Bingo is a popular game on both sides of the Atlantic and attracts millions of players each year. For many new players a first visit to a bingo hall of an online bingo site can be intimidating. Many new players ask themselves; what are the rules? How should I act? What are the standards of bingo etiquette? That first visit does not have to be unnerving if you follow a few simple rules. Leaning bingo rules and etiquette is probably the most steps any player can take on their way to being a well liked and respected bingo player. Although no two bingo halls operate the same way there are some standard rules applicable to all bingo halls. Some players get annoyed by new players and their actions; how they react to winning, sitting in the ‘wrong’ chairs and any disruptive behavior. ‘False bingos’ are probably the most annoying mistakes made by new players but fortunately this usually happens only once.

New players at land based bingo halls should be aware that some players consider certain seats ‘lucky.’ If you are sitting in another player’s regular spot it is best to move to another chair. Fortunately most bingo players are very friendly and welcoming but there are certain riles that should not be broken. Some of these rules also apply to online bingo.

1.    Before playing familiarize yourself with the rules of the bingo hall or online bingo site. Knowing the rules and etiquette can make your bingo experience more enjoyable for you and everyone else.

2.    Do not say or do anything that could get you banned from the hall or bingo site. Obnoxious comments and intentionally distracting other players is unacceptable. Never disrupt the conversation at online bingo chat rooms. Never try to alter a bingo card at a live bingo hall. Your reputation as a player is up to you to establish.

3.    As has been mentioned watch out for ‘lucky’ seats in live bingo halls. Many players are very particular about where they sit during games. If you are asked to move do so gracefully.

4.    Bingo is a social game and most players will be happy to help new players learn the ropes and bingo lingo. In live bingo halls it is considered bad form to talk during games.

5.    Never parrot the numbers called in live bingo halls. It is annoying to everyone around you and you will be asked to quiet down.

6.    Don’t play when you are in a bad mood. If you are tired and angry you will make mistakes and be bad company for the other players.

7.    Be a good loser. Chances are you will win at another time. 96% of all bingo players say they have won at least one game. Do not take out your frustrations on the game’s caller.

8.    Try not to call any false bingos. It disrupts the game and the other players will be annoyed.

For months social gaming company Zynga said that a bingo game was in the works. On January 26th Zynga released their long awaited bingo game in beta to a small group of players. Eventually the game will be available on Facebook to millions of users. The new game is similar to other online bingo games and features great graphics and unique features. The Zynga game is a traditional 75 ball bingo game. Players can earn cards, coins and keys to move up levels and unlock other bingo rooms in the game. The bingo rooms include “Vegas Lights,” “FarmVille Bounty,” and “Pirates Paradise.” In a statement Zynga said “Right now, we’re only letting a limited number of people into the game to make sure our players are getting a primo, Zynga Bingo experience, before officially open the floodgates.”

Players can play a maximum of six cards simultaneously and there is no limit on how many people players can play against. Facebook friends can help players by giving them tiles on the “friends boost meter” and their Facebook picture will then be used as a chip on the bingo board. Other game features include real time chat, themed rooms and a Zynga Casino navigation bar that allows players to move easily from Zynga bingo to other Zynga games such as Texas HoldEm Poker or other Zynga Casino games. At a press conference a Zynga spokesman declined to discuss any future additional related to the Zynga Casino interface. Zynga bingo was created by a team led by Senior Producer Nicole Opas.

Zynga has added some features not common to typical online bingo games. The games were designed for younger players and have options and features not common at most online bingo sites. Players will be able to see what bingo rooms their Facebook friends are in. As has been mentioned the games will take place in themed bingo rooms. In the Vegas Lights room bingo balls shoot out of a classic Cadillac. The Pirate’s Paradise room features include a pirate map, golden coins, and a treasure chest. In the Farmville Bounty room players will be able to play inside scenes from Zynga’s wildly popular FarmVille.

Recently it was revealed that Zynga may enter the real money internet gambling industry. Late last year a spokesman for the company said that Zynga was not interested in real money gaming. Since Facebook has over 800 million users the potential for Zynga can easily be seen.

