Online bingo is hugely popular pastime in the USA, the UK, in Australia and even in Canada in the past decade its popularity has grown exponentially, however this is not only because playing bingo.co.uk or Bingo USA is such a well loved game. There are a number of factors that have influenced the popularity stakes for playing online bingo. The game of bingo in the USA in Australia and the UK has a long history and as such has become a massive part of the culture. It is a simple game, anyone can play as long as they are 18 and it is a game which all age groups love. Bingo provides a super game to while a way a couple of hours socializing with friends with a chance to win prizes.
| Rank | Bingo Site | Free Bingo | Bingo Bonus | US Players |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Play at Bingo Palace | £5 |
200%
|
 |
 |
Play at Gone Bingo | $20 |
300%
|
 |
 |
Play at 123 Bingo | $25 |
1000%
|
|
 |
Play at Gina Bingo | £15 |
200%
|
|
 |
Play at Bingo Gala | – |
200%
|
|
 |
Play at Bingo Hall | $6 |
150%
|
|
 |
Play at USA Bingo | $30 |
250%
|
|
 |
Play at DHW Bingo | $30 |
250%
|
|
 |
Play at Costa Bingo | £20 |
200%
|
|
 |
Play at Foxy Bingo | £20 |
100%
|
|
 |
Play at Harrys Bingo | £10 |
200%
|
|
Post the new Gambling Act of 1968, the popularity of the game as a commercial enterprise took the UK by storm during the 1970’s and 1980’s, but this storm had pretty much died down by the 1990’s. Then came the advent of the internet and online gambling. In the late 1990’s the first casinos and poker rooms came online and the next to follow was online bingo. The trend started in America and it was pretty popular, so it soon spread across the big pond. In 2006 the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was promulgated in the US, literally overnight. Rather than have to hassle with the red-tape involved, many US online bingo companies took to the hills and made the UK their home.
Bingo.co.uk was already popular by then, but this gave the industry a tremendous and concentrated marketing surge – they now had a big gun which needed to be shot at a small target. The New Gambling Act in the UK was promulgated, non-smoking law came to UK bingo clubs and at this stage high speed broadband was spreading quickly throughout the UK. All these factors played a role in the popularity of UK online bingo playing and this growth still remains exponential. Bingo.co.uk is the most fun anyone can have for the least amount of money, and players are winning huge prizes. We only have to take a cross section of a few sites to see what has been won and what is being won. No matter what online bingo players say about playing this game with the socializing factor foremost in mind, they are also in the game for the opportunity to win. If they weren’t, sites would not be giving away millions of pounds in cash, cars, holidays, shopping vouchers and electronic goods.
Bingo websites in the UK form some of the most popular sites played worldwide. Operators have got this offering down to a fine art and most of these sites are UK oriented in terms of their brand. This is where the biggest market is available, but popularity is definitely spreading into European and other countries. One thing we see at bingo websites in the UK is their reluctance to provide bingo to US players and this is chiefly due to the promulgation of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, or UIGEA.
This act of law does not make gambling necessarily unlawful, but it does make the processing of financial charges online unlawful for gambling. In turn this makes it difficult for operators to collect funds and pay prizes, however if you are a US player with a bank card issued in another country, you may have absolutely no problem playing at UK site. Some sites are governed to work with IP addresses though, so stick to the US bingo websites only US players, this is best.
Bingo websites in the UK are becoming better and more sophisticated all the time. This does not mean more difficult to play at, if anything, ease of use is better than ever. What it does mean is that UK bingo players have evolved and are aware of what they can and cannot get out of their online bingo club membership. New sites are coming live online all the time and two of the most recent launches are Bingo Hollywood and Red Bus Bingo (2010). Take a look at these two sites and compare them to sites which are older and you see the difference immediately. This is what we mean by “sophisticated”.
Players no longer need a credit card to play at UK bingo websites; alternative payment options are also becoming more sophisticated. For example online payment methods such as Neteller, PayPal, PaySafeCard, and a brilliant innovation UKash! With Ukash, the bingo player does not need to register bank details of any description. This is a pre-paid voucher which may be used to purchase any kind of online shopping. Buy it at the corner shop, the same as you would buy pre-paid air time for your mobile, get into the bingo site, use the voucher to pay and away you go. Bingo websites are created to be able to respond to new changes in the market aggressively, so keep your cash under the mattress if you don’t trust banks with your money; you can still play online bingo!
