November 13th, 2009 | Bingo Hints and Tips, Online Bingo
Bingo has been used to raise money for charities since it was first introduced in the UK in the 1960’s. As well as being played in bingo halls, it was also regularly played in community centres and church halls.
However, the increased popularity of online bingo has been at the expense of offline bingo resulting in bingo hall closures. As a result, many online bingo sites are addressing the resultant fall in charitable contributions by staging regular charity games. Charity bingo games are played in the same way as normal bingo. The main difference is that a proportion of ticket sales are donated to nominated charities.
A good example of this is ‘Katie’s Charity Room’ on the Foxy Bingo website. The room was so named after Foxy Bingo’s former patron Katie Price (aka Jordan). Foxy matched 50% of all bingo tickets sold and donated it to charities nominated by Ms Price (Vision and The Disability Foundation).
There are some websites which focus heavily on charitable donations as part of their marketing strategy. They include Big Heart Bingo, which donates 50% of its net profits to charities and Hope Charity Bingo, a new gaming initiative in partnership with seven UK charities. The charities receive 25% of revenue from players that choose to support them.
As with Katie Price, other online sites regularly use celebrities to support their charity fundraisers. Famous names such as UK actress Michelle Collins and Keiza Obama – step mother of US president Barak Obama, have endorsed fundraisers by online bingo sites.
November 11th, 2009 | Online Bingo
Dice bingo, also known as ‘Dingo’, is a bingo game often used as a fun break from teaching basic maths in a classroom environment. Dice Bingo is also a good game to play with children and/or adults recreationally at home.
You will need pencils, two dice and each player will need some paper. On the paper you need to draw a 5 by 5 square grid. Within the 25 squares you need to place 25 numbers between 2 and 12. You can use any number as many times as you like as long as it is between 2 and 12.
The ‘bingo caller’ rolls the dice and calls out the total. If the player has this number on the grid they must cross it off. If the player has the number more than once they must choose which one to cross off. You can only cross off one number per roll of the dice.
The first person to cross off all 25 numbers wins the game. It’s a good idea to make a note of each number as the dice are rolled so you can cross check against the winning square.
If you are playing with children at home, organize some fun inexpensive prizes such as a colouring book with pens or a comic. You will need to decide if you are awarding prizes for patterns such as diagonals, rows or columns.
There are variations on this game with different coloured squares and numbers which are particularly fun to play with young children. These are available online.
November 8th, 2009 | Online Bingo, Online Gambling
The bingo industry in collaboration with the gambling industry has decided to observe 19th October as Gambling Awareness Day. The main aim of the event is to increase understanding of treatment options available to compulsive gamblers and those related to compulsive gamblers.
Other collaborators include Gamble Aware and GamCare, a registered charity and leading authority on the provision of advice and support for problem gamblers. GamCare’s 12th annual conference also takes place on 19th October.
The marketing strategy behind promotion of gambling awareness day includes multi level media coverage and local and national events. In addition, flyers, posters and leaflets to be displayed in bingo halls and online messages for display on bingo websites are to be distributed by the Bingo Association.
The Bingo Association is the trade association of the UK-based licensed bingo industry. The group is also a member of its larger European counterpart EUBINGO. All members help with the collection of data on the online bingo industry and the publishing of legislative activity effecting online bingo.
Popular bingo sites recognize that they are responsible for promoting a safe gambling environment for bingo players. As a result, sites such as Foxy Bingo and Wink Bingo offer self assessment tests for gamers. This is so they can gain a better understanding of the signs of gambling addiction.
When looking for an online bingo site check to make sure it is registered any of the associations involved in Gambling awareness day. This will ensure you the site is run by a responsible and reputable operator.
November 5th, 2009 | Casino Hints and Tips, Online Casino, Online Gambling
The Australia government is very much aware of the booming online gaming, gambling and betting industry, which is why they enacted a law prohibiting operators from providing online gambling service to Australian residents.
The Interactive Gambling Act of 2001 promotes the protection of Australian residents from getting into financial trouble. The government does not want to reach the point where Australians get addicted to online gambling.
