It is sad to say that fraud exists in every type of game, including bingo games.  Some players complain about games being rigged, people cheating, and organisers awarding money and prizes to undeserving players.  How can fraud be combated?

There are rules and regulations for bingo games, just as there are for any kind of gambling scheme.  Cheaters should be brought to the attention of the appropriate authorities, whether it is a gaming commission or governing body of the site holding the game.  While bingo seems like a harmless game, there are people willing to take advantage wherever and whenever they can.

The newspapers are full of stories about people cheating at bingo.  Granted, those people are very few compared to the millions of people that play the game worldwide, but cheating is cheating, and it should be a punishable offence.  Reports have been given about callers that cheat by yelling out numbers on the cards of accomplices, organisers giving money to people that have not won, or officiants validating cards that are not winners.

There are also stories that involve people being arrested and charged due to bingo-related crimes.   One woman was so addicted to online bingo that she resorted to stealing from her employer, in order  to pay for her gambling habit.  Others have been reported as neglecting to claim bingo winnings on their taxes, while trying to take advantage of government-funded programmes to help those in need.

Be careful when choosing a game to play, and only bet as much as you are prepared to lose.

The game of bingo has been played in the UK since the 1700s.  The element of chance and the potential to win cash prizes mean the game can be both exciting and enjoyable, which has helped secure its enduring popularity.

For anyone who has never played the game, it is quite simple.  Each player has a card which contains fifteen random numbers between 1 and 90.  The numbers are divided into nine sections from 1-9 through to 80-90 and each player has between one and three numbers from each section.  During the game, numbers are drawn either by hand or machine and called out.  Each time one of a player’s numbers is called, they mark it off on their card.  Prizes are awarded to the first person to get a complete line and a larger ‘jackpot’ prize is awarded to the first person to mark off all their numbers.  Bingo can often be very exciting with nail-biting waits on a final number and excited shouts of “house” when it finally comes up.  In recent years the game has changed, however, as more and more websites have begun to offer the opportunity to play online.

The principle of the online game is the same but it provides the added convenience that the player can choose where and when he or she wishes to play.  All that is needed is an internet connection.  Most websites like Xbingo and Foxy Bingo offer games throughout the day and many offer the choice of cheaper games with smaller cash prizes and slightly more expensive games with the chance to play for a large cash prize.

Bingo has quite a long history.  It started its journey around the world in Italy, in 1530, when it was known as ‘Lo Giuoco del Lotto D’Italia’.  From Italy it gradually made its way to France, where the first mention of the game was in 1770, when it was named ‘Le Lotto’.  At this stage it was only played by the rich, but when it spread to Germany, in the 1800s, it was used as an educational tool, to teach children maths, spelling and history.

The game did not reach North America until 1929.  According to available records it was played for the first time at a country fair near the city of Atlanta in Georgia and the American version was known as beano.  The reason for this rather strange name was that a dealer would choose a numbered disc from a cigar box and the contestants would then mark their cards with beans.  If they had the winning combination, they would shout ‘beano’.

A toy salesman from New York, Edwin S. Lowe, once overheard somebody shout ‘bingo’ instead of ‘beano’.  He rather like the name and from then on he called the game bingo.  He became so obsessed with the game that he later hired a professor in mathematics at Columbia University, Carl Leffler, to help him develop more winning combinations for bingo cards.  Once the church became interested in using bingo to raise funds, the popularity of the game increased rapidly.

Usually, anyone organising bingo games must have a bingo operating licence.  There are, however, a number of exceptions to this rule.  Below we list the circumstances in which a person or group do not need a bingo operating licence.

Playing Bingo at Home

Anyone can play bingo at home without a bingo operating licence.  In this context ‘home’ can mean a private home, a hostel or other similar type of residence hall, e.g. an old people’s home.  The only requirement is that at least 50% of those playing must live on the premises.  You are also not allowed to charge a fee to participants.

Bingo for Fundraising

If you want to raise money for charity or some other good cause, you can organise a fund-raiser and run bingo games without having an operating licence.  You have to tell the participants the name of the cause the money will go to.  After the game, all the income, e.g. entrance fees, sponsorships, stall rental fees, have to go to the charity you are raising funds for.  You are only allowed to deduct the cost of the fundraiser, including prizes.

Clubs and Pubs

Clubs and pubs are allowed to offer bingo games on their premises without an operating licence under certain circumstances.  In the first place, the game must be for adults only.  Secondly, it must not be linked to games played on any other premises.  Pubs are not allowed to charge a participation fee and the amount they are allowed to charge per game is also limited.  Both pubs and clubs are limited to a certain amount of prize money per week.

Prize Gaming

Adult gaming centres, travelling fairs and family entertainment centres are allowed to run bingo as a prize game without an operating licence.  There is a maximum amount they are allowed to charge per stake.  The prize money is also limited and they are only allowed to sell a certain number of tickets per day.

The United Kingdom traditionally used to be the Mecca of bingo around the world.  Bingo also deservedly or undeservedly had a reputation for being a game for middle-aged housewives gathering at stuffy bingo halls.  The introduction of online bingo has changed all this, as can be seen from the latest industry statistics.

In the first place, it is quite surprising to note that 85% of online bingo players originate from the USA.  Taking into account the millions of offline bingo players in the UK, it becomes clear that only a percentage of them have so far converted to online bingo.  The phenomenal growth of online bingo games in the UK has one implication however; eventually the online version will become the dominant form of bingo in this country.

