Well, just as I was predicting an easing up of protectionist and anti-online gambling laws in European countries over 2008, Germany comes along and rains on my parade with its latest vote to possible outlaw non-German sanctioned online gambling by tomorrow.

For those of us in the online bingo community this is a serious setback in our hopes for a genuinely free European market in which online bingo operators and online bingo halls will be able to access bingo online players wherever they might be.

Oh well,… it’s another New Year and I am not going to let a lack of German foresight spoil the day!

So, Happy New Year everyone, and I’ll be back next year with more amazingly insightful commentary on what’s making news in bingo online.

Written by John Witherspoon – Come and play online bingo at its best! The best bingo games online are one click away.

As we count down to the New Year I thought it might be appropriate to have a look at what went on in 2007 and see if there is anything which might point to how things are going to unfold in the world of online bingo in 2008.

Probably the biggest influence on free online bingo during 2007 was the protracted effects of the US’ Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) which saw many UK and European-based online bingo halls crippled by UIGEA’s disruption of financial transactions with US players. Apart from turning non-US online gaming operators into virtual criminal enterprises, the online gaming industry had to sit by and watch US authorities take retroactive measures being against online gaming executives such as arrest and capture and extensive fining.

In the most extreme case, online e-wallet Neteller was almost destroyed by the US Department of Justice’s attempts to prosecute them for taking money from US players before UIGEA even came into effect. Happily, the company seems to have weathered the storm and is now pursuing a diversified rebuilding strategy aimed at growing non-US markets.

In essence, the arrival of UIGEA has forced non-US online games operators to seek new markets away from the US and this has proved to be a winning strategy, though many companies are still a long way off from recouping their losses post-UIGEA. In 2008 we can expect an intensification of this strategy for bingo online and many other online gaming enterprises, particularly as the European nation markets become more liberalized.

So, will we see those European nations with existing protectionist gambling policies relax their anti-gambling stances in the way Italy has. Ideally, the online bingo community would like to see the whole of Europe follow the UK model and provide well regulated online markets open to all European-based gaming operators. I think 2008 will see the trend to more liberalized markets continue, but it may be well into 2009 before operators really start to benefit.

Further more, there is a growing trend within the online gaming industry itself that is seeing larger online gaming groups aggressively seeking to expand their scope and reach. For online bingo this has been particularly evident in the Scandinavian sector where operators have recognized a largely untapped female market for bingo. Expect to see more in the way of mergers and acquisitions as this market is developed.

Another interesting development in 2007 which is set to grow over 2008 is the introduction of online gaming in the services offered by airlines for their in-flight entertainment. This is a grey area in the rules and regulations governing online gaming and could see it contribute to more relaxed attitudes on the part of government authorities when it comes to gambling online.

The biggest disappointment of the year has to have been the recent World Trade Organization’s decision not to punish the US over its decision to renege on its treaty obligations to allow access to its online gambling markets. This is an ongoing issue, but to date we have seen little to celebrate over regards European companies being compensated for the US’ determination to maintain its anti-online gambling UIGEA legislation. Don’t expect much to come from this sector over 2008.

In conclusion, my general feeling is that online bingo can expect to grow during 2008, especially in the UK where there is a well established bingo market that now seems to be looking for alternatives to the faltering traditional land-based bingo market. The troubles being faced by the land-based bingo sector are not about to go away and online bingo operators have an opportunity to cash in on this situation.

Written by John Witherspoon – Become a part of a great online bingo community. Play online bingo chat games at BingoStreet.com

If you’re a regular online bingo player over at Mecca Bingo, be prepared to get a call from a telemarketing company called Qire asking for your insights into the world of bingo online.

Some may find such a campaign intrusive, but I think this is a good idea and it will be interesting to see what changes it might bring to the way Mecca goes about its online bingo games business.

2008 is just around the corner and it looks like it’s shaping up to be a year of changes for the free online bingo industry as a whole. In trying to source the mood of its customers, Mecca is showing it’s ready to take on the New Year armed with as much insight about how we all play online bingo as it can get.

I for one would be interested to know what any Mecca Bingo players out there would say to the market researchers if they were called. Of course, this will depend on the questions asked. So what would you ask your average online bingo player if you were conducting a bingo telemarketing campaign?

Written by John Witherspoon – Visit the best UK online bingo site. Bingostreet.com is your ultimate source for the best bingo games online.

Hey everyone!  Tis’ the night before a merry online bingo Christmas, and if you take a trip through Bingo Street’s  top five online bingo hall sites you’re bound to find a great Christmas game or two.

I’ll be back with more commentary on what’s shaking the bingo online community after the Christmas break, so here’s wishing you all a Merry Christmas and lots of luck at your favourite online bingo site.

Written by John Witherspoon – How about playing bingo online? The best free online bingo games are just one click away.

Opening up on two fronts, European online gaming companies have attacked both US and Danish online gambling policies in the aftermath of a poor compensation deal reached by the EU and the US in their WTO spat.

European-based online gaming companies, some with interests in online bingo games products and online bingo halls, are filing a discrimination complaint against the US over its UIGEA legislation while European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) is targeting the Danish government for its monopolistic policies.

While I applaud these moves, I can not but help feel they are indicative of a sense of desperation and betrayal by our trade representatives who should have done more to improve European online gaming interests.

That the industry itself has to take the initiative and go on the offensive is a poor indictment on the effectiveness of our European Union trade representatives. Whether such action will see the return of US players who play online bingo is very much open to question. But, as they say, ‘if you want to get something done right, do it yourself.’

