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| {{short description|Game of chance}} | |||
| {{wikify|date=March 2009}} | |||
| {{more citations needed|date=July 2010}} | |||
| {{TOCright}} | |||
| {{NPOV|date=May 2009}} | |||
| '''Online bingo''' is the |
'''Online bingo''' is the game of bingo (either the ] or ]) played on the Internet. Sites offering the game launched around 1996, and the global gross gaming yield outside of the United States was estimated at ]500 million in 2006, forecast to grow to $1 billion by 2010.<ref name="gamesville.lycos">{{cite web | title = Online Bingo Numbers Soar | publisher = ] | date= August 17, 2007 | url = http://www.parlaygroup.com/blog/bingo-briefs/online-bingo-numbers-soar| access-date = 2008-05-31 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080822121807/http://www.parlaygroup.com/blog/bingo-briefs/online-bingo-numbers-soar | archive-date=2008-08-22}}</ref> | ||
| Unlike balls used in regular |
Unlike physical balls used in regular bingo halls, online bingo sites use a ]. Most bingo halls also offer links to ] and casino offerings as the patrons are often in the target market. One notable feature of online bingo is the chat functionality, with sites striving to foster a sense of community and interaction between players to assist ]. | ||
| == |
==History== | ||
| ⚫ | One of the earliest known online bingo games, launched in 1996, was a free bingo game called "Bingo Zone".<ref name="Online_bingo.bingoZone">{{cite web | author=H.B. Koplowitz | title=Cyber Bingo | publisher=hbkoplowitz.com | year=1997 | url=http://www.hbkoplowitz.com/LIC/archives/1997/bingo/index.html | access-date=July 16, 2010 | archive-date=September 11, 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100911022658/http://www.hbkoplowitz.com/LIC/archives/1997/bingo/index.html | url-status=dead }}</ref> To play, members had to provide demographic information; in turn, members would receive targeted ads based on the demographics provided.<ref name="Online_bingo.emercials">{{cite web | title = Gamesville.com: Wasting People's Time Since 1996 | publisher = Virtual Advisor, Inc. | url = http://www.va-interactive.com/inbusiness/editorial/biztech/articles/gamesville.html | access-date = 2008-05-31 | archive-date = 2007-11-12 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071112050326/http://www.va-interactive.com/inbusiness/editorial/biztech/articles/gamesville.html | url-status = dead }}</ref> Another early pioneer for free online bingo was Uproar, which launched Bingo Blitz in 1998.<ref name="Online_bingo.uproar">{{cite news | title = UPROAR Unveils FREE Multi-site Online Bingo Game: Bingo Blitz | publisher = CNET Networks, Inc. | date = July 28, 1998 | url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1998_July_28/ai_20953883 | access-date = 2008-05-31 | archive-date = 2008-09-13 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080913210838/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1998_July_28/ai_20953883 | url-status = live }}</ref> | ||
| Some operators require players to ] free ] to play their games. Other operators use ] or ] based games that allow you to play immediately online after registering a player account. | |||
| ==Legality== | |||
| To win the largest prizes, users must fund an account, but free bingo games are also available offering players a way to win smaller amounts of money with no risk of gambling. Some online bingo sites offer no deposit bingo with sandbox play. This will allow the player to get the hang of the system without a cash investment, but no monetary value can be gained. | |||
| The game of ] has been able to sidestep many of the laws which ban gambling online. In England, for instance, section 65 of the 1928 Royal Commission Report on Gambling states, “Bingo is a lottery played as a game.” <ref>{{cite journal|title=An Assessment of the Report of The Royal Commission on Gambling 1976-1978|journal=Addiction|volume=74|issue=1|pages=3–9|url=http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1111/j.1360-0443.1979.tb02405.x/asset/j.1360-0443.1979.tb02405.x.pdf?v=1&t=hxe20v45&s=860b216c16d58e9d65d1cdb1f18cc01a5072f115|access-date=9 July 2014|doi=10.1111/j.1360-0443.1979.tb02405.x|pmid=283824|year=1979|last1=Moran|first1=E.|doi-access=free}}</ref> The report details that a game of chance is different than that of casino games, even requiring separate licensing. Since each bingo participant receives a random set of numbers, the chances of winning for each participant are equal. The ] Report has given the game of bingo a chance to thrive in the highly contested cyber gambling community. | |||
| ==Playing== | |||
| Most sites accept a standard range of e-wallet funding options, such as ], Firepay, Citadel, Toggle Card, and PrePaidATM. Sites often provide a number of incentives to deposit, including matching bonuses where the site will reward depositing players by matching a percentage of their deposit. | |||
