Although bingo is a random game of chance just about every bingo player knows someone who seems to win all the time. Although there is no real scientific explanation for ‘luck’ many bingo players credit their good luck to charms and talismans they carry with them to bingo games. Lucky charms are used by live and online bingo players equally. Gambling statistics show that three out of four bingo players carry some sort of good luck charms with them to games. Good luck charms can include such items as lucky socks, special jewelry, troll dolls, dice, gemstones, rabbit’s feet daubers and other items. Go to any bingo hall in the world and you will see lucky charms prominently displayed in the tables.

Some players swear that certain seats are lucky and woe to the player that tries to occupy someone’s ‘lucky’ seat. There have actually been physical confrontations over a lucky chair. There also seems to be a rule that all lucky objects must be displayed out in the open for all to see. Some people place lucky coins on their cards. Many players consider certain numbers to be lucky and will try to purchase cards with as many lucky numbers as possible. The use of lucky objects adds to the entertainment and fun provided by bingo games.

Recently a bingo player in Rochester, New Hampshire, brought a rather unusual good luck charm with her; her mother’s ashes. Diane Bozzi loved to play bingo games with her mother. Before her mother died in 2002Diane promised her that she would take some of her ashes with her when she played bingo. Her mother hoped her ashes would bring Diane Good luck. Diane made good on her promise and carried some of her mother’s ashes in an urn when she played bingo.

Unfortunately a thief was targeting parked cars in what police described as a crime spree and saw Diane’s bingo bag. Diane described the incident and told reporters “And I looked in the back seat and saw my bingo bag was gone, and that’s where all my paraphernalia was, and my mother was in that bag because I was planning on going to the senior bingo that day.” Diane is now pleading for the thief to have a heart and return her mother’s ashes and police are investigating the numerous thefts from unlocked autos.

Although criminality is not commonly associated with bingo there have been some isolated cases of bingo fanatics stealing large amounts of money to fund their bingo habits. In the UK one woman stole thousands to feed her online bingo habit and another woman stole from relatives to finance her bingo addiction. Both of these cases received widespread publicity in the British press and on many online bingo blogs and forums. In Arizona a 62 year old grandmother found a highly unique way to fund her bingo habit; selling marijuana.

Leticia Villareal-Garcia was arrested while transporting 200 pounds of cannabis from her Douglas Arizona home to a casino in Leticia Villareal-Garcia. Acting on a tip police stopped Ms. Villareal-Garcia’s and noticed a strong smell of fresh cut pot. Law enforcement officials said they found 214 pounds of marijuana in her trunk. Villareal-Garcia insisted that she had no knowledge of the pot in her trunk. Police did not believe her claim and arrested her.

At her trial at in Cochise County Superior Court Villareal-Garcia said that the day before her arrest her son’s long-lost godfather had visited her and borrowed her car. Her lawyer, Robert Zohlmann, said that Villareal-Garcia had been a ‘blind drug mule’ and had been tricked unwittingly into transporting the pot. During the trial prosecutor Doyle Johnstun built his case on circumstantial evidence such as the fact that Villareal-Garcia was driving with her car windows down in chilly winter weather.

A string of character witnesses for Villareal-Garcia testified that she played bingo almost every night. When Villareal-Garcia said her only income was from her bingo winnings and a $275 monthly welfare check she received for caring for her granddaughter prosecutor Johnstun thought he had a motive for the drug running. Johnstun told the jurors that most people who play bingo almost every night of the week end up losing in the long run. Johnstun told the court “The underlying issue is that she’s got a bingo problem, which explains why an otherwise nice person might get sucked into something like this.”

The jury deliberated for less than two hours and found Villareal-Garcia guilty. At sentencing Villareal-Garcia maintained her innocence and said “I never, never had any knowledge of that car being loaded when I went to Tucson.” The judge sentenced Villareal-Garcia to three years in prison and fined her $150,000. If she had played online bingo none of this would have happened!