Last night all eyes were on Obama during his annual State of the Union address before congress. The state of the union address is a longstanding tradition in the United States and the first address was delivered by George Washington in 1790. During the speech the president reports on the condition of the country and also allows the president to outline his legislative agenda for the coming year. Since this is a presidential election year Mr. Obama’s speech attracted more attention than usual. While watching the speech many viewers engaged in an annual tradition; State if the Union bingo games.

In Westchester County New York Republicans met at the Horse & Hound restaurant in South Salem to watch Mr. Obama deliver his address. They also had a little fun at the President’s expense. This is the second year the GOP has held this event in Westchester County. The game was organized by Luke Vander Linden, vice chair of the Bedford Republican Committee. Vander Linden told local reporters “It’s an opportunity to get everyone to come together and have a little fun. This is our second one and we’d like to make it a tradition.” Vander Linden went on to say that the game is a chance for like minded people to get together. Vander Linden stated “We respect the office. We want to see what he has to say.”

One of the highlights of the event was a game of ‘Obama bingo.’ Players were given a card with various catch phrases such as “Economy,” “Green Jobs,” “Fair Share,” and others commonly used by the president. If Obama used one of the phrases players marked their cards. State of the Union bingo games are not the sole domain of the opposition party. There are State of the Union bingo games available for those of varying political beliefs. Many people in both political camps attended State of the Union parties where the special bingo games were played. Bingo cards could be downloaded from several political websites and a few online bingo sites also got in on the action.

One thing is for sure in Washington; political rhetoric is never in short supply. One newspaper asked readers to supply buzzwords and catch phrases to be used in their State of the Union bingo game. Some bars and clubs held bipartisan events which offered state of the union bingo games as part of the evening’s entertainment.

Every bingo player in Britain knows that ‘eyes down’ means a game is about to begin. Another bingo hall in Britain has called eyes down for the last time. For the last five or six years several UK bingo halls have fallen victim to the national smoking ban that almost destroyed the British live bingo industry and extremely high tax rates and local licensing fees. Pavilion Bingo in Roose Road, Barrow, said it was closing because of “difficult trading conditions.” Malcolm Fleming, who managed the hall along with his wife Carol for eleven years, made the sad announcement to customers last week.

Fleming told reporters from the Evening Mail: “The way things are with the leisure industry, we decided we couldn’t go on any longer and had to close down.” Fleming said he did not want to disclose more details about the closing than what he told customers when he made the announcement last Sunday. Fleming told players at that time “Due to difficult trading conditions, the Pavilion Bingo is no longer a viable business and we are left with no alternative but to close it down.” Fleming also praised his employees and stated “We would like to thank our superb staff and very loyal customers for their great support in the past but under the present economic conditions, this is the only route we can take.”

Fourteen jobs will be lost and both full and part time employees will be affected by the closure. National figures show that 34 bingo halls closed in 2007, (the same year the smoking ban went into effect) 25 in 2008, 29 in 2009, 12 in 2010 and 12 last in 2011. A spokesman for the Bingo Association told reporters about the difficulties facing live bingo halls in the UK. The spokesman told reporters “The rate of closure has slowed down in the last five years, but it’s proved increasingly difficult for those that remain in the industry to move forward with their business. Lots of people want to relate it to the smoking ban, but the primary driver is a tax regime which is punitive for the bingo industry. It’s about the most highly taxed gambling activity in the UK.”

The spokesman pointed out that bingo clubs pay a 21% tax while other forms of gaming pay a 15% tax. While British bingo halls continue to close in record numbers the online bingo industry is thriving. There are now about three million online bingo players in the UK and the number is growing thanks to the addition of mobile bingo played on smart phones. While there has been a slight increase in attendance at urban bingo halls in large cities smaller towns are losing their bingo halls at an alarming rate. Fortunately some members of Parliament have promised to address the taxation issue.

