Category Archives: Bingo News

Facebook Plugs into the Popularity of Bingo

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Bingo is Leading the Way to Growth at Facebook!

The gambling industry continues to rise in popularity. That increase results in an ever-growing amount of real money spent online and through mobile gaming. Facebook looks to the future by recognizing the income potential of mobile Bingo.

Consistent Increase in Online Betting

Online gaming is an ever-growing global industry, and especially so in England. In 2011, players spent £1.9 million. According to Mintel – Online Gaming and Betting UK October 2011, the 2012 estimate for internet betting is in excess of £2 million. There are six basic brands that control 60% of the online gaming field: Ladbrokes, 888, William Hill, Paddy Power, Betfair and Bet365. There are only a couple of primary head-terms in the Bingo market. The result is fierce competition among brands. Facebook provides an expanded customer source, making the connection between Bingo and Facebook lucrative for the online gaming industry.

Facebook: A Move in the Right Direction

 Facebook offers more than simply a new market base. The social element of bingo, and in fact that of all internet and mobile gambling, has been a key concern of online casinos. The top five online brands regarding social adaptation include Sky, Betfair, William Hill, 888 and Paddy Power. The attempt to imitate the warm human ambiance of brick & mortars led to the advent of chatrooms and other real time social connections between players. Facebook is a giant step forward in regard to that social connection.

Facebook Revenue Growing

 The five most lucrative markets for Facebook, in order of user numbers, are: U.S., Brazil, India, Indonesia and the U.K. In the past three months alone, the U.K. has grown 2%. The 5th most popular app is Zynga’s Texas Hold’em. It is interesting that no ads are shown on mobile apps to access Facebook. The growth in mobile gaming has been documented by Q2 research. In a comparison between 2012 and 2011, Facebook experienced a 28% increase in advertising during the same quarter. That quarter in 2012 saw advertising revenue in the amount of $992 million, which was 84% of Facebook’s total income.

Bingo Brings Revenue

 Facebook brings aboard Bingo with extremely lucrative potential results for Facebook as well as for the Bingo industry. In England, the gaming market is growing by leaps and bounds. Britain’s citizens love to bet on anything and everything. An example of England’s wagering propensity is the 1,000 to 1 Ladbrokes’ odds in January 2012, as to whether the Thames will freeze in winter.

Bingo provides Facebook with a possible niche in other European countries. Further the addition of Bingo to its repertoire carries a relatively low risk in a country such as England that leans toward the spirit of gaming. Bingo also offers to Facebook an immensely lucrative potential, along with the opportunity to diversify its revenue.

Regarding the competitive nature of the gaming and Bingo markets, Facebook has taken on more than a few partners. This places Facebook in a position to control the degree of competition in the industry. Meanwhile, Facebook is establishing their own apps, opening new channels for further engagement and income. Let’s not forget about the player who has easy mobile access to Facebook and all of the most popular games, including exciting versions of Bingo. Facebook is globally known to be a trusted platform, adding greatly to the comfort of the gamer.

Bingo Friendzy

There is a technological similarity between Texas Hold’em, which is the 5th most popular app, and Bingo Friendzy. The real money involved in the Bingo app sets the two apart. The key to Bingo success on Facebook may very well be their ability to manage the app concerning notice of Bingo game promotions as they occur. The promotions are the bread and butter of online and mobile gaming.

The Facebook edge involves the personal information that they carry concerning age, interest, gender, location and a myriad of other data. That data provides Facebook with a great heads up as to who to notify regarding each Bingo Friendzy promotion. The decision to add Bingo Friendzy to its list of apps produced a strong futuristic picture of Facebook. The 28% increase from one quarter of 2011 to the same quarter in 2012 appears to be only the beginning of a great revenue increase in the present year.

The connection with Bingo is a totally positive step for Facebook, the Bingo industry and the gamer.

2 Women Accused of Stealing $734,748 in Bingo Funds

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Over $700,000 in bingo proceeds was an insurmountable temptation; criminal trial is the irrefutable result!

