complaints fit into these two categories.

Players should gather all the evidence they can. This can include screen shots, chat logs and other details. If the complaint is due to technical issues at the site players should note the exact time and date the problem occurred. Usually there is a game ID number on the game screen and this should be noted.

Players should try to contact the site’s operator. IT is important to be polite and state the case as clearly as possible. At some sites impolite behavior can get players banned and can cause further problems.

Approaching a chat monitor is a good place to start with a complaint. Most complaints can be settled fairly easily. Many sites offer live customer service chats in real time and if the site has a telephone number listed try to tale to the appropriate person. If the chat monitors are too busy to address a problem they can point players in the right direction.

Players in the UK that have tried to address a problem or complaint without success can go straight to the UK Gambling Commission. Players at offshore bingo sites will have to contact regulators in the jurisdiction where the site is located. Sites licensed in EU countries are generally subject to strict regulations and take complaints seriously. The good news is that most online bingo complaints are easily resolved and operators are eager to retain players so it is their best interest to keep players happy and coming back.

Playing online bingo is somewhat different than games at a live bingo hall. Online bingo sites have features not available at land based bingo halls. The games are essentially played the same way and most online bingo sites offer players a selection of bingo game variants including 75, 90, 80 and 30 ball bingo games. Most sites offer the two most common games which are traditional 75 ball games and 90 ball games preferred by British players. Online bingo operators have made the sign up and registration as easy as possible and players can usually fund their accounts using their credit and debit cards. Most online bingo sites have four major features in common which are explained below.

Auto daub is a feature at most online bingo sites. This feature is very popular and enables players to play multiple cards simultaneously. This feature automatically marks off the numbers that appear on the player’s bingo cards. It can be tricky to manually mark several cards during a game and using the auto daub feature makes mistakes impossible. Players have the option to switch this feature off and mark their cards manually if they prefer to mark their own cards using the virtual daubers available at most bingo sites. For newcomers to online bingo the auto daub feature can help new players adjust to the rapid pace of some online games. The bingo site’s software keeps track of all of the cards and will automatically claim a win for the player.

Best card sorting is another feature common to most bingo sites and is a real convenience for players. Best Card Sorting is generally a user selected option that order all of the purchased bingo cards during a game so the player can see how each card is performing and which card is closest to winning the game. This feature eliminates any guesswork on the part of the player.

Chat rooms are one of the most, if not the most, popular feature at online bingo sites. In a live bingo hall talking during a game is frowned upon and in some bingo halls talking during a game can get a player ejected from the hall. The chat takes place in real time and a whole new bingo chat language has developed over the years.

Progressive jackpots enable players to win some serious amounts of cash. Online bingo is no longer the low stakes game it once was and many players have won life changing amounts of money playing bingo games with progressive jackpots. Usually cards for progressive jackpot games cost a little bit more than cards for regular online bingo games.

These are the four most common features shared by online bingo sites. Of course many bingo operators have added even more options and features to keep players coming back. Even better most bingo sites offer players huge bonuses and a huge variety of promotions.

Mobile gaming is rapidly growing in popularity around the world. Most major online casinos offer mobile applications and millions have discovered the convenience and excitement of mobile gaming. For die hard online bingo players mobile games have been a blessing. Many mobile players say they play a quick game of bingo during their lunch hour or breaks. Many say the mobile bingo relieves the boredom of long train and bus commutes. Mobile bingo applications have been developed for iPhones and Androids.

Most bingo operators offer Android apps. This is because iPhones are not compatible with the flash based games used by most online bingo providers. Smart phones that support Java may also be used. There are mobile bingo games available for iPhones and BlackBerries but currently Androids are the most popular and used phones. Some players actually prefer mobile games to live or online computer based games. Most of the major online bingo operators offer several mobile bingo games. Mobile bingo does have a few minor drawbacks. Limited screen size is one issue and phones without a keyboard make it difficult to participate in the chat rooms. Screen size also limits access to many side games.

Mobile bingo can be every bit as exciting as playing online bingo. New technologies enable mobile players to enjoy the same great graphics and animations that are available to desktop and laptop players. Mobile players also have access to all of the bonuses and player perks available to online players. All that is needed is internet capability, a signal and players are ready to play. For new players many online bingo sites offer free mobile bingo games. The applications are easily and quickly downloaded and are generally user friendly and require no special technical skills. Mobile players can also take advantage of promotions, re deposit bonuses and any cash back offers.

For new mobile bingo players it is important to review and research the various bingo applications that are available. There are several review sites where pertinent information may be found. Players should do their homework before making a deposit. Mobile players have two options. They can download an application of they can use their smart phone’s web browser to play directly at online bingo sites. Most experts say that downloads offer higher quality games. Mobile bingo can provide hours of entertainment and a chance to win some great jackpots and prizes.

Throughout the global recession there was one industry that actually expanded and created jobs; online bingo. During the period from 2007 to 2011 online bingo operators reported an 80% increase in player numbers. The rise in player numbers enabled the industry to expand and provide employment opportunities in many related fields. The online bingo industry has created jobs for marketers, software and game developers, television ad producers, chat hosts, customer support staff, internet security experts and in many other related fields.

Current job listings at one of the largest online bingo operators include a customer retention manager, brand manager, affiliate executive, customer retention analyst and a second affiliate manager position. Other available jobs include a service delivery executive, Financial Controller, Compliance & Information Security Executive, Business Intelligence Technical Analyst, Management Accountant, Web Analyst, Bingo Player Development Manager and a Bingo Commercial Analyst. As can be seen bingo operators are seeking employees with a wide range of skills.

For example affiliate marketing is very important to any web based business. The marketing concept is relatively new. Basically affiliate marketing is a performance based marketing strategy where one business rewards another for each site visitor or player sent by the affiliate. In most cases if the visitor signs up and makes a deposit the affiliate receives more money for the transaction. Affiliate marketing has created a new industry that includes affiliate management agencies and other affiliate marketing experts.

Chat host job listings are common. Chat hosts, or managers, are required to keep conversations going during games, keep the conversation civil, congratulate winners and make sure that players have a good bingo experience. Chat hosts are so important to the industry that there is now an annual award for the best chat host. Customer service skills are essential because chat hosts may be asked to settle disputes between players and must be able to answer questions about site policies and rules. Generally chat hosts work from home and have flexible hours making it a popular job option. Multi lingual chat hosts are in great demand and current listings are looking for chat hosts that speak Italian, Dutch, Spanish and French.

For those looking for jobs in the online bingo industry the corporate websites of the various bingo operators is a good place to start. Generally all available jobs will be listed along with the necessary requirements and qualifications. Good luck and good hunting!