Summer vacation means all the kids are at home and moms who are also online bingo players have their hands full and have less time to play their favorite game. If these moms survive the day with active children all around and once the kids are safely tucked into their beds harried moms may seek a little refuge in a few games of online bingo. Bingo chat rooms provide busy moms with a chance to discuss the challenges of the day with other moms in the very same situation. It’s no secret that by summer’s end most moms welcome the beginning of the school year and the hours of peace and quiet when the kids are in school. After the beginning of the school year some bingo sites report increased activity during school hours as moms try to get a few games in before the school day ends.

Recent advertising campaigns by the online bingo industry have targeted busy moms with family related promotions such as weekend getaways and holidays for the whole family. Online bingo players are a gregarious lot and busy mothers can meet in chat rooms to share experiences and child rearing tips and suggestions. In addition to the entertainment value of online bingo moms can win some serious cash. Just about every online bingo site seems to be offering back to school promotions and the games vary from site to site. A quick Google search of ‘bingo back to school promotions’ yielded dozens of promotions by most of the major online bingo sites. Many sites have launched school based games with special card patterns and jackpots in the hundreds of pounds. Some games allow moms to go back to school themselves and win grades for points and even make the honor roll!

Bingo sites are going all out to attract moms who suddenly have spare time on their hands and are ready for some serious bingo playing. Bingo blogs and portals are full of information about all the back to school promotions and some bingo sites are even offering bigger back to school deposit bonuses. Who couldn’t use some extra cash to help with the usual back to school expenses; new clothes, shoes and school supplies? There are some fantastic back to school promotions out there and suddenly not so busy moms should have no trouble finding one they like!

Everyone loves bingo and like most games bingo players want to win. Since bingo is a random game of chance and not skill based strategies for improving one’s chances of winning are somewhat limited. Anyone who has been to a bingo hall is familiar with bingo machines with their numbered balls.  Online bingo uses a random number generator to achieve the same randomness. In fact some land based bingo halls are now using random number generators because of their low maintenance costs and reliability. Even though bingo is a game of chance there are a few things a player can do to win that next big bingo jackpot.

We have all heard the theory that the more cards played the better the chance of winning. This may not actually be true especially for land based players. In a land based game the more cards, the greater the chance of making a mistake. Online bingo players can use the ‘auto daub’ feature and can play dozens of cards at a time and it is impossible to make a mistake with the auto daub feature.

There are actually two schools of thought when it comes to playing more than one card at a time. The first theory says that a player should select cards with similar numbers. The theory holds that with similar numbers if a number hits on one card it is likely to hit on the others giving the player a better chance of winning.  The other theory holds that cards with different numbers have a better chance of winning due to the random nature of the game. It may sound strange but many people swear by these theories.

Some experts advise players to go for the higher priced bingo cards. Generally these games have fewer players and the jackpots are usually higher.

Play online games that offer ‘bonus balls’. If these bonus balls appear on a winning card the player will receive bonus points which will increase overall winnings.

Play online bingo games during the week instead of on weekends. On weekdays there are fewer players and fewer cards being played. The winnings may not be as big as at weekend games but players have a better chance of winning smaller jackpots more often. For big money games play on the weekend but be aware that the chances of winning will be diminished.

Be sure to check the reputation and reliability of a bingo site. There are many independent reviews online and these can save players a lot of unpleasantness. After all what good does it do to win if the site has a reputation for not paying players their legitimate winnings?

Happy playing and good luck!

There are hundreds of websites serving the online bingo community worldwide. The sheer number of bingo sites makes finding reliable statistics difficult. Some surveys are generic and include both land based and online bingo while others are more specific. There are some companies that do market research and provide up to date statistics to the online bingo industry. Bullet Business in London hosts the annual online bingo summit and provides the bingo industry with reliable marketing information. Here are some very interesting bingo statistics gleaned from several reliable sources.

Which do bingo players prefer no download or download online bingo games? 23% prefer no download and 16% prefer games that require downloads.  61% undecided.

Favorite bingo side games? 54% prefer slot games, 36% play all side games and 9% prefer bingo’s first cousin Keno.

How often do most online bingo fans play? 21% daily, 20% more than once a week, 19% play once a week, 8% play 3 or 4 times a month, 6% play once a month and 25% less than one time a month.

75 ball vs. 90 ball bingo? 69.2% prefer 75-ball bingo while 30.8% say they prefer 90-ball bingo.

