The little Caribbean island of Antigua is back in the news again in highlighting its cause against US anti-gambling (read anti-competition) laws with a statement that clarifies for most of us the real issues surrounding US anti-online gambling policy.

There isn’t the space here to deal with Antigua’s statement in depth, but suffice to say they have hit the nail on the head when it comes to assessing US policy affecting online gambling – and by association, free online bingo games.

Antigua has successfully dragged US anti-online gambling policy into the WTO spotlight and exposed it for what it is – a blundering attempt to impose protectionist trade barriers. Unfortunately for the US, this is exactly what the WTO was set up to combat, and it has responded by backing Antigua’s claim of US wrongdoing.

One of the most poignant points made by Antigua is that if the US were a strong anti-gambling culture then its current stance would be understandable. But it’s not, and in fact promotes a very strong domestic gambling culture of its own. What Antigua is really highlighting here is that the US is actually anti-competition when it comes to online gambling and all its forms, such as online bingo. This is a curious stance for a nation intent on selling itself as the bastion of free enterprise and market forces.

However, though the US has decided not to appeal the WTO’s decision in favour of Antigua, it’s not quite finished yet with this issue. Stay tuned as US officials stand poised to invoke “Article 21� by pulling entirely out of the WTO agreement on gambling. This fit of pique is likely to set the cat amongst the pigeons if anything does.

Note: Online bingo players who don’t know what “Article 21� is might want to take a look at today’s news item covering Antigua’s clarification of the WTO’s ruling.

Written by John Witherspoon - Play bingo online at http://bingostreet.com/ and read bingo news.

Here’s an interesting aside for those with an open mind and interest in winning at games of chance, particularly online bingo. In researching some of the more common superstitions associated with gambling, I came across this title:

WINNING WITH ASTROLOGY, by Evelyn Nagle.

An exert from the book’s first page does more to explain its themes than I could:

“The winning system I am about to teach you is the result of nearly twenty years research. This research has been tried and tested for all types of games of chance, but mainly for races, bingo (emphasis mine), lotteries, football pools, junkets to Las Vegas and Atlantic City, and has produced substantial winnings for the participants.”

The book claims to tell you the best time to play and the best time to stay home, all through an understanding of astrology’s influence on the mysterious ways of luck. Now, some people who play online bingo may find this exactly the type of book they are looking for. Me? I’m still unconvinced by the concept that planetary movements play a part on scoring that Foxy Bingo jackpot.

However, if there are any of you out there who have read this book, I would be interested to hear your comments. I wonder,… just how much does something like astrology affect the playing attitudes of your average online bingo player?

Written by John Witherspoon - Play online bingo games at http://bingostreet.com/ and read celebrity gossip.

Austrian online gambling company Bwin seem to really be leading the way in facing down European governments intent on limiting online gambling, including online bingo.

In its latest victory, Bwin has been on the favoured side of a ruling by a Munich court that says it is “technically not possible” to ban online sportsbetting in the state of Bavaria.

The state of Bavaria attempted to limit online sportsbetting last year for the usual boring reason given by so many European governments; that its state lottery monopoly is the only legal gambling allowed online in the region.

That Bwin have successfully contested the ban is good news for all online gambling operators, including online bingo hall operators. With more results like this, the online gaming industry can look forward to brighter future than most governments would like to admit.

Written by John Witherspoon - Play bingo online at http://bingostreet.com/ and read bingo news.

Liverpool were all over them. How AC Milan stole that game I have no idea, but then I’m actually an All Black (New Zealand rugby? Yeah?) supporter at heart and claim no real knowledge of things football. Not that your average person who plays online bingo is all that impressed by the beautiful game as represented by a cup final between Liverpool (1) and AC Milan (2).

However, that rare creature that is the online bingo player that also gets into the occasional game of football probably couldn’t help noticing a certain Austrian online gambling company’s name splayed all over last night’s European Cup final. Bwin is a European giant in the field of online gambling and I found it indicative of just how entrenched online gaming is becoming in the European psyche to see AC Milan’s football stars running around with the Bwin logo all over their shirts.

Bwin does not operate any online bingo halls to my knowledge, but they do know how to pick a winner in things both online and offline. Who’s up for a bet that Bingo Street will be all over Arsenal shirts when they finally win a European Cup?

Written by John Witherspoon - Play bingo online at http://bingostreet.com/ and read celebrity gossip.

Online bingo operators and players alike may be interested in a curious reversal of fortune regards the ongoing debate over laws in certain European countries prohibiting foreign competition from taking part in the online gambling industry.
In the case of the Czech Republic, it seems a ban on online gambling operations at domestic levels is actually a boon for foreign operators who are able to operate in that market free of domestic competition. This is usually the reverse in other European countries where the domestic scene is heavily protected from foreign competition.

