Not too long ago, bingo halls were seen as places the older generations would socialise and have great fun whilst doing so; however, bingo halls are now packed to the rafters with all generations, from parties looking for fun before hitting the towns, or simply a place to meet up and enjoy the thrill of winning money in a friendly environment.

Winning in bingo comes down to pure lady luck. Although this may be the case, experienced players know there are ways to increase the chances of winning. Listed below are a few ways of bumping up your chances of shouting, “BINGO!”

Arrive Early and Avoid Busy Nights

Arriving early ensures gaining the best seats. Being first also allows time for socialising and a few drinks before the Bingo starts. Depending on the night, some sessions are better attended than others, so from an odds/winning aspect, the possibilities of winning are better when opposition is at its least. Playing with fewer people in the hall is a strategy many winners opt for. This strategy also avoids the noise and chaos of a crowded hall.

Choosing the Right Game

There is more than one way of playing Bingo; some players prefer the traditional 90-ball Bingo because there are 3 ways winning, whilst others like a 75-ball pattern game because the top prize is bigger. The right choice comes down to your comfort level and the potential payout, the odds and your experience. If you’re not 100% sure of the rules, don’t play the game.

Play Less Cards

Contrary to popular belief, buying more tickets isn’t the safest way to win a game. Not only does this initially cost more to secure the winning card, the jackpot is financed by all the losing ones; unless the player(s) are experienced at managing their cards, the chances of missing a number or two increases, so the likelihood of winning actually decreases.
Bonus Balls

A lot of games feature balls of a different colours, the ‘bonus balls”. These award a prize or double the amount of the win if part of the successful grouping or pattern features one of them. Experienced players look out for these opportunities and choose games based upon the highest payouts.
Bingo Online

If you can’t be without your Bingo fix, you can create an account online with literally hundreds of sites. You can try it first and play for fun to pass the time, or you can pay into your account and play with others in cyber rooms designated to the site for money. There are also Bingo apps and games for Smartphones – the list is endless!

Whether you play for the social side and to make new friends, or you are a diehard player with your own honed strategies, Bingo is a great game to win money and bring others together.

When most people think of bingo the conjure up images of little old ladies sitting in a smoky bingo hall with dozens of cards and good luck charms in front of them. In the late 90′s computer technology caught up with bingo and the first online bingo games were launched in 1996. The industry grew rather slowly until around 2007 when the number of bingo sites exploded. Today there are about 400 bingo sites competing for players. Online bingo players are usually younger and tech savvy. Mobile and social bingo games are extremely popular with young players. Many new versions of the game have been created and Rebel bingo is one of the new games.

A few years ago Rebel Bingo co-founder Freddie Fortune and a group of friends were in a church basement where they often held wild parties. Fortune said that “things got a bit out of control” and “We accidentally invented our own mutant form of bingo.” Typically Rebel Bingo games are held in odd locations. The game is not for the old and in fact one of the rules clearly states “no old people.” Now Rebel Bingo is coming to Las Vegas and it’s definitely not grandma’s bingo!

Fortune and co-founder James Flames games are not the usual Vegas style bingo games. There’s no bingo parlor with fluorescent lights no stiff caller and no blue haired ladies with their lucky daubers. Rebel is a different beast altogether. Fortune said “It’s like going to see a band. There are no seats. We have DJs building up the show. Then the performers come out.” Ladies in revealing costumes are the order of the day (or evening) and well lit players mark their cards and each other with pens and markers. Fortune stated “We never encouraged that, but if you give a person alcohol and a pen, some of them just seem to want to draw on each other. A lot of people wake up the day after a night at Rebel Bingo, look in the mirror, and just think ‘What the f*ck happened last night?’”

When some lucky player calls bingo they have to go onstage and compete for wacky prizes. Those who claim a bingo incorrectly will be punished to the delight of their fellow players. The Rebel bingo games will take place at the Cosmopolitan. Lisa Marchese, chief marketing officer at Cosmopolitan, said of Fortune “He’s clever; he’s dynamic; he’s not afraid to be wrong. He’ll push the envelope.”

When most people think of bingo the conjure up images of little old ladies sitting in a smoky bingo hall with dozens of cards and good luck charms in front of them. In the late 90′s computer technology caught up with bingo and the first online bingo games were launched in 1996. The industry grew rather slowly until around 2007 when the number of bingo sites exploded. Today there are about 400 bingo sites competing for players. Online bingo players are usually younger and tech savvy. Mobile and social bingo games are extremely popular with young players. Many new versions of the game have been created and Rebel bingo is one of the new games.

