The Latest Online UK Bingo News
Ladbrokes ranked number 1
Good news for gaming giant Ladbrokes recently as it was recognized as the number one gambling company for sustainability. The survey, carried out by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI), annually ranks companies based on their corporate, economic, social and environmental performance.
317 companies were surveyed worldwide and Ladbrokes were one of only 2 gambling companies to be included in the index. Ladbrokes were assessed on their corporate governance, risk management and branding as well as other factors such as climate change mitigation, supply chain standards and labour practices.
The DJSI take into consideration criteria relating to both general and industry specific sustainability and it assesses companies from across 58 sectors.
Ladbrokes apparently scored high marks for sustainability in areas as diverse as anti-money laundering and crime prevention, eco-efficiency, and the promotion of responsible gambling (something Mr. Tiddles wholeheartedly supports!).
Ladbrokes CEO, Mr. Christopher Bell is quoted as saying "Corporate responsibility runs through everything we do and I'm pleased that Ladbrokes has been recognised as the top ranked gambling company in the world in this area."
Chester pensioner banned from bingo
Online lifestyle magazine www.in2town.co.uk is reporting on a bizarre nationwide ban handed out to a 76 year old Chester pensioner.
Mecca Bingo apparently decided to impose the draconian measure after they accused the pensioner (Mrs. Clemson) of contravening their rules by arranging a trip to a rival bingo hall in nearby Runcorn for her friends from the bingo hall.
The magazine states Mrs. Clemson has been a member of her local bingo hall for over 50 years and has been left "devastated" by the decision. It claims she was completely unaware of any breach of regulations and was merely trying to arrange the 15 mile trip to the rival bingo hall as a treat for her friends.
Mecca bingo responded by branding the pensioner "aggressive", her behavior "unacceptable", and accused her of trying to entice other bingo players into similar trips to rival bingo halls. They insist this is against their rules and regulations and thus imposed the nationwide ban.
Mr. Tiddles feels that this severe sanction goes against all that bingo stands for. Bingo is a community game open to all and wonders exactly how “aggressive” a 76 year old pensioner can be? Free the Chester One!!
Tombola Bingo remains the UK's most popular online bingo site
Research carried out by FreeBingoHunter.com has shown that Tombola Bingo continues to dominate the UK market for online "paid for" bingo. It is thought that a successful new advertising campaign and the launch of a new product (bubble wrap bingo) contributed to their success in August 2009.
Gala bingo offset previous months’ reports of job losses and bingo hall closures by claiming the number 2 position, while Foxy Bingo completed the top 3. In further good news for Foxy Bingo it was reported that its parent company (Cashcade), which also owns other bingo sites (e.g. Cheeky Bingo and Little Big Bingo), is in fact the UK’s biggest online bingo company with an 18.5% share of the market.
Costa Bingo, a newcomer to the UK online bingo scene, surprised analysts by taking tenth place in the survey. Costa Bingo has been operating for no more than three months, so to have taken tenth place and a 2.58% share of the market has no doubt raised eyebrows and increased competition within the already highly competitive UK online bingo market. Indeed a number of other online bingo sites are reported to be a mere 0.5% outside the top ten.
FreeBingoHunter.com also released figures taking into account "free" bingo sites. Tombola Bingo retained their number one position but with a reduction in their market share (17.16% for "paid for" bingo / 13.22% for "paid for" & "free" bingo), while Gala Bingo surrendered 2nd place to Cheeky Bingo (the UK’s biggest "free" online bingo site).
The impact of "free" bingo sites within the UK’s online bingo market is continuing to be felt with 4 of the top ten comprising of online bingo sites offering round the clock "free" bingo.
A FreeBingoHunter.com spokesperson was quoted as saying: "It is surprising to see how quickly "free" bingo has taken hold in the UK bingo market. With Cheeky Bingo being the first and biggest "free" bingo site; these figures also demonstrate the continued benefits to bingo companies which are first to act."
Bingo bonanza for back to school kids
The Mirror reported the other day (04/09/09) on an online bingo promotion which aims to provide financial assistance to the parents of back to school kids.
The online bingo site Bingo Lottery is offering total prize money of 400 pounds (to be shared amongst all the players who win on specially marked cards) in their ‘back to school with Bingo Lottery’ promotion.
Players can participate by buying 75 ball online bingo tickets and can make their claim if their winning tickets contain the letters that successfully spell out the word ‘school.’
They are even offering a considerable consolation prize of an extra 10,000 online bingo loyalty points to players who come closest to spelling out the word ‘school.’ Those extra online bingo loyalty points can be redeemed against 10 pounds worth of free bingo!