Most people would never make a connection between American football and bingo but recent news reports suggest that several NFL players may face discipline because of their investments in an Alabama electronic bingo operation. Although bingo is looked upon as a harmless ‘soft’ form of gambling the NFL is extremely sensitive regarding any kind of gambling. It should be noted that sports gambling is responsible for a major part of the NFL’s high television ratings. Those who bet on football games usually watch the games they have bet on and the NFL likes the large number of gamblers watching the games.

While the NFL acknowledged the existence of sports gambling by creating the injury reporting rules which give the false impression that there is no insider information gamblers can obtain. The NFL has very strict rules in place when it comes to possible owner, coach, executive, and player involvement in any form of gambling. Sportswriter Jason Cole of Yahoo Sports reported that 25 NFL players could be required to give up any interests they may have in an Alabama bingo operation. The electronic bingo and entertainment operation was shut down in 2010 as part of an ongoing battle over legal gambling in the state.

In his new book lobbyist and now ex con Jack Abramoff said that he poured millions from Indian gambling operations in Louisiana into anti gambling organizations in Alabama. His efforts were partially successful and he even donated gambling money to ‘Christian’ groups opposed to gambling in Alabama. He was aided in the effort by Christian Coalition chairman Ralph Reed. The gambling operation in question is located 10 miles south of Dothan, Alabama and is known as Center Stage. The gambling operation previously went by the name Country Crossing and received extensive news coverage during the bingo controversy in the state. State authorities forced it to close when “electronic bingo” halls were ordered to stop using slot like bingo machines.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told Yahoo writer Cole “If it were to be determined that an NFL employee had made an investment in violation of league policy on gambling-related activities, that individual would be directed to withdraw the investment and it would be reviewed for potential discipline.” Some of the players involved include Terrell Owens, Santana Moss, Santonio Holmes, Gerard Warren and Adalius Thomas. The players have invested about $20 million dollars into the project. If the players are forced to sell before the bingo hall reopens they may lose millions and could face disciplinary action by the league.

There is overwhelming evidence that playing bingo has many benefits particularly for the elderly. Earlier in the year a study done by the National Health Service in the UK showed that playing bingo and engaging in other social activities can significantly shorten hospital stays.  Another study showed that playing bingo can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms. Most of the research has been done in the UK because of the deep attachment UK residents have for bingo. In fact the United Kingdom is now the world’s largest bingo market.

New research done in the United States indicated that playing bingo can prevent certain forms of disability among seniors. In addition to playing bingo other social activities are important. The research was done at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and involved 1,000 subjects. Attending church, going out to a restaurant with friends, doing volunteer work and taking trips have also been shown to delay or prevent certain disabilities associated with old age. All of these activities help seniors to be mentally and physically fit well into old age. The study done in the Unites States focused on participants in their eighties. Basic activities studies included feeding, bathing and dressing and physical activities such as walking up a flight of stairs, walking a half mile and doing household chores. The study concluded that seniors that engaged in social activities such as bingo were twice as likely to remain independent and mobile. A statement from the study says “Results showed that a person who reported a high level of social activity was about twice as likely to remain free of a disability involving activities of daily living than a person with a low level of social activity.”

Today more seniors are learning basic computer skills. Many seniors have discovered the joys of online bingo. In the UK Mecca bingo halls hosted sessions to teach people basic computer skills. The sessions were part of a nationwide initiative to promote computer literacy in the UK. Of course it was in Mecca’s best interests to host the programs because Mecca operates one of the most well known online bingo sites in the UK.

Playing bingo has been shown to promote hand eye coordination. Players must mark cards quickly building hand eye coordination. Bingo requires a certain level of concentration and provides players with plenty of mental exercise. One important study done in the UK showed that the mental and intellectual stimulation provided by bingo games can keep the mind sharp well into old age. In the UK there are several centenarians who still play regular bingo games.