The proceeds from charitable bingo, pull-tabs and carnivals were ear-marked for the Swoyersville Volunteer Hose Company 1 in Pennsylvania. $734,748 never reached its proper destination. The volunteer fire department has shut down, and two women are facing criminal trials.

Control over the Money

An 81-year-old Pennsylvania woman, Catherine Drago, was the treasurer of the fire department. Her daughter, Carol Gamble, was the president. The two women exclusively tallied, bundled, handled and transported the cash. No one else had the authority to touch any of it. It appears that unfortunately the hundreds of thousands of dollars in bingo proceeds proved to be too great a temptation. 81 years of age, and her lack of self-restraint has now completely ruined her good life. She is scheduled to stand trial on October 15, 2012 for the theft of the bingo proceeds.

State Audit

A few years ago, the Pennsylvania Bureau of Charitable Organizations audited the fire company’s records. They found that $734,748 was missing from the fire company’s revenue acquired between January 2004 and November 2007. The women were charged in 2009. The individual six-count trial for each defendant had been inexplicably postponed over the past three years. Judge Lesa Gelb, of the Luzerne County Court, finally set Drago’s trial date, which is scheduled to occur two weeks after the trial of her 50-year-old daughter.

The Bureau has stated that an incomplete record of the fire department’s income was filed by Drago. It was also revealed by the Bureau that Drago has admitted to placing false data on a public disclosure form. Not much is left to the imagination. It appears that the cases will be quickly concluded at trial. The saddest elements concern human frailty in the face of a huge monetary lure, and the prison cell in its wake.

Bingo Comes to Oakwood Elementary and Maybe to Guam

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The residents of Guam may soon be joining the excitement of land-based bingo games as the initiative to legalize bingo presses forward. Pamphlets packed with information about the initiative have been distributed to all voters on the island in order to promote well-informed decisions about whether to say ‘yes’ to bingo at the upcoming September elections. Meanwhile, another island event is drawing attention in the Oakwood-River Valley school district as the elementary school prepares to welcome grandparents for a fun-filled afternoon of bingo at the Hawaiian themed event that is a guaranteed good time for all!

Guam Residents Await a Final Decision

Residents of the small island eagerly await the outcome of the September vote that will determine whether or not they will soon be playing bingo at a local bingo establishment. Patrons will be pleased with the entertainment while residents also benefit from the revenue that can be bolstered in Guam. The mainland casinos pay out an estimated thirty-two percent in taxes, and a whopping $250,000 in annual licensure fees. By adding bingo to the mix of legal entertainment options in Guam the small island may also see improvement via gaming tax dollars! At face value it appears to be a ‘win-win’ situation – albeit yet to be determined by the voters. All registered voters receive pamphlets that outline the initiative. They are then encouraged to make comments and submit them to the Guam Election Commission.

Go Hawaiian for Bingo – Time Treasured

Additional encouragement goes out to grandparents and close friends and family of all Oakwood-River Valley elementary school students. The students are prompted to invite their special guests for a fabulous time at the Hawaiian bingo event. Additional encouragement is in order – and entails the preferred attire for the island ‘get-a-way’. Staff would like to see all of the guests arrive in Hawaiian shirts, skirts, and tropical themed outfits. A photographer will capture the excitement in commemorative photos that will be taken of the students and their ‘special guests’. This is one bingo event that is going to be too sunny and delightful to miss!

Flaming Lips Fanatics and Groupies Bingo Cards

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The drive to Big Sur for the upcoming Flaming Lips concert is sure to please fans that make the trip! While the band is incredibly boisterous and vivacious they are also quite a meticulous band, as well. To celebrate their detail-oriented presentation, the Riverfront Times in St. Louis created several Flaming Lips bingo cards that the band’s admirers can download for free and add a bit of zest to the agenda!

Exuberance for Bingo!

