Last week social gaming company released their much awaited online bingo game to a limited audience on Facebook. Almost immediately reports surfaced accusing Zynga of ripping off a rival company’s existing bingo game. Buffalo Studios said that Zynga’s bingo app was the same as Buffalo Studio’s ‘Bingo Blitz’ game which has over 1 million daily users on Facebook. Copying another game developer’s concepts is nothing new in the gaming industry and over the years there have been many accusations and lawsuits over game copying. Zynga’s CEO Mark Pincus has stepped forward to defend the company and its business practices.

Pincus defended the company’s actions in a memo obtained by Forbes magazine. In the memo Pincus stated “Google didn’t create the first search engine. Apple didn’t create the first MP3 player or tablet. And, Facebook didn’t create the first social network,” Pincus points out. “But these companies have evolved products and categories in revolutionary ways. They are all internet treasures because they all have specific and broad missions to change the world. We don’t need to be first to market. We need to be the best in market. There are genres that we’re going to enter because we know our players are interested in them and because we want and need to be where players are. We evolve genres by making games free, social, accessible and highest quality.” According to Forbes Pincus said “I don’t want f***ing innovation. You’re not smarter than your competitor. Just copy what they do and do it until you get their numbers.”

Zynga remains unfazed by the controversy surrounding its internet bingo game on Facebook. Zynga’s bingo game is similar to most online bingo games and is played in real time on Facebook with friends or strangers. When accessing the game players will be able to see what bingo rooms their friends are in and will be able to compete against each other simultaneously. Zynga launched the game to a limited audience and the company stated “Right now, we’re only letting a limited number of people into the game to make sure our players are getting a primo, Zynga Bingo experience, before officially open the floodgates.” In addition to the launch of the new internet bingo game news reports indicate that Zynga is searching for partners to enter the world of real money gaming. Zynga’s poker game has been a big hit and the company believes that it can be a winner in the internet gambling industry.

The success of internet bingo has been stunning. The first internet bingo sites appeared in 1996 and since then over 400 bingo sites have come online making it one of the largest sectors of the internet gambling industry. Players have many options and essentially there are two types of internet bingo sites; standalone operations and networked bingo sites. For investors wanting to enter the lucrative online bingo industry networked bingo sites can offer a turnkey solution. Each type of bingo site has its own advantages and disadvantages.

A standalone bingo site is independent and all responsibilities for operation, marketing, customer service and deposits and withdrawals are the sole responsibility of the site’s owners. Although the standalone site may share the same software with other bingo sites the operator has more control over the site and maintains an exclusive database of players that is not shared. Standalone bingo sites have some advantages for players. Instead of repetitive offers standalone operators must create their own bingo bonuses and promotions. Since industry competition is so keen standalone bingo operators must try harder to attract and retain players. In most cases standalone bingo sites are well capitalized.

As the name implies networked bingo sites are part of a network of bingo sites that share software, marketing, a player base, promotions and bonuses. They are a part of one large group of bingo sites. In some cases when a player registers at a networked bingo site the same username and password allows them to access any site in the network. Games and chat rooms are linked and can handle more players than standalone bingo sites. Networked sites have a clear advantage for investors with limited capital. Networked sites offer a turnkey operation for investors. The network is responsible for providing game software,  marketing, banking, graphics and bonus and promotions. The player base is shared at networked bingo sites. Deposits at networked sites are credited to the individual site owners and the network takes a percentage for handling transactions. A networked bingo site can give investors a stronger start among older established sites.

In many cases it is impossible to tell a networked bingo site from a standalone one. Both offer excellent games and formats. For players that are after bigger jackpots Networked sites would be best. For those looking for original and unique promotions that are outside the mainstream standalone sites are best. In most cases it is difficult to tell the difference between the two types of sites while playing. Both have something to offer but ultimately the choice is up to the player.

Last month social gaming company announced that it would launch a new Facebook Bingo application. The game has been made available to a limited number of players as a test and Zynga plans on offering the game to everyone this month. Internet bingo has been a big hit on Facebook and has attracted millions of players from around the world. Unfortunately Zynga has been accused of copying the work of other game developers. Buffalo Studios says that Zynga copied the company’s flagship game Bingo Blitz. In an infographic Buffalo Studios stated “Hello, Zynga, We are moved that your new game was so inspired by our innovative product, Bingo Blitz. Bingo Blitz has been growing throughout the past year and has obviously earned the attention of titanic forces in the industry. You’ve obviously played our game, Bingo Blitz, a lot, along with over one million other Daily Active Users.”

