Over the last 6 months or so I’ve noticed a distinct trend in the marketing policies of various online bingo halls that is taking them away from celebrity endorsements.  We’ve seen Foxy Bingo can its association with Katie Price, Sharon Osbourne no longer fronts Mecca Bingo and Kerry Katona’s ongoing real life troubles has seen her online bingo profile diminished.

There is now a debate amongst online bingo games operators as to the benefits of shelling out for a celebrity endorsement and, as things get tough in the real economy, some are content to simply market their services via more traditional service to customer models.

However, in the world of TV bingo celebrities such as Greg Scott, Jim Bowen and comedians Cannon and Ball have been signed up as presenters in the upcoming Celebrity TV Bingo program that will air daily on Sky Channel 847 in the UK as part of the www.bingos.com brand.

It will be interesting to see how this develops and if celebrity power will attract a significant proportion of the free online bingo playing market.   It will be even more interesting to see if celebrities really know their bingo.

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

A new by New York-based Moody’s Investors Service is telling us that there are several factors combining with the “economic slowdown and possibility of a long-term, consumer-based recession” which will cause a negative impact on the US gambling industry –including the online gambling industry which was so badly affected by the implementation of UIGEA.

From the report’s author:

“Declining disposable income of potential customers and increasing travel costs are lowering overall visits and spending per visit in many gaming markets,” said Keith Foley, Moody’s vice president and senior credit officer.

For the discerning online bingo games operator, the part about increasing travel costs causing players to stay at home screams ‘opportunity!’  Moving to an online solution for their gaming needs is the obvious trend here facing the overall gambling industry.

However, the fly in the ointment is the obstacle of UIGEA which stops us UK-based online bingo halls from operating in the US market.  Until this heinous piece of legislation disappears, we’re not going to see any major uptick in dealing with US customers.

So what is the state of things?

Online bingo industry observers will be aware of efforts in the US to change the emphasis away from criminalizing online gambling and instead looking for ways to regulate the industry which would lead to tax revenue benefits.  With the threat of a major recession hanging over their heads, I hope, along with the rest of the bingo online community, that US legislators will see the sense of this.

In an ironic way, a possible downturn in the US overall gambling industry may be one of the major sparks in convincing US legislators to scrap UIGEA.

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

Just a note on a blog I posted last March 14 regarding a story about a supposed phising scam aimed at Neteller clients – it turns out there was no phising scam and the email at the centre of the claims was legitimate.

Neteller have contacted us over the story and have confirmed the email which advises the company intends re-introducing IP tracking from March 31 is genuine.

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

It’s Easter!  And I’m going to concentrate on winning at least one of the myriad prizes you can find by taking a trip down Bingo Street.  For me it’s a time to be an online bingo player, to play online bingo games and to catch up with old friends at my favourite online bingo halls.

In short, instead of writing about free online bingo, I’m going to spend some time playing online bingo! Time to recharge the batteries and all that,… and I’m looking forward to it immensely.

So one and all have a great Easter and I’ll see you back after the break!

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

The US government went after online gambling and online bingo in a big way with its Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and caused untold damage to the law-abiding businesses involved in the industry as a result.  Now its seems it’s the turn of community websites like Facebook which are now on the FBI’s radar for possible online betting violations.

A Computerworld has reported that so-called March Madness office pools on social networks have caught the attention of the FBI. “There could be a violation if there’s a payout and if the operators take a cut,” an FBI spokesman said according to the report.

Really?  Seriously?  Doesn’t the FBI have better things to investigate than March Madness pools?

Note to potential Facebook fugitives – try online bingo games instead.  Bingo online is the most community online gaming experience out there and UK online bingo halls are the safest bet in bingo.

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

Is the latest National Lottery TV ad more a comment on the end of an era or the ‘deeply offensive’ attack on the land-based bingo industry the UK’s Bingo Association says it is?

In the ad we see a little old lady whisked out of a dreary padlocked bingo hall onto some paradise-like beach because she is playing (and presumably winning with) the National Lottery’s Flamin’ Hot Bingo scratchcards.