A few years ago Rebel Bingo co-founder Freddie Fortune and a group of friends were in a church basement where they often held wild parties. Fortune said that “things got a bit out of control” and “We accidentally invented our own mutant form of bingo.” Typically Rebel Bingo games are held in odd locations. The game is not for the old and in fact one of the rules clearly states “no old people.” Now Rebel Bingo is coming to Las Vegas and it’s definitely not grandma’s bingo!

Fortune and co-founder James Flames games are not the usual Vegas style bingo games. There’s no bingo parlor with fluorescent lights no stiff caller and no blue haired ladies with their lucky daubers. Rebel is a different beast altogether. Fortune said “It’s like going to see a band. There are no seats. We have DJs building up the show. Then the performers come out.” Ladies in revealing costumes are the order of the day (or evening) and well lit players mark their cards and each other with pens and markers. Fortune stated “We never encouraged that, but if you give a person alcohol and a pen, some of them just seem to want to draw on each other. A lot of people wake up the day after a night at Rebel Bingo, look in the mirror, and just think ‘What the f*ck happened last night?’”

When some lucky player calls bingo they have to go onstage and compete for wacky prizes. Those who claim a bingo incorrectly will be punished to the delight of their fellow players. The Rebel bingo games will take place at the Cosmopolitan. Lisa Marchese, chief marketing officer at Cosmopolitan, said of Fortune “He’s clever; he’s dynamic; he’s not afraid to be wrong. He’ll push the envelope.”

Many people view seniors as quiet and retiring. In most cases that is true until you try to ban bingo games! In Florida a fight is brewing over a trailer park’s decision to ban bingo. So who would want to deny seniors their bingo games? The answer is easy; professional busybodies and bluenoses. Trailer Estates in Manatee County is classified as a park and recreation district. Because of that designation the bluenoses say there should be no ‘gambling.’ The proposed ban led to heated discussions at the community’s board meeting. Bluenose Bev Lew told reporters “I take issue with them spending government money to gamble. I don’t want us to have a line item budget for 36/40 bingo, 50/50, or Vegas Night. It’s illegal for a government to use your tax money to gamble with, and when you gamble with tax money, you put us in danger of losing our community property.”

Bingo player Gary Leboeuf offered a note of sanity and told reporters “They want to stop people from playing bingo. Everything this park does is very negative on their part. They love harassment…they get up in the morning with hatred on their mind. What they want to do is treat us like we’re criminals, like we’re breaking the law every day and we’re not.” The ban got some seniors so upset that dozens of them staged a demonstration to protest the restrictions on bingo games. Seniors held signs that read “Bingo IS Legal,” “Let Our Seniors Play Bingo,” and “This IS Elder Abuse.”

Residents said they were told by park officials that the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office threatened to shut down the bingo games because they were ‘gambling.’ Don’t they have any real criminals to catch? After some discussion bingo players were told they could hold the games but winners would get prizes instead of small amounts of cash. The Florida bingo ban is eerily similar to another bingo ban that took place in Bald Knob Arkansas in 2012. Things really got weird in Bald Knob after religious extremists led by a demented ‘pastor’ declared all-out war on bingo games at the town’s senior center.

Local bluenoses in Bald Knob lobbied the town’s council to ban the bingo games. For many seniors the games were the only opportunity to socialize with friends but that didn’t deter the bingo battlers. A tiny number of senior center regulars intent on foisting their beliefs onto other complained and stopped attending events. Unfortunately the extremists and nutjobs got their way and bingo was banned by the council. Seniors should investigate online bingo games. They can play from the privacy of their own homes free from the prying eyes of bluenoses and busybodies!

There have been some strange court cases related to bingo this week. Earlier an 18 year old from Covington Kentucky was ordered by a local judge not to say the word ‘bingo’ for six months. His offense; he went into a bingo hall with a couple of friends and shouted ‘bingo’ effectively disrupting and ending the game that was being played at the time. The audience made of elderly women who take their bingo very seriously were less than pleased with the youth’s actions.

In another strange case four employees of Gala bingo were fired for taking their own food and drink into one of Gala’s other bingo halls while on a day out last year. An employment tribunal in Dundee heard from the workers that their employees fired them on two counts. Their employer contended that they breached their liquor license and that they also breached company policy. Gala regional manager Peter Connor who is now based at the Arbroath Gala Bingo hall and made the decision to fire the workers admitted that their behavior was not a breach of the liquor license or Gala’s staff gaming policy.

