Sweden, long known for its safe autos, fighter planes, and beautiful blondes, is experiencing an online bingo boom. Many UK based online bingo sites are entering the Swedish market which promises to be very lucrative. The online bingo market in the UK is heavily saturated and many online bingo providers are looking elsewhere for opportunities. Industry insiders point to Spain and Sweden as hot new online bingo markets.

Bingo is exceptionally popular in Sweden and rivals online poker in popularity. In the 1990’s the revenues from Swedish bingo clubs was an astonishing 2.2 billion SEK (appx. $3 million USD) and during that time period Swedes won 1.4 billion SEK (appx. $130,000,000 USD) per year. The Bingo Lotto weekly television program is very popular and over 4,000 cars have been won by lucky viewers.

Sweden has one of the world’s highest rates of computer literacy and approximately 72% of all Swedes are regular computer users. Nationwide broadband access also makes Sweden attractive to online bingo game providers. A survey of Swedish online bingo players revealed that; 8 out of 10 online bingo players are female, 4 of 10 of these are between 41–50 years old, 3 out of 10 are between 31-40 years old, 50% of these online bingo players play several times a week, 4 out of 10 players play for 100 SEK ($12.82 USD) or more.

At present the US market is off limits to online bingo providers although the Obama administration is seen as sympathetic to online gambling interests. Should the US market re open it will present an unprecedented opportunity for online bingo providers. At present online bingo providers are looking at European expansion and Sweden is seen as one of the more desirable markets.

In 2007-2008, online bingo experienced amazing growth. There are over 200 online bingo sites serving the UK and many consider the UK online bingo market to be thoroughly saturated. Despite draconian online gaming laws in the US, many US citizens continue to play online bingo. For US players processing online bingo related transactions can be tricky.  The politically motivated Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 threw the online bingo industry into chaos but since then the industry has continued to grow.

A recent report by Screen Digest titled “Bingo in the Digital Age: Global market assessment and forecasts” states that online bingo has developed an international base and is in a position to expand into new markets. Online bingo has already established relatively strong markets in;

Western Europe
North America (including the US)
Central and Eastern Europe
Asia Pacific including Australia, India, China and Japan
South and Central America
Middle East and parts of Africa

Due to the fact that the UK bingo market is heavily saturated many online bingo game providers are looking overseas for new opportunities. Some new markets remain untried and the risks are great but so are the potential rewards. Factors that online bingo providers must consider when looking at new markets include, computer presence, broadband access, infrastructure, language barriers, and mobile access.

Despite the ongoing global recession online bingo continues to thrive, especially in the UK. In the UK online bingo is rapidly expanding and is creating new jobs and pays millions in taxes. In the near future UK based online bingo providers will be faced with making the choice between staying in a saturated market or taking advantage of opportunities offered by new global markets.

Play online bingo

Panama City, Panama May, 1, 2009. Spring is here and summer is just around the corner and BingoHouse has some promotions to help online bingo game players get ready for warm weather fun! Memorial Day celebrations traditionally signal the beginning of summer and BingoHouse has some great Memorial Day games.

As always, the ever popular Jeeve’s Jackpots and Pleasure Pots have combined jackpots of $20,000. Jeeve’s $10K Pleasure Pots games take place every Saturday evening throughout May. On May 30th and 31st, the Jeeve’s Jackpots games take place. For times see the promotions section on the home page of BingoHouse.

According to various bingo reviews, on May 15th-17th the Red White and Blue Power Hour Weekend offers players the chance to win $7,500! Throughout the Month of May BingoHouse has two ongoing Memorial Day themed games. The $3500 Memorial Day Guaranteed Cash Bash and the $2000 Memorial Day Ride the Wave Race offer both excitement and cash prizes.

