Online Bingo for Bingo Halls and Charities in North America

You are here >

For advertising information, please contact
Richard Swayze

Charitable Bingo - Archives
Online Bingo for Bingo Halls and Charities in North America [Report]


		Leave a comment

Unlike what appears to be happening in the land-based environment, bingo is surging as an Internet game in most countries. Pay-for-play bingo is now offered by some of the largest brands in the world in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Spain, Denmark and more recently in Canada. Countries such as Italy and France, and a number of Canadian provinces, and even the United States are now assessing the merits of Internet gaming. In 2008, in excess of $1 billion was wagered by players in Internet bingo halls. Last year alone, in the United Kingdom, the number of Internet bingo players doubled.

It is not just pay-for play bingo that is exploding - all kinds of free-play and now subscription-based bingo offerings are emerging as bingo-focused social networking portals. Yahoo!, Pogo, GabDab, Gamelogic, Parlay and others now offer Internet bingo technology solutions. These managed solutions are used to successfully generate revenue and/or create brand recognition and customer loyalty through community-driven portals which reward players with non-cash rewards or small cash prizes. These free-play and subscription based marketing strategies are being used or considered by traditional gaming operators, charities, First Nations groups and mainstream marketing and promotions firms.

It is now a fact that the largest bingo halls in the world are Internet bingo halls. This is no coincidence. Our customers, some of whom operate land-based bingo clubs as well as Internet bingo halls, tell us that their players prefer Internet bingo. This is because players prefer the interactive, community experience and they enjoy establishing their online personas, where they offer access to their pictures, family histories, biographies, likes and dislikes. This exchange of information is simply unheard of within traditional land-based bingo communities.

So why is Internet bingo so popular? From the player’s perspective, there are no costly and time-consuming car trips to the bingo hall and there are no smoking bans. Internet players are able to couple the thrill associated with playing in a seemingly endless variety of competitive bingo games, with the exploding phenomena of social networking.

From the operator’s perspective, there is minimal cost associated with launching a free-play or subscription-base bingo site. Operators are able to easily extend their existing websites and link them into existing Internet bingo game infrastructure, which is fully managed for them. There is immediate, recognizable, enhanced customer value in using such an offering, allowing the 24/7 promotion of land-based bingo hall or charity specials, jackpots, lotteries or sweepstakes. The promotion of upcoming events effectively adds a direct marketing channel to the customer or donor, allowing for frequent and multiple opt-in customer touch opportunities.

In the coming months, we expect to see substantially more free-play and subscription-based Internet bingo solutions adopted by gaming companies, traditional bingo halls and charities. We are also seeing unprecedented interest in Internet bingo from promotional firms who may use Internet bingo to enhance customer loyalty. These technologies can be used successfully to re-capture old players and acquire new ones. Since only 40 percent of Internet bingo players currently play at bingo halls, to acquire an Internet player, gives a hall operator access to a new customer.

Internet bingo is still at its very early stages of development. As Internet gaming regulates in North America, Internet bingo will become mainstream just as it has in the United Kingdom and Europe. Given the current regulatory environment in North America, traditional bingo operators and charities should consider using Internet bingo as a marketing and promotions tool. Internet bingo complements existing marketing channels. It should not be seen as a threat.

By Scott White, CEO of Parlay Entertainment Inc.