In the United States, Indian reservations have often been poverty stricken. A decade ago one reservation had the dubious distinction of having the largest population living in abject poverty. Many reservations are quite large; the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota is larger than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware combined. In the 1980’s many tribes discovered a way out of poverty-bingo. Several tribes in Florida and California began to offer high stakes bingo games on their reservations. States moved to shut the games down but a favorable court decision gave the tribes the right to operate gaming and bingo establishments.
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) recognized but also limited the rights of Native Americans to conduct gaming operations. The act requires tribes to negotiate with states about what kind of games will be offered and to make sure that tribes are the sole owners of gaming operations. Gaming and bingo have lifted many reservations out of poverty and the revenue generated by bingo and gaming has enabled some tribes to build hospitals, schools and the casinos have provided full time employment at a living wage.

One of the early pioneers of Native American gaming was Anna Prieto Sandoval. Her recent death was mourned throughout the San Diego area and beyond. When Sandoval became the leader of the Sycuan Band of Mission Indians in 1972 the Mission reservation in El Cajon was a settlement of wooden shacks with no indoor plumbing. Sandoval built a bingo hall and attendance exceeded all expectations and soon the tribe built a 68,000-square-foot casino complex offering bingo, poker and an off track betting theater.

The success of the bingo hall prompted big changes on the Mission reservation. New houses were built for all tribal members along with a new church, fire station and a medical clinic. Chronic unemployment became a thing of the past and the tribe was one of the richest in the United States. The casino complex is now the biggest employer in East San Diego County and employs 600 workers who serve 1 million visitors a year. While the tribe prospered from gaming operations Sandoval lamented the fact that many old tribal customs and traditions were being lost. It is truly amazing what one woman with a vision and bingo can do. Thanks to Sandoval and her hard work no tribal member will ever go hungry again.

Bingo has an interesting history, especially in some cultures.  Now, most people not only think of bingo as a land-based game, however a thriving internet bingo game with many online bingo sites like BingHouse to choose from. While looking through online bingo reviews trying to choose which sites are the best, also take a look through the bingo articles and learn about the history of bingo as well as any interesting bingo news.

The rapid advance of technology has improved the quality of online games including bingo. New flash based no download bingo games give players a realistic bingo experience. Many bingo experts consider chat rooms the most popular feature at most bingo sites and a majority of players consider chat rooms to be an important factor in selecting a bingo site. Technologies that were unheard of just a few years ago are being adopted by bingo providers to provide a more realistic bingo experience online. As internet bandwidths expand, the ease with which video technology can add to chat rooms is increasing. At least one bingo site has announced they will offer players the chance to use webcams in their chat rooms and if the move is successful most bingo sites will probably adopt the new technology quickly to stay competitive.

Most bingo sites are using web 2.0 technologies to enable players to interact more effectively. Online bingo is now a billion dollar a year business and that figure is expected to double in about two years. Bingo sites are looking for features that will make them stand out against other bingo sites and enhance their online bingo reviews and the prospect of webcams in chat rooms has many players excited. Webcams will implement fact to face communication in bingo chat rooms adding a new dimension to the game for those who play bingo online.

To make things even more exciting the development of 3D technology and its possible use by bingo sites has many players excited. 3D webcams are now available and can be easily ordered online. Although at the present time 3D webcams are somewhat expensive the price is expected to decrease as use becomes widespread. Once the use of webcams becomes common at bingo sites the next logical step is the implementation of 3D webcams in chat rooms. As a recent article stated, “Despite the fact that players are within their own homes often hundreds of miles away … 3D technology would facilitate interpersonal relationships among players despite the distance,” Online bingo has a long history of adopting new technologies and although at the present time the use of 3D webcams may seem farfetched many industry experts believe the use of 3D technology will be adopted soon.

After the passage of the ill advised Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006, online bingo players in the United States found themselves shut out by many bingo sites. While the law did not make gambling online illegal it prohibited banks, credit card companies and other financial institutions from processing any transaction related to online gaming which includes online bingo. Some online payment processors such as PayPal exited the US gaming market. Despite the law US bingo people who play internet bingo still have many deposit and withdrawal options available.

Diners Club. Diners Club was the first credit card in the world and was started way back in 1950. Diners Club is used in 200 countries and facilitates transactions in 70 currencies. Diners Club is one of the best options for US bingo players.

eWalletXpress enables customers to deposit and withdraw finds from online merchants including bingo websites. eWalletXpress has an impeccable reputation and is guaranteed safe and secure.

Click2Pay is an international payment community that will provide bingo players with all the necessary tools for safe and simple money transaction online. Once a player has an account they will never have to enter financial data again. Withdrawals made with Click2Pay take about 3 to 5 business days.