See who can get the first ‘bingo’ by paying close attention to the items on the card and the eccentric things that may transpire during the show. The cards feature a variety of items that may be displayed. There are some items that won’t be so easy to see, and solving the puzzles that are based on things the band is notorious for bestowing is the objective. Be part of the energized audience and have some extra fun with friends – find out who gets the first Flaming Lips Bingo! There are items on the bingo cards that the audience will not see at all. Other items will require some close observation and critical thinking, but if you are a Flaming Lips fanatic, then you can certainly spot the items and capture the moments!

Unique Flaming Lips Bingo Card

There are a total of five cards brought to you by the Riverfront Times, St. Louis. When the Oklahoma band takes the stage it will be ‘bingo go-time’! Fans will be looking for items such as Grateful Dead T-Shirts, Streamers, hamster balls, plastic fetus, creepy Santa Claus, Nun-puppets, fake blood, and numerous other things that will shock and amaze you! The confetti cannon shouldn’t be too hard to miss, but many of the items are going to challenge even the most avid Flaming Lips fan! Enjoy the show!

Charity Bingo to Help Raise Funds for Family

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The Middleboro Elks Lodge will be the site for a fund raiser that will benefit Jeff Fuller and his family. The Fullers have been struggling since Jeff was bitten by a mosquito more than two years ago, and developed Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), a virus that affects humans, livestock, captive birds, deer, reptiles and dogs, and other mammals.

Advance tickets and tickets at the door will be sold to patrons, who will enjoy 10 rounds of Bingo, a 50/50 drawing and raffle tickets. The fund raiser will also host a cash bar. Light snacks will be provided. Proceeds will benefit the Fuller family and hopefully, an oxygen therapy machine that Jeff can use at home will be purchased. The machine is $4,500. The Fullers exhausted their insurance for oxygen therapy, and have since paid out of pocket for reduced treatments.

One of the coordinators for the fund raiser wishes to offset medical and legal costs for the family. The coordinator is a friend of the family, which continues to incur expenses on a daily basis. The fund raiser will bring awareness to EEE and how others can protect themselves from the disease, the friend said. She said the family’s simplest activities, such as camping, growing produce, cooking together and other events have been replaced with a plethora of doctor’s visits to help Jeff, who is enthusiastic about his recovery and has already exceeded expectations.

Fuller Falls Ill

The Fullers had been camping hours before Jeff, 43, suddenly became ill and went into a nearly four-month coma. His family was stunned. Nobody knew what to do, and doctors still don’t know because the effects of EEE aren’t yet known. Each person responds differently, and doctors have a difficult time explaining treatment to patients and their families. A cure isn’t known and treatment for EEE has never come to fruition.

Jeff was bit in August of 2010. In December of 2010, he opened his eyes, however, his speech and mobility were impaired. The disease is rare enough that doctors weren’t sure how Jeff would recover or if he would at all. Jeff spent the next year and a half in the hospital or rehabilitation facility under medical supervision. He was able to join his family in February of this year when the doctors released him to his home. Even after more than two years, Jeff needs medical supervision. Jeff has two children, ages seven and 10. His hobbies include deep sea fishing, mostly for tuna, outdoor activities in general, and he has won multiple awards for his home brewed beer.

Bingo Comes in Many Forms

 The Bingo rounds for Jeff and his family are similar to other fund raisers involving the game of Bingo. On the radar for charities is another game, Cow Bingo. Now everyone can play the game because a company has released interactive Cow Bingo on Facebook, which was developed in the Netherlands. Players select five cows that they think will exit the pasture first. Each cow on the screen is equipped with an identification chip that triggers the software when the cow leaves to be milked. As each cow leaves, a Bingo number is revealed.

The draw is cast live each day in the late afternoon. A webcam tells players which cows left the pasture first. The game even has a prize. Winners will be invited to visit a milking farm in the Netherlands for a weekend getaway.

Bingo! Online and Brick & Mortar

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Competition is a way of life in the U.K. and U.S. Online bingo sites fiercely compete for gamers’ cash. Amid the flourish of online bingo games, land-based bingo halls remain magnets for local players. Bingo is a global favorite, regardless of venue.