The ongoing saga of an Irish bingo hall that has been repeatedly harassed by authorities may finally be over. In November police raided the Rock Creek bingo hall in Cork Ireland just minutes before the hall was scheduled to open for the first time. Players watched in dismay as police seized documents and bingo tickets making the bingo games impossible. Many thought the timing of the raid was deliberate and calculated to do as much damage as possible. The hall was raided a second time and the owners of the hall took their case to the high court.

On New Year’s Day the police raided the hall for a second time. Players watched in dismay and anger as police seized documents. About 500 players had turned out for the hall’s grand opening. Local police superintendant Charles Barry seems to have a vendetta against the hall and Rock Creek’s owners say he is guilty of misfeasance of public office. The excuse used by Barry to conduct the raids was concerns over the validity of the hall’s license. An unnamed police source told reporters that there were concerns that the hall’s charitable beneficiary was not based in Cork. According to official records Rock Creek’s charitable partner is the Mercy University Hospital Foundation.

After a lengthy legal battle a judge ruled that Rock Creek is a legal bingo operation. Rock Creek Bingo operators Omega Leisure Ltd brought the case against superintendant Barry and sought a declaration that Barry was guilty of malfeasance in office. Unfortunately Justice Clarke rejected the owner’s application. Judge Clarke confirmed that that Rock Creek had a right to continue operations and that the licensing process was not illegal. In the licensing process charities can allow their lottery license to be used by operators for a percent of the proceeds generated by games. In his judgment Justice Clarke wrote that he “would expect Superintendent Barry to be as good as his word and [...] allow Omega to operate in the ordinary way in accordance with the law.”

Rock Creek manager Dave Barber welcomed the court’s decision and told reporters “We have always operated lawfully and once again I am pleased that this has come through clearly in the court today.” Barber added “We now need to knuckle down, recover from the disastrous period we have endured to date and get back to running a bingo establishment that the people of Cork can enjoy for many years to come.” The police declined to comment on the court’s ruling. Bingo players who want to contribute to charity but do not live near a bingo hall have another option. Many online bingo sites host games for various charitable organizations. UK online bingo sites have already raised millions for various good causes.

Gambling addiction is rare among bingo players but occasionally an unfortunate player will develop an addiction to the game. Only a few have engaged in criminal activity to fund their addictions and when they are caught the case usually received extensive media coverage. In the UK there were several cases last year involving thefts by bingo players that lost control. In May 2011 a home care manager stole £90,000 from patients to fund her bingo habit. In November 2011 another player was sentenced to 15 months in prison for stealing £42,000 from a close friend to feed her bingo habit.

The most recent case involves a woman who stole from an elderly neighbor she was taking care of. Barbara Taylor helped to look after her disabled neighbor who had health problems and deteriorating mobility. Taylor succumbed to temptation and used the woman’s credit and debit cards to withdraw cash at bingo halls. Records show that Taylor withdrew a total of £11,670 cash to spend on bingo games and slot machines. She also spent £136 for camping equipment and tanning cream. Taylor used the cards at a local bingo hall to withdraw cash.

The thefts came to light after her 77 year old victim noticed that her accounts had been emptied and her direct debits were unpaid. At the same time Taylor was working as a volunteer at the Willow project which helps women with alcohol problems. The case eventually made its way through the courts and the judge sentenced Taylor to 12 months in prison. At the sentencing the presiding judge Bryn Holloway stated “Such was the nature of your friendship she entrusted you with the details of her bank cards so you could do shopping for her. It is clear initially you did so honestly but the time came when you turned from using the account as she intended to a way she never expected.” The judge acknowledged that Taylor had provided valuable assistance to her neighbor but said that the thefts merited jail time.

Judge Holloway said it was clear that Taylor had not spent the money on an extravagant lifestyle but that only a custodial sentence was appropriate in Taylor’s case. Taylor’s defense counsel said that Taylor had been genuinely caring for her friend but succumbed to temptation. Had Taylor played online bingo most likely the thefts would have been found out much sooner. Most UK online bingo sites have programs in place to identify problem gamblers. In addition most bingo sites provide links to organizations that treat gambling addiction. Online bingo sites use sophisticated software to identify problem players making online bingo one of the safest games on the internet.