Mother’s Day is Sunday May 10th and who couldn’t use some extra cash to get Mom a special gift? All month long the $2000 Mother’s Day Celebration gives BingoHouse players a chance for some extra cash. BingoHouse is also offering some special games with special prizes. For a full list of promotions for May, simply click the Promotions tab at the top of the home page at BingoHouse-you’ll be glad you did!

The 4th annual Online Bingo Summit will take place on June 16th-17th in London. This annual event draws industry leaders from around the world. In recent years online bingo sites has experienced astounding growth especially in the UK. Despite the ongoing global recession online bingo has experienced an 80% increase in the number of online bingo game players. It has been estimated that UK online bingo players spend over £600 million (USD $1.2 billion) on bingo cards per year.

Topics to be discussed at the upcoming conference include player acquisition and retention, European bingo opportunities, product innovation, and many other topics related to online bingo. How will all this affect the average online bingo player? Competition in the online bingo industry is expected to be fierce in 2009. One industry executive described the atmosphere in the online bingo industry as “cut-throat.”

Players can look forward to more perks and bonuses in 2009 as online bingo websites compete for players and attempt to retain established players. In fact, one of the main topics to be discussed at the Online Bingo Summit is player acquisition and retention. Online bingo players can expect bigger jackpots, larger deposit bonuses, and lots of promotions. Online bingo websites will try to provide players with a better online bingo experience. Conference attendees will discuss which promotions work and how to design promotions so players will be eager to play.

As with any other market competition ultimately benefits the consumer and online bingo is no exception. Those attending the Online Bingo Summit will come away with many new and original ideas. Players can look forward to some really great games and promotions in 2009!

In an astounding run of good luck, a cleaner from Hamilton, Scotland, Soraya Lowell won a £1.2million pound bingo ($1,721,962 USD) jackpot. It gets even better; the next night she returned to the same bingo hall in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire and won an additional £200. ($294 USD)   As if that wasn’t enough, she won an additional £43 ($63 USD) in a lottery syndicate she is part of!

Mrs. Lowell stated, “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.” She insists that the big bingo win will cause no major changes in her life. She plans to keep on working and indicated she will continue to drive the same Vauxhall Astra and plans no vacations.

Mrs. Lowell also plans to share her good fortune with her bingo partner of 20 years Agnes O’Neill. Mrs. O’Neil said, “There wouldn’t have been any malice from me if Soraya had decided to keep the money herself but she insisted that we do what we’ve always done. Soraya is just brilliant. I don’t keep well and she does absolutely everything for me. I’m lucky to have her.”

Mrs. Lowell’s husband is unemployed and the couple have four children ages 13 through 21. The Lowell’s, who live in council housing, do not plan to move and Soraya stated, “We won’t be moving house either. I love my house and I love my neighbours so there’s no reason for me to move.” Soraya did admit to one indulgence, she parties until 6 am the night of her big bingo win. It is truly refreshing to read about the good fortune of such an unselfish person.

Bingo is extremely popular in the UK and millions play at both online bingo sites and at bingo halls across the country. Recently bingo halls have seen a drop in attendance due to a draconian national smoking ban. Online bingo has seen a tremendous increase in the number of online bingo game players. In 2008 online bingo player numbers increased by 80%! People play bingo for a variety of reasons but all players agree on one thing—Bingo is fun!

Queen of Bingo Stars

‘The Queen of Bingo’ is a new play that has been well received and is being performed in theaters across the US, according to bingo news. The play explores the lives of two women on the other side of 50 and has garnered positive reviews from newspapers across the US. The Queen of Bingo explores the worlds of bingo, family, widowhood, menopause, hot flashes, and winning at bingo.

There are three basic characters in the play, Babe, Sis, and bingo caller ‘Father Mac.’ The female parts are played by two men in drag, Rowan Joseph as Babe, and Shane Partlow as Sis. Father Mac is played by Kevin M. Horton. Partlow has made guest appearances on several well known television shows such as Will & Grace and Gilmore Girls. Rowan has had a successful career appearing in Boston Legal, Gilmore Girls, and has had roles in several movies. Horton is also no stranger to Hollywood and has appeared in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Wizards of Waverly Place and several other various roles.