Bingo Halls & the Social Scene

Getting out of the house with your spouse is a treat. Just leave the kids with a babysitter, and head for the nearest brick & mortar to play bingo. Join up with your friends at the bingo hall; have some snacks; immerse yourself in a game; shout BINGO! a few times; and enjoy the evening. There’s nothing like it!

The social atmosphere of a room filled with people anticipating the thrill of the game simply cannot be matched. When the same people meet up every week at the bingo events, friendships develop. A bunch of individuals become a group of friends. Whole families get together to chat and play bingo. It’s the life of Riley.

Online bingo has its definite benefits. Where brick & mortars are lures to criminals looking to make some quick cash through a heist, online bingo has no such security worry. Make sure that you visit only licensed and regulated bingo rooms and you’re good to go.

From the comfort of your home, you can tune in to bingo 24/7. When the baby naps, the kids go noisily off to school, or you return home from a difficult day at work, there are many online bingo sites waiting for you. Energize your day with an hour of bingo now and then.

As to socializing, real-time global chat rooms are provided at most bingo sites. Get to know the other players. Chat with your friends. Come into contact with bingo lovers like Jeremy Stersky at www.bingo-room.com. Read up on the latest bingo news, and enjoy a very real slice of life at anytime during the day or night.

There are other advantages to online bingo. Bonuses are the name of the game at most sites. Check out the signup bonuses and no deposit bonuses before setting up your account. Save your money by playing a wide variety of free bingo games online. You also have the option of playing for pennies. With online bingo, you are in the driver’s seat.

Online sites use state-of-the-art technology to recreate the vibrant and social nature of bingo halls. You will find sound effects and lively graphics at most internet bingo rooms. You may even come across a caller at some of the sites. In the snow, or the rain, or the sweltering heat, your temperature-controlled home provides the backdrop for bingo.

The variety of bingo games offered online is huge. Progressive jackpot games are thrilling, and so are bingo side games. The popularity of online bingo is forever growing. A younger set of players make use of online sites. Many games are fast and furious, others are slower, and all are exciting.

Bingo! is the shout of the energized winner – both online and in a brick & mortar.

Innuendo Bingo with Scott Mills

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Scott Mills was born to be a radio presenter. As a young boy his dream was to become a Radio 1 DJ. Welcome to the real world: The Scott Mills Show –

Scott Mills in Action

At 16 years of age, when most teens are struggling for acceptance from their peers, Mills was making dozens of radio demo tapes and bombarding Power FM, his local station, with his tapes. Someone at the radio station recognized a talent. The result was a week of programs presented by Scott Mills. Mills quickly became the U.K.’s youngest radio presenter, with a five-hour show, six nights per week, 1 AM – 6 AM. That teen had a dream and the drive to see it through. Making a great impression during the early morning show, Mills was soon offered the drivetime program on Power FM. Mills was well on his way to radio stardom

GWR FM in Bristol gave him a two-year contract, after which Mills hired on with Manchester’s Piccadilly Key 103. He quickly went from the late night time slot to mid-morning program, expanding into high-profile interviews including a memorable chat with Robbie Williams concerning Take That, from which Williams had recently departed.

At the age of 21, Mills signed onto a contract with a new station out of London, Heart FM. He quickly branched out into live performances in Hyde Park and Battersea Park, as well as an appearance on stage in the center of Covent Garden. His early 20s were extremely busy years. He appeared on Sky News every Sunday night. Mills was also a performer for the British Forces abroad; and he put on a Middle East music program for six weeks. BBC 3’s Upstaged was hosted by Mills.

For a period of six years, from 1998 to January 2004, Mills presented the early breakfast show on Radio 1. For the next five months, he presided over the weekend afternoon program, shifting to the weekday 4 PM – 7 PM slot in June 2004. Almost eight years later, in April 2012, Mills’ show switched to its current 1 PM – 4 PM time frame.

The Scott Mills Show on Radio 1

Mixing it up with music, features and talk, The Scott Mills Daily is an Academy Award-winning radio show that  draws listeners throughout the U.K. Rebecca Huxtable and Chris Stark are co-presenters, and Scott Mills is the host.