What is the chief factor in choosing an online bingo site? 21.5% said deposit bonuses were the most important factor,  20.9% friendly players  and a strong community atmosphere affected their decision,  13.9% said they heard of their favorite site through advertising , 12.7% said jackpots and prizes were the chief factors, 10.8% deposit options and convenience,  8.2% were attracted by the site name,  5.1% recommendation  by a friend,  0.6% friendly Chat Leaders, and 6.3% other reasons.

Biggest win playing bingo? (Includes land based and online bingo) 25% have won between $100 and $500 dollars and an astounding 75% say they have won between $1,000 and $5,000!

How many bingo sites does the average person play at? 56.4% said they regularly play at more than three bingo sites, 22.8% play at two sites, 12.9% at three sites and 7.9% say they only play at one site regularly.

Multitasking while playing bingo? 50% said yes, 16% said they focus on the game, and 33% said it depends on the game.

Some of these figures include both land based and online bingo while others are solely for online bingo. Some of the figures are surprising especially the number of players who have won jackpots in the $1,000 to $5,000 range.  Those figures alone should make playing bingo very attractive!

New online bingo players are likely to encounter three types of bingo jackpots; progressive, guaranteed and coverall. For the new player these terms can be vague and confusing. Online bingo is played regularly by millions of players around the world and should recently proposed US legislation be successful the industry is expecting millions of new online bingo players from the USA. It is always a good idea to familiarize oneself with all the terms used by online bingo players and bingo websites.

The progressive jackpot is simply a jackpot that is rolled over until it is won. Rolled over means that if no one wins the prize in the first game that jackpot is added to the jackpot offered in subsequent bingo games. Progressive jackpot games are played in 75 and 90 ball bingo rooms. In the past UK based land based bingo halls operated by chains such as Mecca or Gala would offer bingo games with massive jackpots at all of their bingo halls at a set hour. These games were the forerunner of today’s progressive jackpot bingo games.

Coverall jackpots can be somewhat confusing. Coverall essentially means that all the numbers on a bingo card must be covered to win the jackpot. Usually the jackpot is a set amount although in some cases a progressive jackpot can also be a coverall jackpot. The idea is to cover all the numbers with a certain number of calls.

The easiest jackpot to understand is the guaranteed jackpot. Usually bingo sites will advertise bingo games with a ‘guaranteed’ jackpot and no matter how many calls it takes for a player to bingo the jackpot is won. There are two types of guaranteed jackpots; the first kind of guaranteed jackpot is fixes no matter how many players there are. The second type is a guaranteed minimum jackpot. If there are a lot of players the jackpot size can increase well above the minimum jackpot.

For new online bingo players the wide variety of new terms can be intimidating. Most online bingo players are happy to answer any questions new players may have. All online bingo players were new once and are glad to help newbies learn the game. Online bingo is an exciting and entertaining game and players can win substantial sums of money playing online bingo. There are many bingo glossaries posted online and new players can look up any terms they are unfamiliar with. Winning a bingo jackpot is an exciting experience no matter what type of jackpot it is!

Online bingo is the most popular online game in the UK and about three million play online bingo every week. Online bingo is now a billion dollar a year industry and continues to grow. During the last three years online bingo has expanded into new markets such as Spain and Scandinavia and is preparing to enter the lucrative Italian market. In the US proposed legislation may open the American bingo market and the industry is ready. At present many American players are having difficulty finding bingo sites to play at. Since many American players are unfamiliar with the online version of the game some may find it difficult to choose a suitable bingo site. Here are a few tips to help new American players to find a good bingo site to play at.

Most bingo sites also operate blogs and bingo portals and while many of these provide some good tips and hints the information contained on these sites may be biased and inaccurate. There are several ways you can get unbiased information. Forums are a great source of information. Online gambling forums usually have several threads devoted to online bingo and new players can read about the experiences of others at various bingo sites. Make sure the site is independent. Social networking sites are also great sources of information. For example Facebook has many pages devoted to online bingo.

Do a Google search. If you are looking for a certain type of bingo game use that as your search term. Google has an excellent keyword search tool that is available for free. For example you could type in ’90 ball bingo’ and look at all the top search terms others are using. This valuable tool allows a player to narrow down a search instead of just typing in ‘bingo’ and then sorting through the millions of results.

Once you have found a bingo site that looks interesting you will probably have some questions. For example are the games download or no download? In the past most games required players to download each game but new flash technology allows players to log in and play instantly.