Inserted throughout the text are images detailing the similarities between Zynga Bingo and Bingo Blitz. The images show similarities of both bingo boards and how both games use update power-ups and other details. Bingo Blitz has been a popular Facebook game with over 1 million daily users and has been “liked” nearly 2.5 million times. Buffalo studios describes the game as a “fast-paced, high-action, new game of — B – I – N – G – GO.” What gives credence to Buffalo Studios claim is that a second company has accused Zynga of copying their Facebook game. Last week gaming company NimbleBit said that Zynga copied their popular game Tiny Tower. Zynga’s game called Dream Heights bears a striking resemblance to Nimplebit’s game Tiny Tower.

NimbleBit posted a sarcastic infographic that read “We wanted to thank you guys for being such big fans of our iPhone game of the year, Tiny Tower. Good luck with your game. We are looking forward to inspiring you with our future games!” Mark Pincus, chief executive of Zynga denies that the company copied any games. Pincus said that Buffalo Studios actually copied Zynga’s idea for their online bingo game. Pincus told interviewers “It was a little ironic to look at Bingo Blitz. Pull that lens back. Look at our game Poker Blitz (comparisons below), and then Bingo Blitz, you see striking similarities in those pictures” and added “You can go back to (Zynga’s) FarmVille. Look at Farm Town and say, ‘Those pictures are troubling. They look too similar.’ But you pull the lens back again, and you see Farm Town next to My Farm, and next to Happy Farm, and next to (Zynga’s) YoVille. What you see is a series of games innovating on top of each other. You see Farm Town had a very similar avatar to YoVille.”So far it is not clear whether a legal battle is in the offing.

Bingo news sources have been abuzz about the proposed Rank takeover of Gala Coral’s casino operations. Now it appears that Rank may face difficulties from government regulators in the UK. Rank has made a £250 million ($392 million USD) takeover bid to Gala Coral and if the bid is successful Rank will double its portfolio of casinos in the UK. Gala plans to focus on its bingo operations and its internet bingo operations. Rank, which operates Mecca bingo halls, is backed by Malaysian billionaire Quek Leng Chan. Rank’s plans will have to pass muster by the government’s Competition Commission. Rank and Gala are two of the three largest gambling companies in the UK. Malaysian owned Genting, which was formerly Stanley Leisure, is the current market leader with 46 gambling sites throughout Great Britain.

If the deal is successful it would mean that 105 out of the UK’s 140 casinos will be run by just one of two gaming companies. The Office of Fair Trading investigates all deals where the takeover target has a turnover of over £70 million and decides whether to refer the case to the Competition Commission. In 2011 Gala Coral’s casinos took in £134.4 million. Rank’s Grosvenor Casinos were even more profitable and brought in £238.6 million during 2010. The Office of Fair Trade said it will not investigate until a deal has been announced by both gaming companies. Analyst Daniel Stewart stated “If you have two operators controlling the market for the land-based casinos, that doesn’t make for a healthy market.” On January 29th Rank and Gala confirmed that they are engaged in talks but said that there was “no certainty” of an agreement between the two gaming giants.

Recent reports say that the deal could be accomplished by the time Rank releases the company’s interim results on February 9th. Inside sources say that most likely the deal will not be closed until the end of February. Rank released a statement which read “The terms of any such acquisition have not yet been finalised and there is no certainty that any transaction will occur.” The acquisition will speed up Rank’s plans to have 45 Grosvenor Casinos in operation by 2015. Rank is hoping that the company’s new G-Casino format will attract younger players. Currently Rank employs over 3,000 people at its casino and bingo operations. Mecca also has a prominent presence in the online bingo industry. Recently Rank’s shares closed 4.1p up trading at 131.1p.