One outstanding live special was aired in July 2008 on Barry Island in South Wales. This unusual broadcast fit into the shows regular Barryoke feature. Listeners by the name of Barry call in and announce a song, altering the lyrics to contain their name. The Scott Mills Daily tickles the funny bone of its listeners.

Innuendo Bingo with Scott Mills

One of the most popular features on Mills’ program is Innuendo Bingo. Clips from BBC programs are presented. Those clips contain statements that can be construed in a sexual or inappropriate way. A guest with a mouthful of water listens to the clips. The object is to refrain from spitting out the water when laughing. At a very early age, Scott Mills knew where his future would take him, to the joyful benefit of all his listeners.

U.K. Local Council Decision in Favour of Community’s Bingo Concerns

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A local council in England listened to Kingston community  opposition to the establishment of a nightclub and gaming den in the area. Kingston Arena appeal of the council decision has been withdrawn. 

The Kingston community in England opposed the opening of the former Gala Bingo Hall as a Kingston Arena nightclub. The local council agreed with the concerns of the citizens, and rejected the Arena plans. At the end of the game, Kingston Arena withdrew its legal appeal from the council’s decision. The community is celebrating its victory!

Kingston Arena Bingo

Franco Lumba, director of Kingston Arena, bought the defunct Gala Bingo Hall for the huge amount of £1.975 million in October 2010. He had every intention of turning the former bingo hall into a nightclub, with a 2,000-person capacity. The citizens of Kingston thought otherwise.

The Kingston community, acting as the Richmond Road Residents Association, expressed their serious opposition to the Kingston Arena plans. Approximately one year after the acquisition of the building, the local council rejected the Kingston Arena plans. On the 1st of October, Lumba’s appeal of the council decision was set to be heard before the Wimbledon Magistrates Court.

Franco Lumba thought it over. He decided to withdraw the Kingston Arena appeal and so instructed his solicitors. Local councilor Angela Craig was ecstatic, placing her excitement regarding the community victory on Twitter.

A member of the Richmond Road Residents Association, Bernadette Vallely, confirmed the Kingston Arena appeal withdrawal. She commented that the local citizens had won their cause as the result of their unified stand. Vallely added that the community had properly prevented the establishment of a nightclub, which would have ruined the family character of the area.

The question as to the future use of the former bingo hall has not yet been answered. However, the Kingston community, acting together, has succeeded in preventing an inappropriate establishment from becoming a detrimental element in their midst.

Editor Derek Jameson Brought Bingo to Newspapers

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Editor Derek Jameson was the force; hot bingo for newspaper readers was the result!

All innovations begin with someone. For newspaper bingo that someone was Editor Derek Jameson, an amazing man who rose from the pit of an orphanage to become the editor of three national newspapers, as well as a radio and television personality and author to boot.

Derek Jameson: A Man for All Seasons

Born into poverty on 29 November 1929 and raised in an orphanage, Derek Jameson awoke to his life’s calling through the inspiration of a teacher, Ernest Hare. That teacher gave Jameson a love for reading.

At the age of 14, the editor began his career as a newspaper messenger. However, with his intelligence, will to work and talent for communicating, Jameson rose rapidly in the newspaper world.

The Craze for Newspaper Bingo

Jameson became the editor of the Daily Express in 1977, and remained in that position until 1980. During his tenure at the Daily Express he took on the job of editor of the Daily Star as well. Jameson’s push for newspaper bingo at the Daily Star paid off in spades for the publisher. The initial bingo game appeared in the Star in 1981. The bingo cards were mailed out to readers, and the bingo numbers were published in the newspaper.

Newspaper bingo created a craze for the game. The Daily Mirror and Sun soon jumped on the band wagon. The circulation battle among competing newspapers focused on the amount of the bingo prize. The Daily Express won the war with an enormous pot containing £1 million for its initial bingo game in 1984. All of England was drawn to newspaper bingo, to the extent that the bingo numbers were carried at TV-am every morning. Editor Jameson had started something huge.