| ⚫ | Playing bingo online, players can make use of optional features which make playing the game easier, such as auto-daub. Auto-daub automatically marks off the numbers on cards as they are called, so players don't have to. Most software providers support other gaming features as "Best Card Sorting" and "Best Card Highlighting" where players cards are sorted and highlighted by closest to bingo. | ||
| There is variety among the different kinds of bingo games that can be played. For example, some inexpensive game rooms appeal to the player who may want to play for as little as 3 cents or 3 pence per card, some bingo games only allow players to purchase the same number of cards so they are not competing against the "high rollers" out there who buy many cards for the same game.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://casinogambling.about.com/od/Othercasinogames/a/How-To-Play-Bingo.htm | title=How to Play Bingo | publisher=About | access-date=13 May 2014 | author=Moe, Al | archive-date=6 April 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140406222453/http://casinogambling.about.com/od/Othercasinogames/a/How-To-Play-Bingo.htm | url-status=dead }}</ref> | |||
| Recently, the USA government has passed laws that limit banks ability to process credit cards for US citizens. The laws prevent US based payment providers from taking payments for online gaming. | |||
| == |
==UK== | ||
| Bingo is a popular leisure activity for people in the UK. The UK market has seen an influx in big brand names launching bingo games on their already established websites in addition to a number established land based operators including Mecca and Gala also entering the market. More recently "charity bingo" <ref>{{cite web|title=The Fall & Rise of Bingo Report: Charity Bingo Growth|url=http://www.twolittlefleas.co.uk/fall-and-rise-of-bingo/frame.html#slide-6|publisher=The Fall & Rise of Bingo|access-date=2014-10-28|archive-date=2014-10-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028183712/http://www.twolittlefleas.co.uk/fall-and-rise-of-bingo/frame.html#slide-6|url-status=live}}</ref> has become established. | |||
| ⚫ | Playing bingo online, players can make use of optional features which make playing the game easier, such as auto-daub. Auto-daub automatically marks off the numbers on cards as they are called, so players don't have to. |
||
| From April 2009 and March 2014 the ] has been monitoring how many people are gambling. From April 2013 and March 2014 there was a 6% increase in people gambling compared to the same time last year with over £6.8 billion spent including Bingo. In the same period there was also a 22% increase in people playing Bingo on their mobile phones. In 2013, 102,715 people were employed across the gambling industry in the UK, signaling a 5.3% drop from 2012.<ref>{{cite web|title=Annual Report and Accounts 2013/14|url=http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/pdf/gambling%20commission%20annual%20report%20and%20accounts%202013-14.pdf|website=gamblingcommission.gov.uk|publisher=Gambling Commission|access-date=5 December 2014|archive-date=7 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141207202640/http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/pdf/gambling%20commission%20annual%20report%20and%20accounts%202013-14.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
| There are also a great variety of games to play to suit just about every interested bingo player. Most of the top sites offer several bingo games. Some inexpensive game rooms appeal to the player who may want to play for just a 10 cents or 10 pence. Some bingo games only allow players to purchase the same amount of cards so you are not constantly competing against the "high rollers" out there who buy many cards for the same game. | |||
| Since November 2017, ], a UK-based online gaming company, sponsors the British TV series '']''.<ref name="thedrum/tombola-ad-ban">{{cite news |last1=Watson |first1=Imogen |title=I'm a Celebrity sponsor Tombola hit with gambling ad ban |url=https://www.thedrum.com/news/2019/02/06/im-celebrity-sponsor-tombola-hit-with-gambling-ad-ban |access-date=19 November 2022 |work=The Drum |date=February 6, 2019 |archive-date=14 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230214235302/https://www.thedrum.com/news/2019/02/06/im-celebrity-sponsor-tombola-hit-with-gambling-ad-ban |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="careers.tombola/blog/bugging">{{cite web |last1=Luke |first1=Emma |title=Something's bugging our Marketing Team |url=https://careers.tombola.com/blog/article/somethings-bugging-our-marketing-team |website=Tombola Careers Blog |publisher=tombola.co.uk |access-date=19 November 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20221119114251/https://careers.tombola.com/blog/article/somethings-bugging-our-marketing-team |archive-date=19 November 2022 |date=21 October 2022}}</ref><ref name="chroniclelive/13715248">{{cite news |last1=Ford |first1=Coreena |title=Sunderland firm tombola to sponsor I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! |url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/business/business-news/sunderland-firm-tombola-sponsor-im-13715248 |access-date=19 November 2022 |work=] |date=4 October 2017 |location=] |language=en |archive-date=16 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516212653/https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/business/business-news/sunderland-firm-tombola-sponsor-im-13715248 |url-status=live }}</ref> Tombola had previously sponsored '']'' on ] for three years.