However, the law does not apply to online sports betting or lotteries, which are regulated by existing state legislation. The limitations of the Interactive Gambling Act of 2001 includes online gambling service providers of casinos and online games located in Australia and offshore, and both Australian and foreign-owned businesses. Violators will have to pay AUD 220,000 (or USD 121,000) per day for individuals and AUD 1.1 million (USD 606,000) per day for corporate bodies.
It seems that the Australian government is not only concerned with online gambling but with land-based or offline casinos as well. They want to reduce the number of poker machines in the country. In addition, they plan to ban cash withdrawals inside the casino so that gamblers will be forced to leave the casino, once they run out of money.
Indeed, the government is trying to fight the growth of online casinos and online gambling addiction. They have joined up with different groups in the society to help them address the issue. Industry insiders, community groups, problem-gambling counsellors are among those who coordinate with the government of Australia.
November 4th, 2009 | Online Casino, Online Gambling, Online Poker, Online Slot Machines
The Ladbrokes Company does not settle for traditional and existing online casino games. They have been continuously innovating new exciting games so as not to bore the gamblers who frequent their website. Here are a few add-ons of the website.
Double Joker Poker Level-up Poker, allows the poker player to enjoy the latest features of the Multi-Level Power Poker series. Players are challenged to a long and thrilling game. As they climb the series of levels in Poker, they can expect to receive bigger rewards.
Scoop the Cash is another creation of Ladbrokes.com. Players are encouraged to multiply their cash by playing different levels of the game. Online gamblers will surely be enticed to play this game because of the whopping jackpot prize of £37,000.
Another interesting game offered by Ladbrokes.com is Lumber Cats. With the five-reel, 20-payline video slot, players are invited to enter the woods as they interact with cats falling from trees and appearing everywhere in the forest.
Furthermore, the website launched Spin Crazy, which offers an array of interactive controls. Players can win as much as £20,000. The game makes use of a special wheel action, which shows various rewards—shot pots and cash pots.
Ladbrokes.com pioneered Killer Clubs. This is a card came wherein the ability of the players to take risks will be tested. The theme of the game is simple: Players will be given a shuffled pack of cards face down. When they begin to turn up the top card, they will lose the card if it is a club; if not, they get to keep the card and add to their chip pile.
Avid gamblers can definitely rely on Ladbrokes.com to provide interesting and amusing games.
October 30th, 2009 | Bingo Hints and Tips, Online Bingo, Online Gambling
It has been well documented that one of the best ways to keep your mind sharp and alert is to keep it active. Online bingo can assist with this, because when playing bingo you are undertaking a number of different tasks at the same time.
Researchers found that there were some similarities between bingo players and crossword solvers in terms of positive effects on the brain and mental capacity.
It has also been shown that playing bingo helps with hand and eye co-ordination and memory function, both of which deteriorate with age. In particular, regular visitors to bingo halls are able to concentrate on their cards while at the same time listen out for the numbers being called, because the cards are not automatically marked as they are in online bingo.
Research was carried out which involved 112 people aged between 18 and 82. This group was split in two, with one half playing bingo games and the other remaining passive. Both groups were then subjected to a number of tests and the half that played bingo performed better than the half that didn’t.
More specifically, the bingo players had improved memory and were able to retain more brain functions. In addition, they had more focus and were able to complete tasks easier than the non-bingo players.
When the researchers looked at differences in performance based on age the differences were small and in some cases the older participants outperformed the young. However, they found that the younger players were faster but not always as accurate.
October 28th, 2009 | Bingo Hints and Tips, Online Bingo
There are two basic types of online bingo software, downloadable software and non-downloadable software. Downloadable software must be downloaded onto your computer before you can use it to play online bingo.
Non-downloadable software uses flash technology and these sites are often called flash bingo sites. On flash bingo sites, games can be played instantly without downloading any special software.
There are some advantages and disadvantages associated with using both types of software. Flash bingo sites are easy to use and bingo games can be played instantly at the click of a mouse. The games do not rely on software on the computer, which is useful if you want to play bingo on a shared computer such as in an Internet cafe, where downloading bingo software is not an option.
However, flash technology has a reputation for producing substandard games which are unreliable and of poor quality. Software developers have taken this criticism on board and are producing flash sites which have improved.
Bingo sites played using downloadable software have high quality graphics and tend to be of a better quality. It is often worth taking the time and effort to download the software.
