Wink Bingo Review
At a Glance
No deposit free money:£5 upon registration with a valid card
Min Deposit : £5
Deposit Bonuses Available : Yes
1st time Deposit Bonus : 200%
1st time Deposit Bonus Max Amount : £100
Ongoing Deposit Bonus : 50%
Ongoing Deposit Bonus Max Amount : £100
Deposit Methods :Neteller, Maestro, Visa, Visa Debit, Visa Electron, Solo
Loyalty Program : 10% cashback for life
Withdrawal Currency : GPB
Other games available : Slots, Lotto, Arcade Games, Video Poker
Phone Support : 0800 783 9465 (UK only)
Email Support : support@winkbingo.com
Quick Summary
| Bingo | Fun, easy to follow, easy to understand, good variety of rooms |
|---|---|
| Chat | Buttons for common words and very lively banter. Couldn’t be simpler! |
| Extra Games | Wide variety, all the extra games you would expect. |
| Overall Rating | 5/5 very friendly fun online bingo site!! |
First Impressions:
Wink Bingo welcomes you with a home page swimming in a sea of pink! There are many bright colours and animations all designed to grab your attention. Love hearts, flashing lights, cartoon characters and big speech bubbles dominate the screen. It all seems a bit much to take in but the log in and register options are nice and clear at the top and are impossible to miss!! Notice the free 15 pounds bonus!!
Registration:
The registration process is very simple and straightforward. Again you get the feeling you are swimming in a sea of pink, however the blue background actually provides a nice contrast. Simply select an alias (e.g. BingoCat69) and password, enter your email address and select your currency. Enter your personal details, your card details and that’s you registered. It is important to note that Wink Bingo offer a 15 pounds registration bonus once you have registered a card!! You do not have to deposit any money to receive the 15 pounds bonus!! You can also register without leaving any card details but you will not receive the 15 pound registration bonus. Now we’re registered we’re ready to play BINGO!!!
The Lobby
Free Bingo is here! Win real cash for free!! Whoo Hooo!! Where to begin? As with the home page the lobby is a bit overwhelming at first. You are met by a GIANT PIG and are instructed to select a 75 ball or 90 ball room to play in.
There are two 90 ball tabs, each with 6 games displayed (although at the time of the review only 4 seemed to be accessible, one was open from 6pm – 2am, and the rest are apparently "opening soon").
There is one 75 ball tab with 8 games displayed (again at the time of the review there were only 3 accessible, with 2 operating only from 6pm – 2am, and the other 3 again apparently "opening soon").
There is a "specials" tab which contains "free bingo" and "risk free" games.
There is also a "cash clubs" tab guaranteeing 4 figure prizes and finally there is a "summer lovin’" tab offering a mixture of games.
Are you ready? Lets Play some Wink Bingo…
The Wink Bingo Experience
90 Ball Bingo
Again first impressions are that it’s quite overwhelming. However, taking a few seconds to familiarize yourself with the screen is definitely recommended and you should find that everything quickly becomes clear. Your name and balance is displayed right at the very top of the screen. Just below that the time until the next game starts, the jackpot and the number of players are clearly displayed.
Individual tickets can be purchased by simply clicking on the ticket (click again to deselect). You also have the option of purchasing a strip (6 tickets). You can choose to "auto select" up to 4 strips. Once you have selected your card(s) or strip(s) then simply click on the green "Buy Selected Tickets" button to confirm your purchase. Your ticket will turn from pink to green when initially selected and then will turn to purple once your purchase has been completed.
The chat room is predominately displayed on the right hand side of the screen. You can’t miss it as it seems to dominate almost half the screen!! There are lots of smiley faces and bingo lingo (check out our guide to bingo chat rooms page http://www.bingocat.co.uk/uk_bingo/bingo_chatrooms/bingo_chatrooms.html) short cuts at the bottom which add to the chat room experience. Using the chat room couldn’t be any easier!!
Ok, you’ve selected your tickets… Fingers Crossed!!
Once the game begins the screen actually becomes very simple to follow. The balls are clearly displayed and a voice also calls out the numbers in the traditional bingo stle (two fat ladies… 88!!) . Any correct numbers on your card are displayed in pink and your card will also display how many more balls you need to win!
There are 3 prizes up for grabs… 1 line, 2 line and full house. The prize money increases for each prize so winning a full house will net you the biggest prize.