The four Gala employees from Fife went to Gala’s Possil Park bingo hall and smuggled alcohol into the club and hid their liquor under the table while playing bingo. Because of their raucous behavior the hall’s management got involved and their employment by Gala was discovered. Two of the four employees, partners William Anderson, 24, and Lori Kennedy, 27, took Gala to the employment tribunal on the grounds of unfair dismissal. The other two employees involved in the incident, Susan Scappaticcio, of Carlton Avenue, Glenrothes, and Sylvia Cunnigham, settled with the company.

Mr. Connor admitted that his wording in the dismissal letter sent to Mr. Anderson and Ms Kennedy could have been better. The letter stated “The reason for your dismissal is that you were in breach of the liquor licence and the Gala staff gaming policy.” Connor said “It should have read that it was a breach of company policy and put our licence in jeopardy.” Connor told Gala’s lawyer that he asked Ms Kennedy what would have happened to other customers in the same circumstances and she replied that the alcohol would have been taken away and the manager would be informed.

When cross examined Connor admitted that there was nothing in the licensing legislation prohibiting players from bringing their own alcohol. All involved will have to wait until May for the tribunal to reconvene and make a decision. The four employees should have stayed at home and played online bingo while they consumed their drinks!

It’s no secret that the weather affects gambling in general. During inclement weather casinos are empty and bingo halls are without players. During the winter of 2011-12 severe weather in the UK kept bingo players at home. Travel including rail travel was difficult if not impossible in some areas. While live bingo halls took a big financial hit online bingo sites reported a huge increase in player numbers. In fact several top bingo operators in the UK posted record third quarter profits.

This year severe weather in the UK has again ravaged bingo halls. Hall operators report damaging losses as players stay home to avoid going out in heavy snow and cold. Rank Group is one of the UK’s largest bingo hall and casino operators. Rank operates more than 100 Mecca Bingo clubs and 35 Grosvenor casinos throughout the UK. In late January and early February Rank reported losses of £3 million in revenues due to heavy snowstorms in January. At the time some economists feared that the stormy weather could hurt the British economy and push the country back into a recession.

Even before the snowy weather land based bingo halls have not done well. Rank Group reported that profits before taxes declined by 4% year on year to £31.3 million during the six months ending in December 2012. Fortunately Rank also has a large online bingo operation that has been extremely profitable. With millions of Britons staying home the big winner has been online bingo and mobile gaming providers. It is easy to see why online bingo has done so well during the storms; online bingo players can play from the warmth and comfort of home and live bingo requires a trip to the local bingo hall.

Recent reports indicate that Europe has been hit by a rare late winter snowstorm that has paralyzed travel on the continent. Several areas in the UK have been hard hit by the recent storms and chaos has reigned on some major British highways. Once again bingo halls have seen a steep drop in player numbers and quite a few local bingo clubs have closed for the duration of the storm. According to industry figures once again online bingo is the largest beneficiary of the storms. Player numbers are up and fortunately power outages have been rare.

Once the storms are over players will return to their local bingo clubs but the financial damage has been extensive. While attendance at casinos and Mecca bingo halls declined by 30% in January Rank has been encouraged by the performance of the company’s online products including casino games and online bingo.

Choosing an online bingo hall can be a little trickier than simply Googling “online bingo”, click on the very first link and then register. There are a lot of things to think about and consider before choosing which bingo hall you will eventually make a deposit.

Game Types

First and foremost, it should be checked if your favorite games are available at the bingo room you are considering. It is important to understand that not all bingo halls online offers all the different bingo variants.

Across Europe, 90 Ball Bingo a more popular online bingo game. If you are looking for something more different, try to find a bingo room that offers 80 Ball Bingo or maybe Speed Bingo (fast version of Bingo) with 75 or 90 balls.

Bonus

Bingo players online are constantly looking for the best value, and this applies in particular bonuses. New players can in principle always expect a Welcome Bonus that is a match bonus of the first deposit. Now, however, there are many bingo rooms that give new players a free bonus for registration, and usually need no deposit, but it can then be very good to try out the bingo room without risking your own money. Obviously, you can win with these bonus money, but the purpose is more specifically to try the bingo hall before deciding where to play.