Bingo is one of the most affordable and entertaining games online. Bingo is no longer the low states game it used to be and online bingo bears little resemblance to grandma’s bingo. Players can win tons of cash playing online bingo and even better most bingo sites offer special games, free bingo, generous deposit bonuses, tournaments and extensive selections of side games. Deposit bonuses enable players to double, triple and even quadruple their money. Loyalty schemes can put real cash into player’s accounts and in recent years most bingo operators have revamped their loyalty programs.

Loyalty programs usually award players a specific amount of loyalty points every time they play a bingo game. Every bingo game is worth a specified amount of loyalty points. Special games and tournaments may award more loyalty points than regular bingo games.  Once the loyalty points are earned they are deposited in the player’s account and may be used to purchase bingo cards and can usually be converted into cash. Some sites will award loyalty points as soon as a player signs up and creates an account. Some online bingo sites will award as many as 1,000 loyalty points to new players. Loyalty points are a way for online bingo operators to show appreciation to loyal players and thanks to intense industry competition bingo operators are awarding more loyalty points than ever. At many bingo sites players can earn large amounts of loyalty points by referring a friend. At some sites refer a friend programs are separate from loyalty points programs while at other the programs are combined.

As has been mentioned loyalty points may be converted into cash at most online bingo sites. Once enough loyalty points have been earned players can access their accounts and convert the points into cash. At some sites it takes 1,000 loyalty points to earn $1. While this may seem like a lot loyalty points are quickly earned once the player starts playing regular bingo games and participates in online bingo tournaments.

The most common use of loyalty points is to purchase free bingo cards. Players using loyalty points to purchase cards have more free chances to win money playing bingo. At most bingo sites players can enter tournaments using loyalty points. Many tournaments have huge progressive jackpots and players can win life changing amounts of cash. At some online bingo sites loyalty points can be exchanged for other prizes like electronics, jewelry and many other unique prizes. Loyalty programs are just one of many ways operators make online bingo one of the most affordable games on the net.

In 2008 cleaner Soraya Lowell, 38, won a £1.2 million ($1,872,856.62 USD) bingo jackpot playing the National Bingo Game at her local bingo club in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire. The next night she returned to the same bingo club and won an additional £200. ($312.268 USD) Lowell was also part of a lottery syndicate and won £43. ($67.1416 USD) Speaking about her luck Lowell said “I must be on a lucky run just now but I still can’t get my head around that amount of money. It just won’t sink in at all.” After her big win Lowell said she planned to split her winnings with bingo buddy and neighbor Agnes O’Neill who was with her when she won the National Bingo Game jackpot.

Lowell’s luck appears to have changed recently. News reports say that Lowell has been evicted from her £150,000 ($234,274.13 USD) home just three short years after her big win. Lowell had purchased the home after winning the huge bingo jackpot. Reports indicate that somehow Lowell has managed to waste most of her winnings and has been forced to move back to her £35,000 ($54,735.70 USD) council house that she shared with her husband prior to her bingo win.

The Bank of Scotland is taking Lowell and her husband to Hamilton Sheriff’s Court for being ‘in default’ of their mortgage agreement. Friends and neighbors were surprised to learn of the couple’s misfortune. A family friend stated “There had been rumours that Soroya had been having a bit of trouble financially, but nobody knew the extent of it. She only moved a few streets away so everyone still saw her out in Hamilton, but the news of her having her home repossessed is a bolt from the blue. She kept on her old home and you see her and Frankie going in and out, but nobody thought anything of it. Soroya and Frankie have also got rid of an ice cream van which they bought. Their life has changed a lot since they first won.”

After the couple failed to contest the Bank of Scotland’s action Sheriff John Miller ruled in favor of the bank. The couple has the opportunity to recall the decision before the bank takes control of the property. Neighbors at the Lowell’s new property said that no one has been at the house for weeks. One neighbor commented “The garden is in a bit of a mess and there’s not been any sign of life in the house for a good while now.”