The play documents the lives of two late middle ages sisters who play bingo for excitement and have played bingo at the same church for years. The sisters have been regulars for years at St. Joseph’s and we meet the other colorful players including Father Mac, Lonnie and Cindy Conklin, Marge Meranski, Coach Anderson, all seen through the eyes of Sis and Babe. Sis and Babe are not only sisters but are also best friends.

Sis is a player who rarely wins and plays bingo for the love of the game. Babe is one of those players who just has to win. Sis is fit and trim while Babe is always fighting the battle of the bulge. Sis is content to be a widow while Babe is on the prowl. The audience participates during the play and even has the chance to win a frozen turkey!

The ‘Queen of Bingo’ is sure to please any inveterate bingo player, whether they play at online bingo sites or in a bingo hall, and the people who love them.

Media analyst Screen Digest has released a report ‘Bingo in the Digital Age: Global Market Assessment and Forecasts’ which shows astounding growth in the global online bingo game industry despite the global recession. Traditional bingo halls have been hurt by smoking bans and in the UK double taxation has caused many bingo clubs to shutter their doors forever. Land based bingo providers are trying new marketing techniques to try to attract a younger audience and some are entering the online bingo market.

Several factors contributed to the growth of online bingo. Wider availability of broadband, promotions designed to attract and retain players, relaxation of regulations, and the demand for home based entertainment are all factors contributing to the growth of online bingo sites. The report states that online bingo is the fastest growing sector in the online gaming industry.

In the UK online bingo providers generated £220 million pounds ($322,462,507 USD) in revenue in 2008. According to the report the UK is the oldest, largest and most competitive online bingo market. The report states that many of the major players in the online bingo industry are planning to expand into Eastern Europe and Spain.

There is talk in the US of repeal of that country’s Online Gambling Enforcement Act which would easily add millions of new online bingo players. At present many online bingo websites block US players. Once repeal happens online bingo providers will be perfectly positioned to add these new players without any disruptions.

Despite the recession the number of new online bingo players increased by an astounding 80% in 2008. The demand for inexpensive home based entertainment was a major factor driving new players to online bingo. In the UK where the competition between online bingo websites is keen, providers will have to devise new and original marketing strategies to retain value oriented players. Undoubtedly bigger jackpots and prizes will be the norm as sites compete for new players and strive to retain established players.

The report also says that in the next twelve to eighteen months many established retail brands will enter the lucrative online bingo market. The report predicts that retail brands, airlines, magazines, and media outlets will enter the online bingo market. The competition will be fierce and online bingo players will benefit in the form of larger bonuses, jackpots, and unique prizes. The time has never been better for online bingo players.

UK bingo halls have faced hard times ever since the passage of a nationwide smoking ban in the UK. It has been estimated that offline bingo halls suffered as much as a 60% decline in players. Bingo halls also face a peculiar form of double taxation.

This double tax only applies to bingo and no other forms of gambling are subject to these taxes. At the present time UK bingo halls pay a 15.5% value added tax and a 15% gross profits tax for a total of 30.5%. This tax burden combined with the effects of the smoking ban has caused many bingo halls to shut their doors forever. Smaller communities and rural areas have been hit especially hard. In many communities the local bingo hall was a gathering place for pensioners who now find themselves deprived of this social activity.

Some of the major bingo hall operators have seen the writing on the wall and are going online. Mecca Bingo a long time player in the UK bingo industry is now providing online bingo. When the smoking ban was passed and attendance at bingo halls declined online bingo experienced a sizable increase in the number of online bingo players.

Despite the damage done by double taxation, the British government remains unsympathetic to pleas by the bingo industry. Some industry experts say that if the double taxation policy is not reversed that bingo will only be available online in the UK. It is estimated that approximately 17,000 people are employed by the bingo industry in the UK and the continuing policy of double taxation could cause these jobs to be lost.