On the other hand, while downloading software is much easier than it once was, problems can still arise. These can vary from compatibility to having the wrong Internet software on your computer. If these problems arise you may need to consult the website for help. Remember that they want your business and it is therefore in their best interests to help you.
October 27th, 2009 | Casino Hints and Tips, Online Casino, Online Gambling
The organisation, eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance, (eCOGRA) was established in 2003, when a number of online gambling websites wanted to develop and establish legal standards and regulations for various casino games. Moreover, they wanted to ensure that their games are fair and safe and that the identities of the players are kept confidential.
The companies that eCOGRA acknowledges are expected to adhere to the standards of the organisation and are willing to have their transactions reviewed and monitored. Only websites that pass the eCOGRA criteria will be allowed to display the organisation’s seal. This is vital because many wise gamblers look for this seal first before trusting that the website is legal and fair.
eCOGRA has been consistently checking online casinos, which include poker room operations, bingo, sportsbetting, and even live gambling activities.
eCOGRA and other online gambling bodies worldwide, such as the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), have duly recognised most of the prominent gambling websites such as Spin Palace Poker and 888.com.
The players of the accredited websites shall expect prompt payment, confidentiality of personal and banking details, fair and random game results, and honest advertising—because these are the principal points that eCOGRA covers.
In the event that your favourite online casino website does not have the eCOGRA seal, you may e-mail them or talk to a customer service agent to recommend that they apply for accreditation; otherwise you will be forced to transfer to other websites that do have the eCOGRA seal, in order to assure the security of your bets and game results. Always be wary of the logos you see in the websites you visit. Make sure you have ample security information before you start playing and betting.
October 23rd, 2009 | Casino Hints and Tips, Online Casino, Online Gambling
There are many activities in which men and women fight for supremacy—may they be simple endeavours such as driving or losing weight.
When it comes to gambling, a hobby that many individuals enjoy playing, many would assume that men are better gamblers, especially because they are more in evidence in casinos.
However, studies prove that women can hold their own and do not easily fold. Their stellar performances may not be limited to slots and bingo because they, too, can play table games.
The Harvard Medical School organised a big study with 40, 499 people involved. The author, Richard Laurie, and a group of researchers worldwide gave men and women participants euros to spend on various casino games.
As a result, Laurie concluded that the study “favours women as exhibiting more effective sports gambling behaviour than men.” This is supported by the fact that women were more aggressive than men, especially because women bet higher stakes and were more successful in acquiring profits because they got 15% more bets.
As the gambling industry grows, women have developed the skills needed in the industry. They have maximised the use of the Internet by participating in online gambling. Larry Germander, a research analyst, stated, “What you are finding is that women have educated themselves through the Internet on the various forms of gambling that are available. Many of these women have played games online, learned them, and then took that knowledge with them to local casinos.”
This study has certainly proven that men should not be stereotyped as the best gamblers, may they gamble offline or in online casinos. Women may boast of their diligence in gambling, as they have shown that they are more competitive and successful in this endeavour.
October 22nd, 2009 | Bingo Hints and Tips, Online Bingo
The mobile phone has proved to be a popular method for playing games on the move. With the advancement of mobile phone technology bingo enthusiasts can now play online real-time bingo using their mobile phones.
There are a number of companies offering mobile bingo services. Foxy Bingo Mobile offers a £5 no deposit bingo bonus on registration. With Ladylucks Bingo you can play bingo and also chat to other players in a chat room. Mecca Mobile Bingo also has a moderated chat room and the opportunity to play for £6,000 cash prizes.
One of the main advantages of mobile bingo is accessibility. You can play bingo absolutely anywhere and at any time. If you are playing in a bingo syndicate you can easily get together and play in person via your mobile phones. Even if you are not in a syndicate you could get together with friends in the local park and play if you wanted to.
The main disadvantage is the fact that this type of technology, while possible, is still quite basic. Compared to the advances in the online bingo world, mobile phones companies have a lot of work to do. While mobile gaming is possible, there are issues such as battery life and very small graphics that have to be dealt with.
In addition, remember that if you decide to play mobile bingo, you are playing on a phone. It may not be possible to play mobile bingo in an area with a weak signal.