Written by John Witherspoon – Need the best online bingo games? BingoStreet.com collected the best online bingo promotions and free bingo games online.

I was amused recently to see a story reporting on how Canadian lottery officials are warning parents over using lottery tickets and Christmas stocking stuffers, an increasingly popular gift it seems.

“Lottery tickets are for adults, not kids,” OLG spokesperson Don Pister told Canadian Press this week. “There are a lot of things we restrict to certain ages in our society, and this is one of them.”

Three Canadian gaming commissions are conducting campaigns warning parents about the perils of youth gambling, and lottery ticket stocking stuffers are part of them.

“(Lottery tickets) are inexpensive, they make good stocking stuffers, but for kids they really give the wrong message and they can create potential problems,” said Alissa Sklar of the McGill’s International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviours. “It’s really important for parents, grandparents, caregivers to realise that lottery tickets, scratch cards and other lottery products are inappropriate gifts for those who are 18 and under.”

Why was I amused?  Because, when it comes to bingo, it used to be considered an educational tool in helping kids develop mathematical and memory skills. In fact I clearly remember receiving my first bingo game as a Christmas present and it was the big hit with me and my friends.

I’m amused at the Canadian reaction because I wonder what their response would be to me suggesting parents play online bingo games with their own kids.  I think bingo online would make a great Christmas present and that kids would love it as a way to pass the time.

Of course we don’t encourage kids to gamble, but there’s now harm in learning to play.  Many online bingo halls provide free introductory and beginner games.  It’s great fun and nobody has to bring money into it.
Written by John Witherspoon – How about playing bingo online? The best free online bingo games are just one click away.

The big news affecting the online bingo industry at this time must surely be the disappointing climb-down by European negotiators in seeking adequate compensation from the US over its intentions to renege on its WTO obligations regards maintaining an open online gambling market.

The lead up to this development in which the US says it intends to effectively maintain the status quo on the issue of its anti-online gambling stance has many of us in the bingo online world hoping for some serious punitive measures against the US and its UIGEA legislation. But, alas…

“The agreement involves commitments to maintain our liberalized markets,” US spokeswoman Gretchen Hamel said regarding the EU attempts to wring compensation from the US.

So, that is that! So much for the promise of adequate compensation for those online companies, many of them online bingo halls and operators of online bingo games, who suffered catastrophic losses thanks to US anti-free market legislation, i.e. UIGEA.

When Peter Mandelson visited the US late last month in an attempt to convince US legislators to change their stance, I was amongst those who thought real progress was being made. Now it seems all we will be getting is that little sick feeling in your stomach when you realize you’ve been had.

The only good thing to come of this is that we know online bingo has responded very well in seeking other markets in the wake of losing the US market and that online bingo games still continue to grow stronger each year within the online gambling industry – you can’t keep a good game down!

Written by John Witherspoon – Need the best online bingo games? BingoStreet.com collected the best online bingo promotions and free bingo games online.

Hopes that a result in the long-running WTO dispute between Antigua and the US over the latter’s anti-online gambling UIGEA would be forthcoming have yet again been dashed by delays.

It was hoped that I would be able to report that the US would finally be forced to face the music over its decision to renege on its WTO obligations to open its online gambling market up to foreign operators. But alas, it is not to be, and both Antigua and the EU’s compensation claims will have to spend yet more time awaiting a decision.

For the EU and all the online bingo operators and online bingo halls anticipating a decision on how much they can stick it to the US, the matter may now have to move to the unwelcome stage of seeking arbitration in the matter. How much compensation online bingo in the EU can expect to see from the EU’s claims against the US is anybody’s guess, but the possibility that such claims may have to go to arbitration raise the specter of long drawn-out processes few of us have any time for.

Once again, a delay of this kind by the WTO seems to play into the hands of the US as it continues to pursue a policy of protectionism regards its online gaming industry. At least we can spend the time we have to wait around for a decision playing online bingo games and maybe making a bit of money winning the bingo online jackpots US players are currently restricted from playing for.

Written by John Witherspoon – Become a part of a great online bingo community. Play online bingo chat games at BingoStreet.com

News from Germany that Austrian online gaming company Bwin has been allowed to continue operating under a license issued before reunification of the two Germanys in 1990 has far reaching implications regards the continued existence of European gambling monopolies.

Right now there are plans afoot in Germany to outlaw online gaming, which of course includes online bingo and online bingo hall operations. However, a regional court decision in favour of Bwin is seen as undermining such efforts and pointing to a possible relaxation of monopolistic laws.

Such a development is to be applauded and Bwin are to be congratulated in sticking to their guns in facing down German state concerns in the name of online gaming freedom.

Written by John Witherspoon – Visit the best UK online bingo site. Bingostreet.com is your ultimate source for the best bingo games online.

An interesting story out of Canada should illustrate to the UK online bingo community that we should not take for granted the current benign environment that allows us to enjoy our favourite online game.

If it had not been for the alertness of a Canadian politician, a recent Canadian government bill would have been passed with a dangerous clause that would have made online gambling illegal in Canada.

So, could the same thing happen in the UK?

Anything is possible, but the moral of the story is that we all need to keep close tabs on any developments that may affect our current near-perfect state of free online bingo games.  It’s up to us to make sure the thin end of the anti-online gambling wedge does not sneak in on our current regulated online gambling industry.

Speaking of unwanted government action against online bingo, I’ve not yet seen any news from the WTO regards the compensation claims being made by the European Union against the US over its UIGEA law.  When I hear I’ll let you know as soon as possible.

Written by John Witherspoon – How about playing bingo online? The best free online bingo games are just one click away.