Another interesting statistic is that the vast majority of online bingo players are women.  That might not come as a surprise to many, but what may come as a surprise is the fact that bingo has become a game for young women; nearly all the players are below fifty and a very large percentage of them are between twenty and twenty five.

The popularity of online bingo has various explanations.  During the current economic downturn, it seems that many people prefer to stay at home rather than go out.  The computer is easily accessible and apparently many people enjoy the chat facilities they have at most bingo websites.  The many young people on these bingo chat sites have injected new life and energy into the game.

You can play bingo online for free; make new friends and win great prizes all at the same time!  Yes, it’s true; you can really have great fun by playing free bingo online at any one of the free sites. It’s simple to join this rapidly growing community.  All you have to do is enter your details so that your cash and prizes are sent to the right address.

You have to choose a username and a password.  The username is your name when you chat online so you can keep your real name confidential – unless you choose not to.  You’ll need your password when you log on to play or if you want to access your account information.

The site is safe and secure so all your personal details will remain confidential.

The site is open 24/7, 365 days a year meaning you can log on and enjoy a game of bingo whenever you want and have the chance to win some great prizes or to join in the chat room.  There’s always someone logged on so you can speak to a bingo community friend about the game, or anything you want.

There’s a schedule listing all the games and the prizes that are offer.  There are progressive jackpots, random games, freebies, sweepstakes and bingo blitz.  In fact, there’s a game of bingo planned whenever you want to play.

In fact, it’s so much fun you’ll be telling all your friends to join too.

Many people who enjoy the game of bingo, whether online bingo or in person at the bingo hall, see it as nothing more than a fun distraction or a great night out, which is what the game is intended to be. However for others, what starts as an innocent pastime can eventually grow into something that is more destructive in their lives.

Bingo addiction is quite a common form of gambling addiction since it is so easy to slip into; the game is socially acceptable and no friends or family members will bat an eyelid when a player begins to spend time at the bingo hall or playing bingo games at online bingo sites.

However, as an addiction develops, people will find that they are beginning to spend more and more time and money indulging their bingo habit. This is when an addiction can develop that can have a detrimental effect on home and family life as well as finances.

Anyone who feels that the amount of time spent playing bingo games or associated gambling such as online slots or scratch cards is becoming excessive should seek help immediately in order to prevent their problem from getting out of control.

Facing up to a bingo addiction can be hard, and telling friends and family about worries can help a possible addict to break away from the cycle of playing online bingo games at internet bingo sites.

Resources are available to those who are concerned about their level of participation in online bingo games or other gambling, and can be accessed online through links on responsible bingo sites.

Take a moment and imagine a typical bingo player. What do you see? A large lady with a felt tip pen eagerly awaiting the next number – probably.  You are more than likely reliving an outing with your grandparents down to the local bingo hall.

Would it surprise you to learn that playing bingo actually sharpens the mind? Recent studies show that online bingo can have a positive effect on brain development, and improve mental retention and capacity in those who play bingo. Bingo rates as high as doing crosswords puzzles to retain and sharpen mental acuity.

The tests, which ran over a lengthy period of time, showed that online bingo players had improved memory and better retention of brain functions than people who do not play bingo. Bingo players were able to keep both concentration and focus on tasks at hand, as well as completing the tasks earlier than the group who did not play bingo.

Researchers have long proven that mental exercises help keep the brain sharp and working at a maximum level. What they found about bingo is that a player is required to multitask: listening for the called numbers, watching the cards, concentrating on the patterns played, and chatting with nearby bingo contestants.

Granted there are other ways to keep your brain functioning at an optimal level, but why not have fun with it? Improve your mind while playing a great game of bingo online.

For the millions of online bingo enthusiasts who are never tired of the large number of online bingo sites out there, who are always looking out for more, they will be delighted to learn that a new online bingo site might arrive into the industry soon. This means that die-hand bingo fans will have yet another site with attractive bonuses, promotions, games, offers, contests, and freebies.

It is heard the new online bingo site is to be called Bingo Cove and is currently being developed and will soon be launched into the online bingo gaming world. We are aware that the internet has many online bingo sites so a new one will certainly have a powerful brand identity in order to survive.  The new internet bingo site is believed to have a high brand identity, needed to make it a success.

As no two bingo halls have the same rules, it is a very good idea to read each hall’s posted rules before you start to play. If they have handouts, make sure that you read them, as these will take precedence.

Most bingo halls take cheating very seriously, so do not try to alter your bingo card in anyway. Experienced bingo managers will be able to spot any alterations straight away, and you will be prosecuted. Always be honest and abide by their rules.

In most if not all bingo halls, players must be aged 18 years or older to play. If there is a special high stakes game playing, the management may stop players from leaving and entering the hall. They may not allow players to reserve specific cards for certain bingo games.

Most halls do not like you to sit and watch your friends play. People seated may be required to have their own cards to play. Some halls even insist that players have an attendance card in sight whilst they are playing.

If a player has marked off all their numbers on the card and has bingo it is up to them to make sure that the game is stopped before the next number can be called. It is most imperative that the bingo is claimed on the most recent number called because if the caller has started calling the next number it is too late to call bingo. Similarly, if the caller has closed the game and the balls for the next game have been dropped, any bingos missed will not be accepted.