InstaDebit. As the name implies this is a debit card that can be used for online transactions using the player’s bank account. It is free and there are no processing fees. Since it is a debit card players will not acquire any credit card debt using InstaDebit.

ePassporte Virtual Visa is another great option for players in the United States. ePassporte offers the highest security protection available online. Those who play internet bingo can use ePassporte to make secure and anonymous transactions.

FirePay is a web based personal account that works like a debit card. Players deposit money into their FirePay account and can use the account at online bingo sites like BingBoat. Very easy to use and very secure transactions.

PrePaid ATM cards are one of the best ways for players to fund accounts and withdraw winnings. Most bingo sites and online casinos allow players to use Pre Paid ATM cards. PrePaid ATM’s are simple to use, are very affordable and offer fast transactions.

Visa and other major credit cards. Not all banks that issue credit cards monitor transactions and these cards may be used to fund bingo accounts. Be sure to check the policies of the bank or financial institution issuing the card.

There are many other ways for US based bingo players to fund accounts and withdraw winnings. These are just a few of the many methods that are available to US bingo players. Should the recently proposed legislation by congressman Barney Frank pass players will be able to use any method they choose and most likely payment processors like PayPal and Neteller will re enter the US gaming market.

Charitable bingo has a very long history in the United States. For decades, bingo has provided charities with billions of dollars which have been used to finance a variety of good causes. Now even online bingo sites like BingoHouse are giving money to charity, which entices some interest from players of the online bingo game. Bingo has been associated with the Catholic Church and veterans organizations for years but recently several private charities have entered the charitable bingo ‘business’ with mixed results. In a strip mall in Middletown, Ohio, a huge sign proclaims ‘Bingo’ but there are no games in progress. Instead, the so called bingo hall is selling instant bingo tickets and lottery style pull tab games for a dollar apiece. The ‘bingo hall’ is run by Chee Chee Rose Ministries and all proceeds are supposed to benefit charities.

When approached by reporters, Chee Chee Rose refused all media attempts to interview her in person or over the telephone. The media is not the only one asking questions about the operations of this ‘bingo hall.’ Associate assistant attorney general Sam Kirk stated, “We are reviewing the application submitted by Chee Chee Rose Ministries for 2010. If an organization’s getting a temporary permit, I think it’s because in most cases, there is a red flag.” Chee Chee Rose has also been included in a Federal indictment of former Butler County Commissioner Mike Fox who is awaiting trial on Federal Charges. A Better Business report on this organization states, “Despite written BBB of Cincinnati requests in the past year, this organization either has not responded to BBB of Cincinnati requests for information or has declined to be evaluated in relation to the BBB of Cincinnati’s Standards for Charity Accountability.”

In Ohio, instant bingo is a cash only business worth about $1 billion dollars a year. Proceeds are supposed to benefit charities but the money is hard to track because of the cash only nature of the business. Rose’s soon to be ex husband Ted McAllister said his wife uses funds meant for charities, “to fund a lifestyle that goes beyond what she reports on her income.” All attempts to contact Rose have been fruitless. It is very sad when a shady operator takes advantage of the average person’s charitable impulses. Hopefully this will not tarnish the reputation of charity bingo or internet bingo.

Ask just about any land based bingo player what they enjoy the most about bingo games and most likely they will say the camaraderie and sense of belonging to a community are what keeps them coming back week after week. Many players, especially pensioners, eagerly anticipate their weekly games and the chance to see old friends and spend some time together. For many, the weekly games are their only entertainment offering a chance to get out of the house. Many land based players who have not tried online bingo think that that sense of community and camaraderie are not present in online bingo games but nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, in the world of online bingo the opposite is true and at most bingo sites players are encouraged to interact in chat rooms. A survey showed that a significant number of online bingo players will choose a bingo site based on chat rooms and chat facilitators. Most online bingo providers realize that a good caller and chat monitor are worth their weight in gold. Most bingo players are highly social outgoing people and a good chat facilitator knows how to keep a friendly conversation going and also knows how to entertain players. In fact several ‘best chat monitor’ awards are given out every year to outstanding chat room monitors.

In addition to chat rooms, some bingo sites have added extra social networking features such as the ability to add friends, allow players to team up during games and send other players gifts. One popular bingo site plans to add webcams allowing players to chat over webcams in real time. Online bingo is ideal for the use of webcams and the move is sure to enhance a player’s online bingo experience. If the addition of webcams proves successful most online bingo sites are expected to follow suit. In the very near future people who play internet bingo will be able to chat face to face in bingo chat rooms.

The addition of social media to online bingo will enable the industry to take advantage of the growing use of social media and networking sites by older players. Studies show that the growing use of social media by women between 45 and 55 can help bingo sites benefit from the increase in use by this demographic. Social media technology is rapidly advancing and the bingo industry has a well documented history of quickly adopting technological advances giving players a constantly improving bingo experience.