Bingo is a totally random game of chance and there is really no system or strategies that can increase the odds in favor of the player. Online bingo sites use random number generators to pick the random numbers that are called during online bingo games. Random number generators have made online gambling possible and most reputable bingo sites have their software tested by independent testing companies. There are actually people promoting ‘systems’ that they say will result in win after win but the bad news is that there is actually little bingo players can do to influence the outcome of any individual bingo game. By sticking to some very basic gambling rules players can minimize their losses.

Money management is very important. Players should have a separate bingo bankroll. Never use money set aside for bills and necessary living expenses to play bingo games. At many bingo sites players can set spending limits and problem gamblers can self exclude themselves. Players should set a bingo bankroll and budget and stick to it. Learn to live with losses and know when to quit. This rule applies to any form of gambling whether it’s online slots,  bingo, betting on the ponies, craps, or Sportsbetting.

One of the few ways players can actually increase their chances of winning is to play multiple bingo cards. The more cards a play has the greater the chances of the right numbers being called. Thanks to the auto daub feature available at most online bingo sites players can literally play dozens of cards simultaneously. At many bingo sites cards can be purchased for as little as a penny. Cards for mega jackpot games are usually quite expensive and playing multiple cards in these games may not be an option due to the cost.

Players should stick to smaller games. Games with just a few players offer the best chances of winning. While the jackpots may not be as large these games can result in more wins. A series of small wins is better than no wins at all in the long run. Of course players should always stick to their budgets.

If possible players should always choose their own cards. At many online bingo sites this may not be possible because the cards may be randomly generated. The ability to choose the cards will give players the illusion of control which can lead to a more positive attitude. Some people believe that a positive mental attitude can lead to better luck.

Some bingo experts believe that it is better to play games with higher prices cards. There are two schools of thought on this. As most experienced online bingo players know; the higher the card cost the higher the payout will be. Because of the game’s random nature the odds do not vary from room to room.  The opposing school of thought believes that it is better to play more cards in lower priced games. They believe that several small wins are better than one large win.

Studies and surveys of bingo players have shown that a large majority of players value entertainment and socialization more than financial gain. Online bingo can provide players with hours of low cost entertainment and a chance to make some easy money at the same time.

Bingo is one of the most popular and played games in the world. Bingo games are available in just about every language known to man. Online bingo games are available in most major languages such as English, Spanish, French, German and many others. Many countries have their own version of bingo and games can vary from country to country. Everyone familiar with the game knows that 75 ball bingo is popular in North American and that 90 ball bingo is the most popular game in Britain and other European countries. In Sweden multi line bingo is the preferred game. Since the internet is global in scope all three bingo variants are widely available online.

Online bingo sites targeting players in the United Kingdom host a wide variety of bingo games. At most UK bingo sites 75 and 90 ball bingo are available. Some sites offer unusual variants such as 80 ball bingo and 30 ball bingo commonly known as speed bingo. Some software providers only offer 75 and 90 ball games while software providers such as VirtueFusion offer a complete selection of bingo game variants. Sites targeting Sweden will usually offer the multi line 75 ball games.

On online bingo sites targeting an American audience the selection is usually limited. 75 ball bingo is the dominant game and some US sites will also offer 90 ball bingo. In live bingo halls in the United States only 75 ball bingo games are played. Unfortunately, thanks to ill advised anti online gambling laws, players in the United States have a very limited number of bingo sites to choose from. Recent actions by US law enforcement have forced many online bingo sites to exit the lucrative American bingo market. There are still a few online bingo sites accepting American players but many American players have reported difficulties depositing and making withdrawals at some online bingo sites.

Bingo is wildly popular in Spain. Spanish players have a choice of 75 and 90 ball bingo games. Some Spanish language bingo sites also offer 80 ball bingo and multi line 75 ball games. Online bingo was slow to gain a foothold in Spain but once bingo operators worked out the language difficulties the Spanish bingo market grew rapidly.