How many bingo games does the site offer? Today many online bingo sites offer 80 and 90 ball bingo in addition to the traditional 75 ball version of the game. Many American players may not be familiar with 80 and 90 ball bingo but they are very easy to learn.

Be sure to check out the bonuses offered by bingo sites. Many bingo sites offer very generous deposit bonuses. Most bingo sites also offer free bingo and this option is a great way for you to check out the games on a website.  Obviously most players will also check out the size of the jackpots. Be sure to read the FAQ section of any site you are considering.

If you follow these simple suggestions you will have no trouble locating a bingo site that suits your bingo needs perfectly!

The ongoing recession has governments scrambling to find new revenue sources. In the US proposed legislation by Congressman Barney Frank would legalize online gambling including online bingo and would bring in billions every year in additional tax revenue. At the present time many American bingo players find themselves shut out of several licensed European bingo sites leaving them at the mercy of unregulated offshore sites and less than scrupulous payment providers. 2006 was a dark year for online bingo; it was the year that a small group of anti gambling extremists tacked anti gambling legislation on to a must pass port security bill. Many in congress were totally unaware of the provision and the bill was presented in a late night session of congress with no time for debate.

Since then American players have had to come up with some pretty creative funding solutions since the law forbids banks and credit card providers from processing ‘gambling’ related transactions.  Probably the most creative solution was the use of pre paid phone cards to fund bingo accounts. Players could purchase a pre paid phone card with a pin number. Many online casinos would then accept the pre paid credits to fund player accounts.

The bill proposed by Frank would regulate and tax bingo sites operating in the US. At present the bill has attracted many supporters and the House Finance Committee has approved the bill for further consideration. Not surprisingly the bill has attracted the attention of anti gambling groups with the usual claims of gambling ‘addiction’ and other such nonsense.  Enforcement of current laws has been spotty at best due to extremely vague regulations and the reluctance of the financial services industry to assume law enforcement responsibilities.

Under Franks’ bill American bingo players would be protected and American players would be assured that sites would be licensed by the government. Supporters estimate that in the next ten years online gaming will bring in $42 billion and this is a conservative estimate. The online bingo industry is already prepared for the influx of new US players. Hopefully by the end of the year American online bingo players will be able to play their favorite game without fear of government intervention.

A very interesting video over at MetaCafe has revealed some very interesting bingo statistics that are sure to destroy the preconceived notions of many regarding this popular game. Bingo is popular around the world and generates billions of dollars every year. Here are some of the more interesting bingo statistics-

Charitable bingo in the United States generates about $3 billion dollars a year for charities around the country. Charitable bingo is played in 49 states. Arkansas was the only state where charitable bingo was outlawed by that has changed.

The global gross gaming yield generated by bingo amounts to $1 billion dollars a year and is rapidly growing. Bingo generated revenues has doubled since 2006 when the total bingo revenue was half a billion dollars.

In the UK playing bingo is now the most popular leisure activity for women between the ages of 20 to 25 years old. (single men take note!)

Statistics show that about 85% of all online bingo players are women, (again Men take note!)

Researchers believe that approximately 50,000 land based bingo players have moved online out of a total of 3 million bingo players. Most of these new online players are under 50 destroying the perception that bingo is only played by old people.

Worldwide there are about 100 million players and 80% of these are women ages 30 to 50. The other 20% are men in the same age group.

Despite the astounding growth of online bingo only about 1% of land based players have moved online illustrating the potential of online bingo.

Almost 85% of all bingo players play online and of these players more than 50% say they play online bingo every day.

20% of all online bingo players have been playing for less than 2 years, another 20% have been playing online bingo for less than 5 years and 40% of all online bingo players have played for over 5 years.

Recent research shows a surprisingly small number of bingo players over 65 destroying the myth that most bingo players are senior citizens and pensioners.

Online bingo is available in the traditional 75 ball version and the newer 90 ball bingo game. 69.2% play 75 ball bingo and 30.8% say they prefer 90 ball bingo. There are currently no statistics available for the 80 ball version of bingo.

Online bingo offers players an ‘auto daub’ feature enabling multi tasking while playing bingo online. 83% of all online bingo players say they multi task while playing online bingo.

Probably the last thing internet bingo players think about is currency exchange rates and how they affect the online bingo industry. Currency exchange rates can fluctuate wildly wreaking havoc in international markets. Despite the ongoing global recession the online bingo industry has flourished and grown and is now a billion dollar a year industry employing thousands. During the past two years online bingo has expanded into new markets most notable Scandinavia and Spain. Recent reports indicate that the online bingo industry is ready to move into the lucrative Italian gaming market. Thanks to rules set by the European Union regarding online gaming online bingo players in Europe and the UK are protected from unlicensed fly by night casinos and bingo sites.