With a sizeable litter of his own, Mr. Tiddles is well aware of the expense some parents have to go to when the new school term comes round again every year. He thinks this excellent promotion (which lasts until the 17th September) is a great example of how online bingo can help within the community.
Stray cat crisis in Walsall condemned by RSPCA
8th September 2009
Distressing news has reached us here at bingocat.co.uk as the Walsall Advertiser reports today (08/09/09) on an increase in the number of homeless cats within the Walsall region.
The local RSPCA in Walsall is apparently toiling in its efforts to take in and look after all the stray cats. With no dedicated building within Walsall, the charity is being forced to rely on the excellent work and good will of its army of volunteers.
They have been taking in the unfortunate felines until such time as a new home is found. However, they are now reportedly struggling due to the sheer number of stray cats.
The Walsall Advertiser quotes from a local RSPCA volunteer who has laid the blame at the feet of irresponsible owners and their failure to make sure their cats have been neutered.
She is quoted as saying: “"There really is no excuse for people not to get their cats neutered. For people on means-tested benefits it can cost as little as £5.
“We've got a waiting list of 50 cats we need to re-home, and we're receiving calls every day from people asking us if we can take their cats
“I don't think people realise how young a cat can get pregnant.
"From the age of four months a cat can produce a litter, and can produce up to three litters a year.
“Then those cats can also produce litters and the problem escalates.”
Mr Tiddles wholeheartedly agrees. Make sure your cat has been neutered and help keep down the number of stray cats!!
A Victory for Bingo!
6th September 2009
The associated press reported a victory for bingo in America recently (31/8/09) when a judge in Jasper, Alabama overturned an earlier decision closing six electronic bingo halls.
The judge had initially decreed that the bingo halls were to close as they did not conform to regulations requiring that they be run by charities.
A deadline of last Friday afternoon (28/8/09) was met by the owners of the 6 bingo halls, who changed their business models to fall into line with the new requirements.
The 6 will be back in court in little over a month’s time (13/10/09) to hear whether the electronic casino style machines deployed in their bingo halls meet the legal requirements.
Jobs setback for toiling bingo operator
1st September 2009
Gala Bingo, one of the foremost bingo operators in the UK, dropped a jobs bombshell last Wednesday (26/8/09), the Mirror reported on Thursday (27/8/09).
The shock news follows on from announcements earlier in the year that 5 bingo halls were to close.
A number of redundancies amongst management level staff are expected to take effect at the end of this month (September).
The Mirror quotes from a memo it claims to have been shown. It states: "As you are aware, the bingo industry has, over the past two years, faced an unprecedented level of decline due to the impact of the smoking ban and punitive legislative change. As a result the company has reviewed every aspect of its business and a key part of this is the way in which our clubs are structured to meet the challenge."
Gala Bingo currently operates around 150 clubs throughout the UK. It is believed that the job losses will be country wide and may affect all levels of management within the clubs. A new structure will be put in place with approximately 50% of the current number of positions expected to be cut.
The UK Bingo crowd are getting younger
28 June 2008
It used to be the case that most of Britain's bingo players were pensioners who resided in Scotland and the North East.
But recent research suggests that Bingo is the fastest growing leisure pursuit for women under 25. Jo Bunting goes to a session to try and discover the appeal behind what is the most popular group leisure activity in the UK.
Listen to the BBC Radio 4 show about the research
Online Bingo Industry Awards Loom
23 May 2008
Next month sees the third annual Online Bingo Summit in London (sounds very grand).
They are held on June 17th and 18th and there will be awards for the top bingo sites. This is the first time there have been specific awards for bingo. Previously awards were more general e-gaming type. There are seven catergories:
- Best Newcomer
- Best Online Bingo Portal
- Best Marketing Campaign
- Best Affiliate Program
- Online Bingo Software 2008
- Online Bingo Operator 2008
The results will be very interesting and will be reported on here first!
Gala Bingo Clubs withdraw from the National Game
20 May 2008
With the introduction of the recent Gambling act, Gala Bingo Clubs introduced their own High 5 jackpot game, alongside the National Game.
Apparently they want to focus exclusively on the popular High 5 game thus withdrawing from the National Game and introducing a new, enhanced 2 page High 5 game. This should mean more winners, and more prize money which is what it's all about!
Gala will continue to play the National Game until 31st August 2008 with the High 5 game continuing in its current format until the introduction of the new, enhanced High 5 game on 1st September 2008.