Online bingo continues to grow and provide jobs. In the UK, online bingo rivals poker in popularity. Online bingo is one of the few growth industries in the ongoing global recession and many online bingo providers are creating new jobs. Online bingo sites offer higher jackpots than their land-based counterparts and can be played 24/7 from the comfort of one’s own home. For hard core bingo fanatics, an online bingo game is just what the doctor ordered.

Online bingo is a very enjoyable, and sometimes profitable, pastime for millions of players around the world. Most online bingo sites feature chat rooms in different bingo rooms where players meet and socialize much like they would do at a traditional bingo club. Of course these are standards of behavior that players are expected to adhere to while participating in a chat room.

Obviously online bingo game players should demonstrate good sportsmanship, converse in a civil manner, and avoid the use of vulgar and insulting language. Most chat rooms have a moderator to make sure certain standards are kept and that the chat room experience is pleasant.

Good sportsmanship

It is considered bad form to brag about winnings and boastful behavior is a big no no. Remember online bingo is a game of chance and no one really has superior playing skills—just pure luck. If you are losing, demonstrating resentment towards other who may be winning makes the chat room an unpleasant place to be. Jealousy is not an admirable emotion and should be avoided.

Other Peoples and Cultures

Remember that the internet is global and while playing at an online bingo site players are very likely to encounter people of other cultures. What may be said in fun in one culture can be a serious insult in another. Try not to use offensive language, use common sense and courtesy. Interacting with a player from another culture can be an enriching experience.

Adult Chat Rooms

Some online bingo websites offer games with risqué themes. Obviously the chat rooms for these kinds of games will have looser standards than regular chat rooms. People have made the choice to be in an adult chat room so players who are easily offended should avoid adult chat rooms. One website, BingoHouse, has a bingo room called the ‘Desperate Lounge’ and the conversation in the chat room can get pretty spicy at times. Sexual innuendos are acceptable in most adult chat rooms.

Other Annoying Behavior

Some people use capital letters which is considered shouting by chat room moderators. Do not use all caps unless you are trying to make a specific point. Spamming a chat room will get a player banned quicker than almost anything else. People are in the chat room for conversation, not advertisements.

Chat rooms add to the enjoyment of online bingo. One ill tempered player can ruin a chat room for other players. Use common sense, treat others as you would want to be treated and enjoy your time spent playing online bingo.

The online bingo industry is one of the few growth industries left in a dismal global economy. While the ongoing recession has hit most industries hard, online bingo is thriving and some online bingo game providers are actually adding employees to their payrolls. In the UK bingo revenues are estimated at 600 million Pounds ($864,378,655 USD). Online bingo is a close second to poker in popularity and is becoming extremely popular in continental Europe.

The 4th annual Online Bingo Summit will take place this June and is expected to draw representatives from the online bingo industry from around the globe. Attendees are expected to benefit from several discussions of topics related to online bingo sites. Guest speakers will include Simon Collins of Foxy Bingo, Santiago Asensi of Spanish firm Asensi Abogados, a law firm specializing in online gaming and betting legislation in Europe, Steve Cook Head of Sales and Marketing at Nyx Interactive, and many other top experts in the online gaming field.

The future of the online gambling industry will be discussed along with problems encountered by the industry due to the ongoing recession. Despite the recession, or perhaps because of it, online gaming grew 11% between October 2007 and November 2008. New European opportunities will also be discussed. Thanks to the ill thought out Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act passed in the US opportunities in US markets will probably not be a topic of discussion at the summit.

There will also be a question and answer session with some of the industry’s top experts and the 2nd Annual Online Bingo Industry Awards will also be presented to the lucky winners. What happens at the 4th annual summit could very well affect the future of the online bingo industry. We will be giving extensive coverage of this conference on June 16th and 17th.