<ref name="5star/tombola--im-celebrity">{{cite news |title=Tombola to sponsor I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! |url=https://5star.media/2017/10/06/tombola-sponsor-im-celebrity-get/ |access-date=19 November 2022 |work=5 Star iGaming Media Marketing |date=6 October 2017 |archive-date=14 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230214235253/https://5star.media/2017/10/06/tombola-sponsor-im-celebrity-get/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
| According to the Internet Bingo Blog, there are over 357 online bingo sites currently operating. The most popular country for online bingo is the United Kingdom followed by the United States, Canada, and Sweden. Growth in online bingo is spurred by many countries banning smoking in public places as a high percentage of bingo hall players are smokers. With online bingo, smokers can smoke while playing bingo online. | |||
| == |
==See also== | ||
| *] | |||
| The chat application brings a different dimension to gaming. This is where all the players of a game can meet and chat during games of bingo. Whereas in land-based bingo where talking is strictly forbidden during a game, it is actively encouraged in online bingo. Chat functions as an effective retention tool, aimed especially at the predominantly female audience. | |||
| ==Further reading== | |||
| It is customary for players to congratulate winning players with comments like "WTG," or "Way To Go." Much like instant messaging, online bingo chat communities have their own acronyms which are often used in replace of often repeated sentences. | |||
| *Moubarac, Jean-Claude; Shead, N Will; Derevensky, Jeffrey L. ''Journal of Gambling Issues'' '''24''': 164–184. July 2010. 10 April 2012. | |||
| *Gainsbury, Sally (2012). . Springer. pp. 21–22. | |||
| CM stands for "chat monitor". The CM works for the bingo site as the host of a chat room and plays a role in welcoming players and creating a friendly and communal atmosphere in the room. This includes, but is not limited to, congratulating players when they win a game as well as playing chat games in-between bingo. Most sites have a chat protocol known as chat etiquette or ]. | |||
| Popular chat games include Odds and Evens, Dodgeball, Roulette, At the Races, Birthday Bingo, Lucky Gem, Keno and Bullseye. On a busy site you can expect to win roughly four to eight times the amount it costs to buy a bingo ticket if you win one of these games. | |||
| ==90 Ball versus 75 Ball== | |||
| There are two types of bingo played around the world. North America plays 75-ball bingo on a 5x5 card with the centre square usually marked 'free'. In the ], parts of Europe, Australia and parts of South America they play a 90-ball game, marked on a 9x3 card. Both types of bingo are prominent online. | |||
| The desired pattern which players aim to achieve in 75 ball can vary dramatically, from a simple single line to more complicated themed patterns. The aim of the game, however, is always the same: to mark off the numbers to achieve the desired pattern. Speed Bingo is a variation played exactly the same, but numbers are simply called much quicker. | |||
| In 90-ball bingo, each card has three horizontal lines and nine columns. Each line contains five numbers, meaning each card has 15 numbers. The first column contains numbers from 1-10, the second column contains numbers from 11-20, the third column contains numbers from 21-30, all the way through to the final column which contains numbers from 81-90. | |||
| A game of 90 ball bingo will normally be played in three stages: one line, two lines and Full House. In a "one line" game players need to mark a complete horizontal line across one card (i.e., 5 numbers marked). The aim of a 'two lines' game is to complete any two marked lines horizontally across one card (i.e., 10 numbers marked). Finally a "Full House" means all the numbers marked off on one card (all 15 numbers), as in a regular coverall game. The prize split differs for each stage of the game. The Full House is always the largest prize in any one game. | |||
| ==Bingo networks== | |||
| There are a number of sites that will have the same promotions, similar graphics, the same bingo rooms and the same CMs. This occurs because they are part of a bingo "network".<ref></ref> In simple terms, this means a number of different sites (or "front ends") are playing with the same numbers for the same jackpot (i.e., the same back end). Multiple sites act as doorways to a single game, leading to larger pools of players in chat rooms and more sizeable pots to win, in an arrangement known as White Label Gaming. While the bingo software is the same, the brand owners are responsible for the look and feel of the site, together with any promotions they wish to offer. This is an important feature of online bingo in that it is critical that any site have enough players to have a decent sized game. Hence, the bingo network that "shares" players. | |||