Newspapers Enter the Online Bingo Industry

Both of Jameson’s papers, the Daily Express and Daily Star, were associated with the former CyberBingo Network. The Sun is invested in Sun Bingo on the internet, through Gamesys. Mirror Bingo is owned by the Daily Mirror, and powered by 888 technology on the Cashcade network.

Education Organization Looks to Bingo Fundraisers

Editor Jameson in England knew that newspaper bingo would enhance the circulation of his paper. By the same token, the Lake Elsinore Valley Education Foundation in California recognized that bingo could provide the funding for extracurricular activities.

Student scholarships, along with community outreach programs, are supported by a yearly bingo event at the Lake Elsinore-Wildomar Elks Lodge. To enhance the reading enjoyment of students, bingo profits also contribute to a book distribution program. Those books consist of easy readers, grade-school-level novels and mysteries.

Education Foundation president Kevin Page commented that bingo is fun for the players, the Elks Lodge does a fine job of running the event and the profits are beneficial to the school district. Page added that some players like to arrive in time to prepare their spots with seat cushions, bingo set-ups and fans. The registration fee is $25 for each gamer. No one under 18 is admitted. Players are happy with the almost $2,000 in pot money. Around 16 games keep players busy and cheerful.

Hand in hand with education and newspapers, bingo works for the community!

Town’s Only Bingo Hall Set to Close

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The Altruists, a group that raises profits through Bingo for charity and other causes, has seen its purpose fade away since 2005. While Bingo proceeds for charity have declined by 50 percent, the town the Altruists raise money for has continued to collect its percentage, in spite of area towns decreasing fees on Bingo licenses. The group expects its 33 counterparts to continue raising money in neighboring towns as the town they are currently in will say farewell to its only Bingo Hall, which can no longer afford to stay open. The Altruists contribute to local food banks, school transportation, city handicapped buses, hospital projects, police department and senior centers. Members also work with nationally-known organizations like the Red Cross and Big Brothers and Big Sisters. The National Guide Dog program and the town’s literacy council has benefited. In many causes, the Altruists support children in a roundabout way.

Bingo Hall Revenue

The closing of the Bingo Hall will affect everyone, including the town, which stands to lose its Bingo revenue. There was an initiative and Bingo-revitalization project that could have kept the doors open to the Bingo Hall. The idea was to modernize Bingo, and keep Bingo more sustainable. The topic hasn’t receive the amount of attention it should, and now the Hall is closing in a little over a month. Only two members of the town council wanted to discuss the fact that the town’s licensing fee is still the same amount it was in 2005. The other council members seem to favor the mayor, who looks down on Bingo players, and groups them together with addicted gamers.

Fall in Revenue

Last year, a meeting with several organizations like the Lion’s Club, Optimist Club and Delta Bingo met at a town council meeting, along with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission. That evening, the council approved stage one of the plan to revitalize Bingo, which would support operators and keep the revenue for charities. At that time, the mayor acknowledged the town had only one Bingo Hall. The new line-up of electronic machines and devices were designed to open the door for future Bingo Halls, plus take care of the town’s Bingo Hall. Also on the horizon was the town’s expected fall in Bingo revenue for this year – from $200,000 to $85,000. Even with this prediction, the OLG promised a fresh outlook for Bingo Halls that would be transformed into charitable gaming centers. The second promise was the initiative would attract new Bingo players.

Bingo Contract

Under the initiative, the town claimed rights to playing an administrative role, say which charities were eligible, monitor the use of proceeds, issue permits to charities, check over the monthly distribution reports to charities and ensuring Bingo volunteers were members of the charities raising money. Then, a contract between the OLG, the town’s only commercial operator and the charity association. But the mayor threw a snag into the contract. He made sure the public will be consulted by him before any contract is signed. He said the town wants to stay involved with the entire process, and after all, it’s the town’s way. The mayor also said he needs to ensure the contract is what the town wants. Online Bingo was set to begin in the spring earlier this year. All terms and conditions were listed on the OLG’s website.