In the US, online gambling sites are not allowed to advertise on television. A few years ago there was a series of television ads promoting an online poker site but these were quickly taken off the air. Despite the fact that poker games are regularly broadcast ads for online casinos are rare. Even cable channels which have more freedom that network stations are reluctant to run ads for online casinos and gambling websites. In the UK is a different story. In 2009 online bingo operators spent about nine million pounds ($14,265,660.79 USD) on television ads. Unfortunately it is somewhat hard to determine just how effective the television ads have been in influencing players to choose one bingo site over another.

UK bingo industry giants regularly promote their brands with television advertisements. In addition some bingo brands have sponsored programs and one online bingo site sponsored ITV3’s entire daytime programming schedule. Along with the ads the bingo industry is using search, affiliates and social media such as Facebook and Twitter to get their message to the public. It has been suggested that some players may make a decision to play at a particular website based on television ads. As has been mentioned that although it is difficult to determine how much influence television ads have in a player’s decision making it has been suggested that the ads offer “quite attractive” returns for bingo sites. One ad expert commented, “It is no coincidence that all major products advertise – or otherwise gain exposure – using television. Having your bingo site’s name … seen by millions of viewers achieves several objectives.”

It has also been suggested that as competition heats up it is inevitable that the amount of bingo ads and bingo promotions will increase. Many in the bingo industry believe that brand recognition will increase as a result of the ads making individual logos and images instantly recognizable to players and could possibly influence player behavior. Many bingo sites now routinely advertise their promotions on television giving them a distinct advantage over sites not able to spend the money required to run television ads. Once online gambling is re-legalized in the US, television ads for online bingo sites are sure to follow.

Bingo is popular across the UK, both the land based bingo game and the online bingo game, and just about every town has its own High Street bingo hall or club. Live bingo has a long and colorful history and each individual bingo hall had its own culture and customs. In 2006 tragedy struck the live bingo industry when Parliament passed a national smoking ban. After implementation of the ban attendance at live bingo games dropped dramatically. At the time it was estimated that about 60% of all bingo players were smokers. Many bingo halls tried to find ways around the ban but most attempts were unsuccessful. One bingo hall added an outside area so smokers could play bingo and smoke. One enterprising bingo provider offered smokers bingo ‘cruises’ where games would take place in international waters where the smoking ban does not apply.

Despite the attempts to get smokers back to bingo halls, attendance at live games continues to decline. Across the UK, bingo halls are closing at a rapid rate. Bingo providers cite a combination of the smoking ban, double taxation of bingo halls, the current recession and the increasing popularity of internet bingo as factors leading to the decline of live bingo. Recently an enterprising entrepreneur in Ireland has come up with a new and highly original version of bingo-‘drive in bingo’.

Many older people will remember the days of drive in movie theaters. People would drive to the outdoor theatre, park, put the speaker in their window and watch movies. Bingo event organizer Seamus Davis says that drive in bingo has been well received. Although at present drive in bingo is confined to County Meath Ireland Davis says he expects drive in bingo to spread to other parts of the UK. Players drive in, turn off their engines and buy bingo cards. When a player wins they honk their horn and an organizer comes to their car and hands them their winnings. About the new games Davis stated, “It’s also a great laugh and there’s been a lot of positive reaction. You can relax in your own car with friends or family, have a smoke if you want, and enjoy the game and not worry about parking. It is really catching on, and word of mouth is helping out with this.” Drive-in bingo has many of the advantages of playing at online bingo sites, however you get to be in close proximity to your friends. Trials of drive in bingo have also been started in Dublin and Wexford.

In the UK, bingo halls have a very long history of being good corporate citizens and over the years have donated huge amounts of money to many worthy causes. Many bingo halls host charity events and some of the larger bingo corporations have routinely sponsored favored charities. For example, bingo giant Mecca has sponsored the Marie Curie Foundation which is dedicating to the fight against breast cancer. The move was a logical one for Mecca since a large majority of bingo players are females. Mecca holds special bingo games in its halls throughout the country to benefit this worthwhile charity and games are well attended. Charity bingo games sponsored by commercial bingo operators have a long history in the UK.

Legendary bingo in Los Angeles has attracted a list celebrities to their highly original and outrageous bingo games. Originally the games were started to fund various AIDS projects the games have expanded and now donate proceeds to several charities. Celebrities who have attended Legendary Bingo charity games include Paris Hilton, Tori Spelling, Daryl Hannah Natalie Maines and many others. On both sides of the Atlantic charity bingo games have raised millions for worthwhile causes.