I love it! Reminds me of some of the winners we have who play at the various online bingo halls you can find on Bingo Street. In fact, change Flamin’ Hot Bingo scratchcards for any number of online bingo halls and I think you have a pretty accurate picture of what’s going on in bingo in general.

You will not find one ‘dreary’ online bingo game or club on Bingo Street, but let’s face facts: Land-based bingo halls are becoming a pretty dreary lot due to the double tax and smoking bans they are fighting.

If I were the Bingo Association I would be pleased that someone has finally agreed with them that their industry is in a state.

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

I like hearing news about people winning in online bingo. The recent win of Wink Bingo’s £10,000 Guaranteed Jackpot by one Joelybay marks a first in the industry and I hope it means we’ll see more of this type of innovation in other online bingo halls.

The concept of a £10,000 Guaranteed Jackpot is as simple as it is attractive to online bingo players. Each month on the 10th, at 10pm GMT, Wink Bingo gives away £10,000 Guaranteed. Cards are £1 each and each player can buy up to 24 cards. In an innovation unique to Wink Bingo, players can even pre-buy cards anytime before the game.

I’ll let Joelybay explain what it means to take part and win in a £10,000 Guaranteed Jackpot:

Never slept a wink that night and I don’t think it has actually sunk in yet! My young son is getting a nintendo wii and the rest will be spent on a luxury holiday for the family after a good shopping spree.

May I wish all the players the best of luck for 10 April because if I can win it anyone can!!

Many thanks to Wink Bingo for this fantastic boost to my life.

Best Wishes

Joelybay

Well done Joelybay. We’re just glad that you found your way to Wink Bingo via Bingo Street. Best of luck in your future online bingo games action.

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

While it’s technically illegal to accept payment from US-based online bingo players in US$ thanks to UIGEA, it’s not illegal to accept US$ from other eligible players. But is the current massive slide in the value of the US$ a cause for concern amongst online bingo games operators?

Of course, the issue only applies to prices denominated in US$ and few UK online bingo halls outlay prices in that currency. However, there is still the issue of what it means for customers who have to pay in US$ - and there are still enough of them out there to warrant attention.

There is no doubting that the US$ is collapsing with little relief in sight and many currency analysts are projecting continued losses. It is therefore logical to assume that in order to minimize losses to their margins, online bingo operators are going to have to adjust their US$ denominated prices higher to compensate.

Unfortunately this means passing on the loss to those players having to make payment in US$ - so what’s an online bingo hall to do?

As a suggestion, it might be wise promoting ‘bulk’ buying by US dollar-based customers to hedge against the loss of their US$’s value. In the long run this would be better for the players and better for the operators if the US$ continues to slide. The player gets a store of bingo product wealth and the operator’s cash flow is enhanced. The key, it would seem, is in convincing the players that their bingo purchases will maintain value a lot longer than the sorry state of the US$.

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

It’s all wailing and gnashing of teeth for the teetering land-based bingo industry in the aftermath of the UK budget – they will not be getting a reprieve from paying a ‘double tax’. The land-based industry blames this tax, along with a smoking ban for its current travails. In the meantime online bingo halls continue to grow and thrive.

For the online bingo games operators in the UK, things remain largely unchanged, a fact most operators will be pleased about. If there is any cause for concern it will be the Chancellor’s projection that economic growth will slow. This will result in possible reduced spending by online bingo punters as the economy contracts.

It’s going to be tough for the land-based bingo industry to rebound from this – they had put a lot of hope in a tax change. Unfortunately they seem to have been hit by a double whammy in the form of an increase in amusement machine license duty. When all said and done, it seems a whole lot less complicated to be an online bingo operator.

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

It will be interesting to see how things develop at Gala Coral, the gaming company behind mainstay online bingo hall Gala Bingo, now that reports in the UK media are claiming that sources have revealed the company has lost half its value.

I think a word of caution needs to be added here considering that we don’t have the full story yet, but confirmation by the company that it is in talks to re-negotiate its lending agreements does not bode well.

The news, if it turns out to be true, is also a warning to the online bingo industry and free online bingo operators in general that complacency is to be avoided. While I do believe bingo online can see out a lot of the recessionary fears currently stalking the larger economy, it still remains crucial that we keep our wits about us and continue to provide the best online bingo games service we can.

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