| ==Online bingo in the UK== | |||
| Bingo is now the most popular leisure activity in the UK for women between 20 and 25 years old.<ref></ref> The UK market has seen an influx in big brand names launching bingo games on their already established websites. Huge brand names such as ], ], ] and most recently ] are all now associated with the UK online bingo market.<ref> PDF file</ref> ] the biggest land based bingo operator in the UK is also now online. | |||
| Much of the information pertaining to the popularity of online bingo is speculatory, but one monitoring website asserts over £600 million is spent per year on online bingo tickets.<ref></ref> The market share of the industry leaders was also released, based on the value of bingo tickets and game prizes. It is estimated that the number one UK online bingo site, with 19% of the turnover market, is Sun Bingo. <ref></ref> This is followed by Gala Bingo (16%), Foxy Bingo (13%), Jackpot Joy (10%) and Mecca Bingo (7%). | |||
| In August 2008 Sun Bingo split from its software provider ] with tombola deciding that they would operate under their own brand as a result of the split. Sun Bingo has now partnered with Gamesys for its software. | |||
| ==Online bingo stats== | |||
| Some 50,000 of the estimated 3 million land-based bingo players now play bingo online. 90% of these are below the age of 50, dispelling the myth that bingo is for the older generation. 85% of online players are women. | |||
| If you go into an online bingo site and enter the chat room, you will find that there are significantly more female players there than male players. That's why most online bingo sites target women aged 35-54 with their advertising. | |||
| A recent survey commissioned by St Minver Ltd, showed that the UK was third in a list behind the US and ] of countries with the highest propensity playing online bingo.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
| One of the biggest bingo software providers, Parlay Entertainment undertook a survey of the bingo market together with UK bingo players. It derived from its product that of the $150 million global market, the US provided 85% of revenues, whereas the UK was the fastest growing online market.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
| While the market is growing fast, still only 1% of UK land-based players played online, showing that many have still not made the transition to online bingo. | |||
| There are now over 250 UK online bingo sites<ref>http://www.whichbingo.co.uk/online-bingo-directory/</ref>. This makes the UK the largest market for online bingo in the world, far exceeding the numbers in the US and Scandinavian markets. | |||
| ==Bingo players== | |||
| According to Bingo Hideout, the current age demographic of online bingo players is as follows: | |||
| 18-25 = 11.5%, | |||
| 26-35 = 23.5%, | |||
| 36-45 = 28.8%, | |||
| 46-55 = 24.1%, | |||
| 56-65 = 9.8%, | |||
| 66+ = 2.3%. It is worth noting that over a third (36.2%) of the survey population that play at online bingo sites in the Bingo Hideout survey are over 46 years old, in contrast to the under 35 age group which accounts for 35% of the survey population. Certainly the ‘silver surfer’ is proving to be a significant market and bingo sites may be missing significant opportunities if they do not recognise the prospects that this age group presents.. <ref></ref> | |||
| ==History== | |||
| ⚫ | One of the earliest known online bingo games, launched in 1996, was a free bingo game called "Bingo Zone".<ref name="Online_bingo.bingoZone">{{cite web | |
||
| ==Software providers== | |||
| Notable bingo software providers for the international (non US) market include: | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| {{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
| ==External links== | |||
| <!-- There are a many sites with information on the very broad topic of online bingo that could be linked here. However, Misplaced Pages is not a link repository, so currently what is linked is a directory containing links to many of the best sites on the topic. If you insist on thinking you have a link that is "special" enough to merit inclusion, please start a discussion to justify this (unlikely) circumstance.--> | |||
| *{{dmoz|Games/Gambling/Bingo/Online/}} | |||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | |||
Latest revision as of 08:03, 23 July 2024
Game of chance | This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Online bingo" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Online bingo is the game of bingo (either the US or UK variant) played on the Internet. Sites offering the game launched around 1996, and the global gross gaming yield outside of the United States was estimated at US$500 million in 2006, forecast to grow to $1 billion by 2010.