In a revealing article in the Czech Business Weekly Bwin affiliated lawyer Jindøich Rajchl claims that foreign online gambling companies are looking at hitting the jackpot in the Czech Republic due to the government there not being able to stop internet activities run from abroad. Online gambling operators, including online bingo halls benefit from laws that block competition from domestic entities, according to the article.

What’s interesting here is that it’s not that the Czech government is pro-online gambling – it’s not. It’s that under European Court of Justice’ rulings, the Czechs simply cannot stop foreign operators from providing what is obviously a much-in-demand service. Czechs gambled Euro 124.04 million alone through Bwin last year and local betting concerns were unable to get a piece of that pie.

The upshot of the article is that foreign online gambling operators can look at the Czech Republic market with a certain amount of optimism. Czech’s who play online bingo, if they exist, can too.

Written by John Witherspoon - Play bingo online at http://bingostreet.com/ and read bingo news.

One of the cornerstones of playing free online bingo is the chance to hook up with friends and team mates and chat in real time as you play. For some types of online game players, it seems, this has gone a step further. The use of Voiceover Internet Protocol (VoIP) has led certain Asian high rollers to send in “proxies� on their behalf who they then paly through via VoIP.

This kind of telephone control leaves me cold and I hope never to see it used in online bingo halls, and I don’t think we ever will. After all, this is being used by people who cannot attend land-based gaming venues and I can’t see the trend catching on in a land-based bingo environment.

Once online bingo starts to catch on in Asia, though, I do see the possibility of all sorts of gadgets being introduced into the game. What they will be I have no idea. However, you can be sure that something will pop up that may change the way we play online bingo games today.

Written by John Witherspoon - Play bingo online at http://bingostreet.com/ and read bingo news.

I’ve been doing a little reading lately pointing to the educational potential of our favourite online game (free online bingo of course), and I’ve been truly impressed at the untapped benefits this rather ancient form of recreation can bring.
While it’s true bingo can be traced back to the classrooms of 17th century Holland, I’ve found it interesting to come across a number of modern variants on bingo specially designed for the teaching of children – particularly in the subjects of languages and applied sciences.

However, at this time there are no specialized online bingo applications for educational use and I think this is a hole that some enterprising individual may be able to fill. That playing online bingo as an educational exercise may come as a surprise to some, when looked at more closely it seems an obvious choice.

Amongst its many benefits are:

• Increased use and development of memory
• Higher recognition of key language components
• Increased vocabulary

Is there a chance that the online bingo industry will tap into this potential market? With more and more kids going online as part of their education, it seems a shame to let such an opportunity go by.

Written by John Witherspoon - Play bingo online at http://bingostreet.com/ and read celebrity gossip.

Like most online gambling interests, Austrian giant Bwin has released a report that reflects the legacy of losses caused by the impact of UIGEA in the US while at the same time showing a steady recovery from that impact.
Reflecting an improving situation, Bwin says it has reached its goal of becoming the world’s largest online betting group in both the number of customers and gross and net earnings.

While the actual details and numbers being reported by Bwin are impressive, the crucial issue here is that a major player in the industry is showing the resilience necessary to rise above the effects of the US government’s attempts to use its UIGEA law to destroy online gambling, and online bingo by association.

Reading about this bounce-back by Bwin, one is reminded of the old axiom of “that which does not kill me only makes me stronger�. Maybe we are seeing a turning of the corner here when it comes to all things in online gaming. For those in the US who enjoy the freedom to play free online bingo, there may be hope yet.

Written by John Witherspoon - Play online bingo games at http://bingostreet.com/ and read bingo news.

While foreign online gambling operators languish by being excluded from the US market, that country’s domestic horse racing industry faces no such limitations. As evidenced by a number of recent press releases, the US horse racing industry is set to take full advantage of the internet as a way of hooking US gamblers into their game. And not the merest hint of the damage this will do to US society, the common reason why foreign operators are excluded.

Just what would happen if the US domestic horse racing industry had to compete with online bingo operators from the UK? The US customer would have more choice to indulge in a favourite pastime: Gambling. The fact that horse racing now gets to go online in the US makes a mockery of the argument that the US’ UIGEA laws are there to protect society from gambling’s adverse affects.

Gambling on horses over the internet is okay with the powers that be in the US, but free online bingo, a game with a history as a recognized educational tool for children, is condemned. Something is wrong here.

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It seems that in the offline world of gambling a problem facing employees is their having to face aggressive and threatening gamblers distressed by their losing situations. I do not know of this problem in online gambling, particularly in online bingo halls.

I should qualify my above statement by pointing out that this employee risk issue is one currently being dealt with by the government of British Columbia in Canada. Their typically governmental answer to the problem is to commission a study on the effects of this problem.

I say that governments should liberalise their online gambling policies and let stressed gamblers work their problems out online. They can play online bingo for free if gambling stresses them out.

Written by John Witherspoon - Play bingo online at http://bingostreet.com/ and read celebrity gossip.