Shiny new green bingo balls of light

Green bingo balls of light doesn’t have quite the same ring to it as “Great balls of fire!” - but never mind.

As you might guess from the headline, I’m referring to the latest energy-saving campaign from Mecca Bingo - who teamed up with local domestic power supplier to provide a pair of enery-efficient light bulbs to every bingo player who visits their bingo hall.

I’m full of admiration for any company, which includes an increasing number of bingo halls plus online bingo websites, that do their bit for charity, or even the general population - which is also charity when it comes down to it.

Traditional British bingo companies have quite a presence in focusing public awareness on subjects we might not spend much time thinking about - except perhaps when we’re playing a boring game of online bingo - which doesn’t happen that often!

We’ve got the poor staff from Gala Bingo climbing up mountains, Mecca bingo doormen giving away lightbulbs - whatever next! All in the name of progress!

For those online bingo players among you who want to do your save energy bit, using a laptop is considerably greener than a standard desktop computer. You could also try turning out the lights at the same time.

Written by Bingo Lady

Playing online bingo by mobile phone

Has anyone ever tried this? It’s something I’ve yet to do, play bingo online via my mobile. It’s definitely an intruiging concept but I can’t quite imagine online bingo successfully morphing to mobile phone mode.

For one thing you need a whole lotta space. I’ve played other casino games on my mobile before, blackjack, even poker, but never bingo. Apparently it’s possible to load most of the online bingo site features onto your handset, almost the same as the website you normally use.

I guess it’s down to the type of mobile phone you have. If you’re an old fuddy duddy like me then you’ve still got your Nokia from 5 years back, which does all the basic things a mobile phone should do and that’s it.

I bought it before I was into online bingo, and never imagined for a second that I might use it to access online websites, let alone online bingo sites – surely this is what computers are for!

Call me an old fashioned bingo head, but I think I’ll stick with my laptop for the internet and playing bingo online, and I’ll keep my phone for my mum – I’m always the first one she calls if she scores a full house playing online bingo! Bless her cotton socks!

Written by Bingo Lady

What is so bad about online bingo in the USA

The way the US government has handled the whole fiasco starting from the 1961 Wire Act up to the UIGEA still leaves me gawping in shock and amazment. For citizens in the land of the free, where the 5th amendment is used daily in courts all over the land, what is the big deal about online bingo, online poker or even online casino games?

Online bingo is my thing, it keeps me going. And if I want to play online bingo there’s nothing stopping me, as a British citizen. However if you happen to live in the good old USA it’s another matter entirely. My question is why?

America gave birth to the internet and the dot com boom, and a whole new industry was born. Gambling has always been an inherent part of our nature, and online bingo is just one facet of that.

I tune in and drop out in the evenings and at weekends to play my favourite online bingo games. It’s harmless, you can play for hours on pennies, or if you’re really good at keeping a schedule you can get by on just playing free bingo games without having to spend a penny of your own!

I’m just trying to imagine the uproar it would cause if Gordon Brown suddenly turned round and declared it illegal to play online bingo - he would be lynched! There’s no way anybody’s going to tell me I can’t play bingo online. No way Jose!

Written by Bingo Lady

Addicted to online bingo

An article published earlier today in Bingostreet news section reports about the huge fight going on in the UK about online gambling. As online bingo enthusiasts this affects us all, but it is a controversial subject.

A new NHS clinic is being opened to care for problem gamblers who suffer from addiction to gambling. The main problem facing the clinic is funding, and who should do the funding. The clinic has funds to operate for a year, but the future after that is in jeopardy.

The 2005 Gambling Act made pretty sure that all online bingo operators, online casino operators etc., who wanted to operate in the UK had be regulated, and were also subject to increased revenue tax - all great news for the Treasury.

But where has all this money gone? Organisations like Gamcare, which is already funded by the online bingo industry among others, is fighting against the RIGT trying to find an answer to the funding problems for clinics such as these.

The Gambling Commission, also funded partially by the online bingo and casino industry, has little support from the apathetic government since the super-casino fiasco, and doesn’t really know what’s what.

So who should pay? The online bingo and casino industry, plus the land-based industry is already paying huge taxes, plus has donated £250,000 to the clinic already. As an NHS clinic shouldn’t the government be funding the rest?

Personally, I believe that the biggest problem is getting society (and the government) to recognise that addiction to gambling, as with any kind of addiction, is a serious condition that requires treatment. Once they get that into their thick heads then we can all get on with our daily fix of online bingo fun.

Written by Bingo Lady