Currently the National bingo game is not available as an online bingo game but there have been a few internet bingo millionaires in recent years. It is just a matter of time before the national Bingo Game goes online.

Christmas is just a day away and online bingo sites have rolled out their best promotions of the year. Online bingo rooms are bursting with festive games and excitement. Bingo blogs and portals are running several ads for special Holiday promotions. Many bingo sites are offering special prizes that can make Christmas come early for lucky players. In addition many bingo sites are hosting special games with the proceeds going to various charities. Christmas brings out the spirit of giving in most people and online bingo players are no exception. At some bingo sites players have the ability to donate to their favorite charity or good cause.

The bingo industry, both online and land based, has a long tradition of supporting charities and this year is no exception. At some charity games players can donate all or part of their winnings to charity. A few days ago a big winner at a popular UK bingo site donated all of her winnings to help children affected by the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl Ukraine. Another big bingo winner donated part of her winnings to two cancer related charities. Each charity received one thousand pounds. ($1,566.29 USD) The Sue Ryder charity which helps those suffering from terminal illnesses has been the recipient of several donations from special bingo games.

In the UK there are online bingo sites totally devoted to charities. At BingoGiving players can select from a long list of charities and a part of each wager is donated to the specified charity. Bingo players have a well deserved reputation for generosity and bingo games have been a very effective fundraising tool for decades. In fact the very first bingo games were used by the Catholic Church to raise funds for charitable purposes.  Players looking for charity online bingo games can check bingo blogs, portals and forums for a complete list of charity online bingo games.

In addition to charity bingo games November and December are months when online bingo operators roll out their best bonuses and promotions. Christmas and New Year’s themed games are a longstanding tradition at online bingo sites. Holiday games generally use festive themed card patterns adding to the excitement and fun. Generous deposit bonuses enable players to play more games and donate more money to charity. At most bingo sites the percentage donated to charity is listed with each special game. Players can win some serious cash while helping those less fortunate.

Just about every bingo player has wondered at one time or another where the bingo cards actually come from. Believe it or not one gentleman has made a fortune printing bingo cards and is known as the ‘King of Bingo’ among players and bingo operators. Cards are an essential part of every bingo game and without cards there would be no game. Although the demand for cards is decreasing thanks to online bingo cards, daubers and callers remain an essential part of any live bingo games.

Frank Cronin, the ‘king of bingo’ was born during the worst years of the great depression in 1933. In the early 1950’s Frank was working at a small family owned print shop learning the trade. One day a priest came to the shop and wanted to order bingo cards. The order changed Frank’s life forever when he realized that there may be a demand for bingo cards. Frank entered the bingo business at the right time. The popularity of bingo was rapidly increasing during the post war years and Frank was quick to spot the business opportunity.

Franks company began the production of bingo cards and soon Frank had several clients. The firm started to print more bingo cards and soon the company was struggling to keep up with the demand. The firm Frank worked for, Edward Thompson quickly became the world’s largest supplier of bingo cards. Frank enjoyed his work and told a biographer “There’s been great fun in my life. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. I’ve never been bored in my life.”

Frank’s life, from a schoolboy math whiz to a global business success is the subject of a biography I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. I’ve never been bored in my life.” Nigel said of his subject “Bingo is a game which has brought pleasure to countless millions, and Frank is one of the men who made this possible.” Frank’s company got involved in the bingo business at the right time. In 1959 the firm had 12 employees and by 1960 they employed 300 people. In the beginning the company was outsourcing the printing of a few thousand bingo cards every week. By 1966 the company was printing 50 million bingo cards every week!

The firm expanded and added mill to meet the soaring demand for bingo cards. Frank started a new company called Wearside Electronics. Bingo blowers and other electronic bingo equipment was manufactured by the new firm During those busy years Frank found time for love and married Teresa Martin in 1957 and is the father of four boys. At 77 Frank still takes interest in the firm which is now managed by one of his sons. Despite a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Frank continues to work and says “I am not worried. It’s part of ageing, of getting old.”