Bingo is a game that transcends all ages and nationalities. Even better online bingo games are affordable to just about everyone and most online bingo sites are offering players very generous bonuses and player incentives.

Most people play bingo for the social networking opportunities the game provides. For most players winning is a secondary consideration. Now players have another good reason to play bingo; for their health. A recent university study points out that bingo provides several benefits for players. Among these are enhanced hand eye coordination and sharper cognitive abilities. Not only that but other studies have shown that bingo can reduce stress levels, lowers the level of depression associated with a serious illness and can actually significantly shorten hospital stays. The venerable British Medical Association has given their seal of approval to bingo’s benefits.

112 people participated in the study from two age groups. Subjects were divided into two age groups; those from 18 to 40 and those from 60 to 82. Experimenters went to great lengths to ensure the study was totally random. Both groups contained bingo players and non bingo players. Tests were given to measure cognitive ability and mental agility. Not surprisingly the study showed that bingo players were faster and more accurate than their non playing counterparts. One very interesting part of the study found that those in the 60 to 82 age group actually performed more accurately than the younger age group on certain tests. Oddly the study found that bingo players were actually more aware of their surrounding and the passage of time. Bingo players had to stay sharp to mark the numbers on their cards. Some experts said that online bingo could provide the same benefits provided players marked their virtual bingo cards manually.

Some of the tests were designed to measure hand eye coordination. Because of the rapidity with which numbers are called during a game bingo players must develop excellent hand eye coordination to be successful. Players must also verify that the numbers marked on the bingo cards are accurate. This must be done in a split second because in most bingo games the numbers are called rapidly. This mental exercise helps to keep the mind sharp and accurate. One study done in the UK suggested that playing bingo could delay the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms. Even better the same study found that playing bingo can significantly shorten hospital stays.

In addition to all of the game’s benefits bingo is fun to play cash bingo. It is also one of the easiest games to learn. Online bingo is widely available and can provide players with the same cognitive benefits as live bingo games.

Today there are about 400 online bingo sites competing for the same pool of players. Bingo providers are offering players giant jackpots, fun events, free bingo tournaments and much more. The bingo industry has realized that player retention is just as important as acquiring new players and most bingo sites have developed various programs designed to keep players coming back for more.  Player loyalty programs are designed to reward long term loyal players. Here are a few of the features of loyalty programs.

Most player loyalty programs are based on loyalty points earned by players as they play online bingo games. Loyalty points apply to regular games and most tournament games. Once the loyalty points are earned they are deposited in the player’s account and can be exchanged for bingo cards and in many cases for real cash. Some bingo sites actually award loyalty points to players right after they have signed up and created an account. In addition to loyalty points players can also earn points if they refer a friend. At some sites players can earn thousands of points for referring a friend!

As has been mentioned players can usually trade their accumulated loyalty points for cash. Once a player has accumulated enough points they can trade them for cash. At one popular UK based online bingo site it takes 1,000 points to earn £1 pound. Different bingo sites have different conversion rates. While 1,000 points may sound like a lot points can be rapidly earned. Players should always look for the bingo site with the best loyalty point scheme. The online bingo industry is focused on player retention and many major bingo brands have revamped their loyalty points programs.

Loyalty points can also be used to purchase bingo cards. Essentially cards purchased with loyalty points are free. By purchasing cards with points players have free chances to win more bingo money.

At most bingo sites players can enter bingo tournaments using loyalty points. Players should look ion the promotions page at any bingo site to find tournaments that can be entered using loyalty points. Using points is a great way to play tournaments and possibly win a huge tournament jackpot.

Trading loyalty points for free cards, tournament entries, and free cash is always great. Many online bingo sites offer a variety of prizes like luxury vacations, electronics and great merchandise. At some bingo sites loyalty points can be traded for these great prizes. Loyalty point programs are a great way for bingo players to stretch their bingo bankroll.