In recent years online bingo has become big business and following the lead of land based bingo operators many online bingo sites either sponsor special games or donate a percentage from games to various charities. Although some might suspect online charity games to be a marketing ploy many of the major players in the online bingo game industry have a long history of philanthropic activities. Many celebrities either sponsor or participate in special charity online bingo games. In 2009 US President Obama’s stepmother, who lives in the UK, sponsored a highly successful series of online bingo games for the Sue Ryder Charity which provides support and services for those suffering from cancer and other terminal diseases. Several bingo sites in the UK donate to charities on a regular basis.

In addition to online bingo sites many online casinos are donating to charitable causes. Many top online casinos will donate a percentage of the house profits to charities selected by those who play internet bingo. Participants include poker sites, Sportsbooks, online casinos and of course bingo sites. Players can select the charity of their choice and donate. Charity bingo has come a long way since the old days of games in church basements and is sure to grow and provide charities with a lucrative funding source.

For years business experts have said that the three primary rules of business are location, location, location. For mobile gaming operators including internet bingo providers location is now everywhere thanks to smart phones and other mobile devices with internet access. New smart phone applications have enabled online gaming and bingo operators to provide players with high quality flash based games that are available anywhere a signal can be obtained.

Top gaming operators are joining the rush to take advantage of the vast opportunities offered by mobile gaming. Well known poker site Full Tilt Poker has just provided users with a new no download version of their popular rush Poker and the games are compatible with several smart phones and mobile devices. The mobile version is great for players on the go who like fast paced action. When a player folds they automatically move to another table to start another hand immediately.

The mobile gaming industry which includes several internet bingo providers has been quick to realize the potential of the mobile gaming market. According to one report the mobile gaming industry is expected to generate $5.6 billion dollars in revenue in 2010 and the figure is expected to hit $11.4 billion dollars in 2014. An outdated 2009 study estimated that the mobile gaming industry would be worth $1 billion dollars by 2010 and as can be seen the revenues generated by mobile gaming exceeded all expectations.

A report by industry advisory firm Comscore said that about 7.6% of all smart phone users had played at online casinos regularly. Online bingo game operators are developing new smart phone applications to take full advantage of this swiftly growing market. Although the number of online gamers has remained relatively static in the Unites States because of federal online gambling prohibitions the number of online gamers has increased around the world. Mobile gaming is the fastest growing sector of the online gambling industry. At the present time there are over 2 million online gamers throughout Europe.

Many internet bingo experts say that the UK bingo market which is the world’s largest has become saturated. Many online bingo providers have moved into the mobile gaming sector to increase revenues and attract new players. Mobile bingo players are offered the same bingo bonuses and promotions and have mobile access to all bingo and side games. Now fans of online bingo sites can play their favorite game no matter where they happen to be and can win some serious cash!

Many are calling for increases regulation of online gaming websites as the industry continues to be plagued by cheats. One online poker site has had to pay millions to players and sports betting has received negative publicity after some sports figures took bribes to fix games. To add to the problems faced by the online gaming industry rogue casino operators continue their operations with impunity. Land based gaming operators are regulated licensed and taxes but sinc3e many casino operators are offshore enforcement of regulations can be difficult if not impossible. The UK government maintains a ‘white list’ of approved licensing jurisdictions to protect UK players from rogue casinos. Land based casinos can easily be visited by enforcement officials and violators can be closed down or can be made to pay hefty fines.

A recent police investigation in the UK into suspect wagers on a National Rugby league match between the Canterbury Bulldogs and the North Queensland Cowboys and the ‘no ball’ scandal in the recent Pakistan/England cricket match have put sports betting in a negative light. Allegations of cheating have made some punters wary. Although cross border and online sports betting is illegal in many countries rogue operators continue to take bets with impunity.

Online poker has received its share of negative publicity. Earlier in the year one of the founders of StoxPoker was forced to quit after an investigation revealed that he used multiple accounts at several poker sites to cheat. He was also accused of colluding with other players to cheat during online games. The popular television news program 60 Minutes broadcast a special about online poker cheating exposing many techniques used by online cheats. In May top poker site AbsolutePoker was hit with a cheating scandal. Although the site itself did not participate in the cheating a player took advantage of vulnerabilities. Software to facilitate online poker cheating is openly marketed on the internet.

Online bingo is probably one of the only online gaming sectors not plagued by cheating scandals. The sophisticated software platforms used by most online bingo sites makes cheating almost impossible. In addition most online bingo games are for lower stakes and players are not motivated to cheat. Although cheating is generally not an issue at bingo sites there have been customer complaints about withdrawal policies and some people who play bingo online report that they feel they may have been cheated out of legitimate winnings. UK bingo players enjoy the protections of the ‘white list’ and rogue operators do not last very long in the UK internet bingo market. The best protection against cheating is for players to thoroughly check out any gaming site they may choose to play at. There are many excellent blogs and bingo reviews where the reputation of a site can be researched.