The most common signup bonuses tend to be 100%, 200% or even 300% up to usually between $ 100 and $ 500 or currency equivalent. The higher the bonus, the more you have to play in order to solve it. You do this by buying bingo cards and play side games. You cannot request a withdrawal before the bonus requirements have been cleared, it is always possible to read about on the site just for the bingo room, exactly how much you have to play.

Safety

The rumor of a specific bingo online says a lot about whether to register or not. What you’re looking for is security, hassle-free deposits / withdrawals and agility. A bingo room you can trust simply. A good sign is if the online bingo hall existed and been active for a long time. A good idea is to read one of the many bingo reviews that are available online, where the different bingo halls carefully tested.

Deposits and Withdrawals

A bingo hall online can have as much game variants and offers at any time, but you cannot easily make a deposit or withdraw your winnings, it is not guaranteed bingo you will play on. All bingo sites usually clearly list the payment methods they accept, and that you can read before registering your bingo account. Especially check payment solutions for withdrawal, then it is not fun if you can put in but then have trouble getting your winnings.

Delaware may become the very first state to offer online bingo games to residents. The state is now poised to become the very first state to legalize online gambling. Currently Nevada plans to limit online gambling to poker but many in the industry say that if all goes well Nevada could possibly offer other casino games and online bingo to residents. In New Jersey Governor Chris Christie vetoed a second online gambling bill but said he would sign the measure of certain changes were made and the tax rates were hiked. The legislature plans to have a revised bill on his desk by early March.

Currently land based gambling in Delaware generates about $250 million in taxes annually and online gambling will provide the state with another lucrative revenue stream. The gambling industry in Delaware employs about 2,500 people and online gambling will create more jobs. Under the terms of Delaware’s online gaming law players participating in online games must be located physically located in Delaware. The state of Delaware estimated that online gambling will bring in as much as $7.75 million in 2013.

In Delaware most gambling is done at the three casinos in the state. Delaware hopes to have 100 new casino and online bingo sites and 20 sportsbetting sites. Most gambling industry experts say that Delaware will be the first state to offer full service online gambling in the US. Many big players in the gambling industry have partnered with European online gaming companies that have extensive experience. This is important because Delaware’s law requires gambling vendors to have at least one year’s experience operating a legal online gaming operation in Europe or North America.

Nelson Rose, a California law professor and gambling law expert pointed out that “From an industry standpoint, those RFPs from Delaware are very important. Whoever gets in Delaware has an advantage of getting future contracts. Think of all the press that gets, the name recognition.” European gaming operators have waited for years to enter the lucrative US online gaming market. Many believe the next step will be for states to share players and the revenues they generate through the use of interstate compacts. Compacts are already in place for multi-state lotteries like Powerball and Mega Millions and slots that share big jackpots across state lines.

Some in the industry say that because Delaware is so small it will be difficult for the state to maintain a sustainable online gaming industry. Frank Fantini, a casino industry analyst, stated “The big issue in Delaware is whether it’s so darn small that it can really have an effective online business all by itself, and the biggest issue is poker. You need enough people playing online at one time that a player can go on and find a game that fits his price and his skill level, whether it’s 4 o’clock in the afternoon or 4 o’clock in the morning.” For now it looks like online bingo players in Delaware will enjoy the first legal games in the United States.

During the last two weeks several areas in the UK have experienced heavy snowfalls. Travel has been difficult and many fear that the bad weather could send the country back into a recession. Despite the weather some were optimistic including Rank Chief Executive Ian Burke who told reporters “Allowing for the slow start to the second half we remain confident in our prospects for the remainder of the year and in our longer-term growth strategy.” Before tax profits slipped to £31.3 million during the six months prior to December.

The company blamed the decline on increased spending on marketing its Blue Square betting business and higher operating costs at the company’s Mecca Bingo halls. Rank operated 35 Grosvenor Casinos and more than 100 Mecca bingo clubs throughout the UK. Rank said the company is reviewing the future of money losing Blue Square. Blue Square is a small player in a highly competitive and consolidated industry. It wasn’t all doom and gloom for Rank. The online version of bingo has been more profitable than the land based version of the game for Rank.

Studies have shown that when the weather turns nasty players stay home and play their favorite games on the internet. In 2010 a series of severe Arctic storms hit Britain paralyzing traffic and making travel all but impossible. Online bingo operators reported a huge increase in player numbers and many online bingo operators were able to post record fourth quarter figures because of the player surge caused by the storms.