It is important to note that once you have selected your tickets you do not have to do anything else!! Sit back, relax and drink a cup of tea!! All your numbers will be marked off automatically and any time you win your account will be automatically credited with your winnings!!
Winners are clearly announced with a cry of "BINGO… We have a winner!!"
75 Ball Bingo
The layout of the 75 ball bingo page is exactly the same as the 90 ball bingo page. Everything is in exactly the same place!! There are however a couple of differences to note. In 75 ball bingo there is only one prize and that is won by the 1st player to match the shape (letter) displayed at the top of the screen. Also the "Auto Select Cards" option is slightly different, although technically it all adds up to the same thing… instead of the option to buy strips, you have the option of automatically buying 6, 12, 18, or 24 cards (the same as buying 1, 2, 3, or 4 strips).
As with 90 ball bingo, once the game starts the screen is very easy to follow. The numbers on your card which correspond to the required shape are displayed in pink. Remember in 75 ball bingo your numbers must match the shape so there are no prizes for any balls highlighted (purple) on your card that don’t correspond to the shape, nor for 1 line, 2 line or full house.
Other Games (arcade games / slots / fruit machines / scratchcards / table games
There are literally dozens of other games to play at Wink Bingo, from classic arcade games to slots of all shapes and sizes, retro style fruit machines, scratchcards, and the table games (poker, blackjack and roulette) regularly found in Las Vegas!
With all these games you must have made at least one deposit before they will allow you to "play for real", however they all give the option to "play for fun".
These games can act as a welcome change if you find you are down on your luck in the bingo rooms, although they provide none of the community spirit that is provided by the chat rooms when playing bingo.
In Conclusion
In conclusion Mr. Tiddles has no hesitation in recommending Wink Bingo as a fun, exciting place to play online bingo. Both the 90 ball and 75 ball bingo rooms are lively and interactive, the chat room facilities are very simple and easy to use, the players who use the chat rooms all seem warm and friendly and nothing is too complicated.
Remember that Wink Bingo offer a 15 pounds registration bonus once you have registered a card!! You do not have to deposit any money to receive the 15 pounds bonus!!
Mr. Tiddles would advise against spending too much time or money on the other games as they seem to lack the camaraderie of the bingo rooms.
As a side note, the security of the site, and the supervision of the chat rooms at Wink Bingo both seem to be excellent. If they are in any doubt as to the legitimacy of your account or credit card Wink Bingo will suspend your account (it can be reactivated upon confirmation of the correct details). In the chat rooms any questions asked by players are usually answered by one of the moderators who provide accurate, friendly information within seconds.
Wink Bingo!! We have A Winner!!!
New Wink Bingo Dancing Dog Advert
The scene: A mildly attractive woman of indeterminate age (probably early 40’s) is home alone, hunched over her lap top, stroking her dog. The dog is an absolute cracker of a hound and has the most beguiling eyes. Is the woman on drugs? Is the dog?
Is she surfing for porn? No, she’s playing online bingo, the pursuit of choice for bored middle aged housewives throughout the UK. The woman seems rather formally dressed for a session at home with the bingo and the dog, so one can only assume she has recently returned from work or perhaps, given the chill economic wind that has been sweeping the country, she has joined the mass ranks of the gainfully unemployed. Laid off? Sacked for her insatiable gambling addiction? Who knows? Maybe the dog, but he (or she) is not telling.
Anyway, today is our heroine’s lucky day. Her numbers are up! She can’t believe it. Neither can the dog, whose eyes are almost popping out of their sockets. “We have a winner” the computer pronounces, at which the woman and her canine companion leap off the sofa and begin dancing around the living room.
So far so good. Who amongst us wouldn’t be dancing around the living room at such a glorious victory? $12.60 is, as we speak, finding its way electronically to the woman’s online account. Back of the net.
It’s at this stage though that things start to get a little bit strange. Trippy even. The dog seems to know what’s coming, as it appears to take a mad (drug induced?) leap at the woman. But it’s too late. The riverdance routine has begun. Woman and dog prance about as if they are the stars of a new Michael Flatley extravaganza.
I’m sure there is some significance in the fact that wink bingo think the best way to attract new customers (or gamblers as they were once quaintly called) is to have an advert with a dancing dog. What next? Talking cats?
Is this really an advert for online bingo? Or is it, in fact, a classic piece of subliminal subterfuge? A woman on drugs. No man anywhere in sight. No job. Addicted to gambling. Dancing with dogs. The bailiffs are no doubt already on their way…
Welcome to noughties Britain.
