Online bingo is the game of bingo (US|UK) played on the Internet. Online bingo is a multi billion dollar business.
Unlike balls used in regular bingo halls, online bingo sites use a random number generator. Online bingo halls usually offer online casino games as well as the bingo, but the actual bingo play works almost exactly like playing online poker or online casino games, with everything being virtual. One notable feature of online bingo is the chat functionality. Successful online bingo sites foster a sense of community and interaction between players.
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”.[1] 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.
Bingo is now the most popular leisure activity in the UK for women between 20 and 25 years old.[2] The UK market has seen an influx in big brand names launching bingo games on their already established websites. Huge brand names such as Yahoo!, Virgin, AOL UK and most recently MSN UK are all now associated with the UK online bingo market.[3] Gala Bingo the biggest land based bingo operator in the UK is also now online.
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 Japan of countries with the highest propensity playing online bingo.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
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.