The benefits of online bingo were emphasized for Rank after Rank said that the snowstorms had cost the company three million pounds. Operating profit from online bingo was 11.4 million pounds beating the 11.1 million generated by land based venues. Rank, which is owned by Malaysia’s Guoco, reported a 4% decline in pretax profit and blamed the decline on the poorly performing Blue Square betting business.  Rank Chief Executive Ian Burke said “Allowing for the slow start to the second half we remain confident in our prospects for the remainder of the year and in our longer-term growth strategy.”

Rank’s profit growth in the online bingo sector mirrors that of the gambling industry. Online betting is extremely popular and growth has been driven by the use of smartphones and other mobile devices. Blue Square’s future is uncertain and most say that Rank will dump the operation because of huge losses.

Bingo has been around under various names for centuries. Today bingo is enjoyed by millions of people of all ages, nationalities, ethnic groups and creeds. Thanks to the British Empire bingo was spread around the globe to several continents. The introduction of online bingo has taken the gam to just about everywhere around the globe. Thanks to online bingo the popularity of the game has flourished and millions have been added to the worldwide ranks of bingo players.

There are many reasons for the sudden popularity of online bingo. In the 21st century most people seem to be busier than ever. More wives are working full time and have pursued full time careers and employment. Many women are working very hard to make sure their children have every advantage and get a good education. Busy moms want to make sure their families have a sound financial future and today most parents work outside the home. Employers are expecting more productivity from employees and people are working long hours and have little time for relaxation. Because of this busy moms have less time for a trip to the local bingo hall which can involve finding a baby sitter, transportation, entrance fees and braving inclement weather. Instead of going through all those hassles bingo players can play their favorite games from the comforts of home.

Playing online bingo is less expensive and the selection of games is greater than those found at a brick and mortar bingo hall. Online bingo sites are open 24/7 and there is always a game going on somewhere. Online bingo is perfect for those that work night shifts or odd hours. Even better most bingo sites offer freebies on a regular basis. Most bingo sites offer free games and for new players the free games allow players to test the game software without any risk. Online bingo sites are offering bigger bonuses than ever and players usually receive a bonus of some sort with each deposit.

One of the best aspects of online bingo is the ability to socialize. At live bingo halls talking during a game can result in ejection from the hall but at online bingo sites players are encouraged to participate in chat room conversations during games. Today there are about 400 bingo sites competing for players. Choosing a site may take some trial and error but keep in mind that it is easy to find a suitable bingo site. For busy moms online bingo can be the perfect stress reliever.

Another year has gone by without any action from the federal government regarding online gaming. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, and Sen. Jon Kyl, an Arizona Republican, worked on federal legislation that would regulate and legalize online poker. Unfortunately online bingo players would be left out because the bill would only legalize poker and all other forms of gambling would remain illegal. Because of the inaction of the federal government several states want to offer online casino games to residents. In most cases online gambling would be regulated and licensed by lottery officials and in other states state lotteries would run all online gambling operations. Several states want to offer a variety of games such as online bingo, keno, roulette and other casino games.

This could put state governments and the feds on a collision course. Last summer Reid and Kyl told attorney general Eric Holder that they opposed state efforts to legalize online gambling.  The senators even oppose the sale of lottery tickets on the internet. In a letter the senators asked the Justice Department to “consult with Congress before finalizing a new position that would open the floodgates to Internet gambling.” The Department of Justice has taken the position that states are not won’t be violating federal laws if they set up their own intrastate online gambling operations.

At stake is the future of the online gambling industry in the United States. The industry is swiftly evolving as states plan their own operations. Nevada has already licensed several online poker operators. The New Jersey legislature approved an internet gambling bill but Governor Christie has been stalling on the issue for almost two years. Given the massive damage done by Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey the state could use every dollar it can raise and online gambling could easily generate millions. The legislation proposed by Reid and Kyl has rattled several statehouses although few actual details of the bill have been made public.

The Reid Kyl bill would set up a federal system for online poker. Many believe the legislation is likely to prohibit states from offering other forms of gambling such as online bingo and casino games. Many backing the federal bill want to stop state lotteries from providing instant win games, slots and traditional casino games online. Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley wrote “Historically, states have had the right to make their own decisions about whether to offer gambling and how to regulate the industry.” O Malley also said that the proposed federal law “would strip states of those rights.” So far the White House has not weighed in on the legislation.