Several previous studies in the UK have clearly showed the many health benefits enjoyed by bingo players. One study showed that bingo can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Other studies have shown that bingo helps older people to maintain good hand and eye coordination. One 2009 study that was published in the prestigious Archives of Internal Medicine journal showed that engaging in regular  pursuits like Bingo reduced the risk of developing a disability by 65% and reduced the chance of premature death by 40%! The study was conducted at the Rush University Medical Centre in Chicago and received worldwide news coverage.

Bingo in Hospitals

One British hospital is taking advantage of bingo’s health benefits. Walsall’s Manor Hospital is using bingo sessions and tea parties to boost the spirits of patients suffering from life threatening strokes. The games are part of a wide initiative called “Kissing It Better” that is designed to aid in the recovery of those suffering from strokes. In addition to bingo games an animal charity has brought in dogs to cheep patients. The hospital also uses activities such as poetry, music sessions, teatime treats and beauty treatments as part of patient care. Other hospitals have experimented with similar activities in the past but this is the first extended program of its kind in the UK. About the program’s effectiveness Lead nurse Sonia Jenkinson had this to say “Kissing it better’ doesn’t tackle clinical or medical issues but is about the little things that can make a world of difference to someone when they are in hospital. Some of the patients are quite poorly, and have dementia, but the reaction from them during the sessions has been amazing.”

Health Effects of Bingo Study

Another study done by the University of Southampton’s Psychology Department suggests that playing bingo results in good overall health, boosts mental activity and keeps the mind astute and sharp. Although most of the studies and experiments involved live bingo it is clear that online bingo could easily provide players with the same benefits. The same hand eye coordination is necessary and intense concentration is also required. Chat rooms allow players to socialize and make new friends and medical experts say that an active social life promoted longevity. In addition to the health benefits provided by bingo there are also financial benefits for online bingo players. Just about every bingo site offers a deposit bonus in addition to cash bingo online. Players can improve their health while playing cash bingo online-what a deal!

In the UK and Europe many governments are imposing austerity measures designed to address massive budget deficits and maintain the credit ratings of governments. In Greece new austerity measures have been very unpopular and have resulted in riots in the streets of Athens. In the UK things are more subdued but the new coalition government is looking for new revenue streams and may target online bingo games. Recent reports have indicated that the new government may impose new restrictions on offshore bingo sites doing business in the UK. One gaming expert believes the government should be wary of imposing new taxes on the online bingo industry. Jesper Soegaard, the founder of BettingExpert.com, believes that players could face fewer choices if new regulations and taxes are imposed on bingo sites. Mr. Soegaard stated “In the current economic climate, with the government desperately seeking to raise funds in every area available to them, it is unsurprising that an overhaul in gambling regulations is being discussed.” He also said that new regulations would be “catastrophic” for the online bingo industry.

Soegaard believes that the real victims of new taxation and regulation would be hard working gregarious online bingo players.  He also believes that smaller bingo operators would not survive the new business climate imposed by the government resulting in fewer choices for players. Currently offshore bingo sites do not pay taxes in the UK and are free to advertise provided they are located in ‘white list’ licensing jurisdictions. Most offshore bingo sites pay about 1% in taxes as opposed to the 20% tax rate paid by bingo sites licensed and located in the UK.  This gives offshore bingo operators a significant competitive advantage over their British counterparts. According to unnamed sources the government plans to impose the following restrictions on offshore bingo sites;
Offshore bingo sites must be licensed by the UK Gambling Commission.
Offshore bingo sites will be subject to the same taxes as sites located in the UK.
The use of credit cards may be banned.

Once the new gambling laws are imposed most gaming experts believe that smaller bingo operators will be forced to cease operations. While this will result in fewer choices for players many say the new business climate will actually benefit most players. Players will be protected by the gambling commission and while some of the changes may be unpopular with operators’ British bingo players will enjoy a high level of protection.