Unlike physical balls used in regular bingo halls, online bingo sites use a random number generator. Most bingo halls also offer links to online poker and casino offerings as the patrons are often in the target market. One notable feature of online bingo is the chat functionality, with sites striving to foster a sense of community and interaction between players to assist customer retention.
History
One of the earliest known online bingo games, launched in 1996, was a free bingo game called "Bingo Zone". To play, members had to provide demographic information; in turn, members would receive targeted ads based on the demographics provided. Another early pioneer for free online bingo was Uproar, which launched Bingo Blitz in 1998.
Legality
The game of bingo has been able to sidestep many of the laws which ban gambling online. In England, for instance, section 65 of the 1928 Royal Commission Report on Gambling states, “Bingo is a lottery played as a game.” The report details that a game of chance is different than that of casino games, even requiring separate licensing. Since each bingo participant receives a random set of numbers, the chances of winning for each participant are equal. The Royal Commission Report has given the game of bingo a chance to thrive in the highly contested cyber gambling community.
Playing
Playing bingo online, players can make use of optional features which make playing the game easier, such as auto-daub. Auto-daub automatically marks off the numbers on cards as they are called, so players don't have to. Most software providers support other gaming features as "Best Card Sorting" and "Best Card Highlighting" where players cards are sorted and highlighted by closest to bingo.
There is variety among the different kinds of bingo games that can be played. For example, some inexpensive game rooms appeal to the player who may want to play for as little as 3 cents or 3 pence per card, some bingo games only allow players to purchase the same number of cards so they are not competing against the "high rollers" out there who buy many cards for the same game.
UK
Bingo is a popular leisure activity for people in the UK. The UK market has seen an influx in big brand names launching bingo games on their already established websites in addition to a number established land based operators including Mecca and Gala also entering the market. More recently "charity bingo" has become established.
From April 2009 and March 2014 the UK Gambling Commission has been monitoring how many people are gambling. From April 2013 and March 2014 there was a 6% increase in people gambling compared to the same time last year with over £6.8 billion spent including Bingo. In the same period there was also a 22% increase in people playing Bingo on their mobile phones. In 2013, 102,715 people were employed across the gambling industry in the UK, signaling a 5.3% drop from 2012.
Since November 2017, Tombola, a UK-based online gaming company, sponsors the British TV series I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. Tombola had previously sponsored Emmerdale on ITV for three years.
See also
Further reading
- Moubarac, Jean-Claude; Shead, N Will; Derevensky, Jeffrey L. Journal of Gambling Issues 24: 164–184. July 2010. Archived 10 April 2012.
- Gainsbury, Sally (2012). Internet Gambling: Current Research Findings and Implications. Springer. pp. 21–22.
References
- "Online Bingo Numbers Soar". Parlay Entertainment. August 17, 2007. Archived from the original on 2008-08-22. Retrieved 2008-05-31.
- H.B. Koplowitz (1997). "Cyber Bingo". hbkoplowitz.com. Archived from the original on September 11, 2010. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
- "Gamesville.com: Wasting People's Time Since 1996". Virtual Advisor, Inc. Archived from the original on 2007-11-12. Retrieved 2008-05-31.
- "UPROAR Unveils FREE Multi-site Online Bingo Game: Bingo Blitz". CNET Networks, Inc. July 28, 1998. Archived from the original on 2008-09-13. Retrieved 2008-05-31.
- Moran, E. (1979). "An Assessment of the Report of The Royal Commission on Gambling 1976-1978" (PDF). Addiction. 74 (1): 3–9. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.1979.tb02405.x. PMID 283824. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
- Moe, Al. "How to Play Bingo". About. Archived from the original on 6 April 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
- "The Fall & Rise of Bingo Report: Charity Bingo Growth". The Fall & Rise of Bingo. Archived from the original on 2014-10-28. Retrieved 2014-10-28.
- "Annual Report and Accounts 2013/14" (PDF). gamblingcommission.gov.uk. Gambling Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 December 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
- Watson, Imogen (February 6, 2019). "I'm a Celebrity sponsor Tombola hit with gambling ad ban". The Drum. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
- Luke, Emma (21 October 2022). "Something's bugging our Marketing Team". Tombola Careers Blog. tombola.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
- Ford, Coreena (4 October 2017). "Sunderland firm tombola to sponsor I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!". Evening Chronicle. Newcastle upon Tyne. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
- "Tombola to sponsor I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!". 5 Star iGaming Media Marketing. 6 October 2017. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2022.