While currency exchange rates may not cross the mind of the average online bingo player they do have an effect on the industry. Earlier in the year concerns about the UK elections put downward pressure on the English pound which fell below the critical $1.50 level. Since then the pound has risen slightly but is well below historical levels. While exporters may benefit from a weaker pound it has resulted in decreased profits for the online bingo industry. Online bingo providers must raise large amounts of capital to launch an online bingo site and some of this capital is raised in dollars and Euros.  A falling pound will affect the bottom line of bingo providers since most online bingo players reside in the UK. The UK remains the world’s largest online bingo market.

Should the pound fall due to continuing economic uncertainties it could be disastrous for many of the newer bingo sites. Reduced profits caused by a weak pound could cut marketing expenses resulting in a potential loss of new players. Online bingo sites could also be forced to cut back on jackpots and prizes because of a weak pound. Fortunately the pound seems to have stabilized but online bingo providers are keeping a sharp eye on currency exchange rates.

PayPal is the world’s leading online payment processor and has over 160 million individual accounts and accepts 17 major currencies.  PayPal account holders can make purchases online and send money transfers and in most countries PayPal can be used to fund online gambling accounts including online bingo deposits and withdrawals. PayPal has a well deserved reputation of being user friendly and safe. Since the US banned online gambling in 2006 most online bingo and gambling sites sought other funding options. PayPal had pretty much exited the gambling market when the US legislation was passed. The arrest of Neteller executives made the online payment processing skittish and US players soon found themselves without reliable ways to fund accounts at online bingo sites. Many online bingo sites simply banned players from the US.

The online gambling market is one of the world’s fastest growing and lucrative markets. Recent reports indicate that PayPal is making a slow re entry into the online gaming market for UK, Asian and European players. Several online bingo providers have announced plans to offer players the security and reliability of PayPal. The service offers protection against fraud and users do not have to enter card details every time a transaction is made.

At the present time US players are not able to use PayPal to fund online bingo accounts but that may change soon. Recently legislation was introduced in the US congress that would legalize tax and regulate online gaming including bingo. Once this is accomplished PayPal is set to serve these new online bingo players from the US. Thanks to anti gambling laws US players have been at the mercy of less than savory online payment providers. Several online casinos and bingo providers have announced plans to offer PayPal’s services to clients. The online bingo industry welcomes PayPal’s return.

Bingo is easily one of the most popular online games in the UK and parts of Europe. Online bingo is well established in the UK and during the last two or three years bingo providers have expanded into new markets most notable Spain and Scandinavia. Online bingo providers are also trying to enter the Italian gaming market which is one of the largest in Europe. Online bingo was introduced in the late 1990’s and had a slow start. Most players found the games boring and lacking the excitement of a real bingo club. Thanks to software advances all that changed and bingo providers were able to provide players with a lifelike bingo experience allowing players to interact in the same way as at a land based bingo parlor. Bingo is now one of the most popular games online and is running a close second to poker as the top online gambling game. There are several reasons for the popularity of online bingo; convenience, technological advances and the social aspect of the game.

Convenience is usually cited as the chief reason for online bingo’s success. Thanks to the recent global recession online bingo experienced a boom of sorts as players sought out inexpensive home based entertainment. During the recession online bingo was one of the few growth industries around and continues to perform well in gaming markets. Online bingo is available to players 24/7 and players who work odd hours can log on and play at their convenience.  Best of all online bingo can be played from the comfort and privacy of home and there are no dress codes or ancillary expenses to contend with.

Technological advances have allowed online bingo providers to provide a very realistic bingo experience. Players can also play dozens of bingo cards online using auto daub and do not have to worry about marking several cards manually. Bingo sites now have flashy graphics and awesome sound effects.

Most online players cite camaraderie as one of the chief attractions of online bingo. Most bingo sites have chat rooms where players can talk, bond and form lasting friendships. Online bingo players may find themselves chatting with someone from the other side of the world. Many players cite the bingo bonuses offered by most bingo sites as another reason they prefer to play online. Many sites offer initial deposit bonuses of 500% or 600% and also have a free play option. These bonuses can enable a person to play many bingo games for very little money.  There are many other attractions that make online bingo one of the most popular games online but it would be impossible to list them all in one article. Potential players should go online and see for themselves why bingo is so popular with all age groups.