In the United Kingdom bingo is big business. In addition to having one of the largest markets for land based bingo the UK is also home to the second largest online bingo market in the world. Long considered an integral part of British culture the game is no longer considered the domain of pensioners and seniors. The largest land based bingo companies in the UK are Mecca Bingo, which is a part of the Rank Group, and Gala bingo owned by Gala Coral Group. In addition to land based operations both companies have launched internet bingo sites. Mecca entered the internet bingo industry a few years ago to boost flagging revenues. In addition to British operations Rank is a major player in the Spanish bingo industry and owns 11 bingo clubs in Spain.

Recent reports from the press and bingo news sources say that Rank is planning to offer £250 million pounds ($393,125,001.54 USD at current exchange rates) to purchase the casino division of rival Gala Coral.  If the offer is successful Rank will become the largest casino operator in the UK by merging its 35 Grosvenor Casinos chain with Gala’s 24 gaming outlets. The venerable British newspaper the Sunday Times said that talks between the two gaming giants are at an advanced stage and may be completed in time for Rank’s interim results to be released on February 9th.

The acquisition will speed up Rank’s plans to have 45 Grosvenor casinos by the end of 2015 through a faster implementation of the company’s G-Casino format which is designed to attract a younger, less formal clientele. Currently Rank employs over 3,000 people at its casino and bingo operations and all but four of its casinos are located outside of London. The sale of Gala’s casinos will allow the company to focus on its extensive Gala bingo operations including internet bingo. Gala will also focus on its Coral bookmaking operations. The sale will strengthen Gala’s finances and the company had a net debt figure of £1.3 billion at the end of 2011.

Analysts say that Gala has been ripe for a break up since debt restructuring in 2010 left lenders with shares in the company fueling speculation that Rank would attempt to purchase Gala’s casino operations. Rank is majority owned by Guoco the investment vehicle of Malaysian billionaire investor Quek Leng Chan. Rank has over 100 Mecca bingo clubs located throughout the UK.

Bingo tournaments provide added fun and excitement for both internet bingo players and those playing in live bingo halls. Participants play a series of bingo games and the winner is the player who has collected the most points during the games. Players receive points for each bingo and if there is more than one winner the points are split. The jackpots can be huge and some bingo tournaments attract players from around the world. Bingo has made an amazing comeback in Las Vegas in recent years and several major casinos have huge bingo halls that can accommodate hundreds of players.

Recently the Plaza and Hotel in Jas Vegas announced a bingo tournament that will take place from January 29th to the 31st. Former Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman will be on hand to call the numbers during the final coverall game on January 31st. Recently Goodman opened a steakhouse called Oscar’s Beef • Booze • Broads at the Plaza. Registration for the event starts on Sunday, January 20th. The $150,000 Super Bingo tournament starts on Sunday January 29th and the main events will take place on Monday and Tuesday. Participants can play seven early bird games starting at 11:30 a.m. with a payout of $14,000 during the tournament.

Super bingo sessions start at 12:30 p.m and features 21 linked games for a total of 42 throughout the tournament. Players are eligible for a total of $150,000 in payouts. Once the Super Bingo sessions are finished players can participate in regularly scheduled bingo sessions and win more cash prizes. The Plaza is planning future tournaments in April, October and December 2012.

For years Las Vegas casinos neglected bingo but today bingo is one of the most popular games in the city. In addition to live bingo games electronic bingo machines can be found on the floor of most casinos. Electronic bingo machines bear a strong resemblance to slot machines and can usually be found among the slots on most casino floors. Since land based bingo tournaments require a lot of preparation and manpower they are rarely free and usually have an entry fee. Internet bingo tournaments are another matter. Most internet bingo sites regularly host bingo tournaments with no entry fee. Players simply enter and purchase cards. At many internet bingo sites the jackpots rival those found at Las Vegas bingo tournaments. Players can find bingo tournaments by going to bingo blogs and forums and can also receive email alerts.

Playtech is a gaming software company founded in 1999. Since then Playtech has become a leading supplier of software to internet bingo and gambling sites. Playtech’s products include internet bingo, poker, sports betting and scratch off games. Playtech also offers mobile gaming, live dealer poker games and arcade games. After the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in 2006 Playtech’s stock suffered a one day fall of 40%. Since then Playtech has recovered its losses and then some. Sometimes history moves in strange ways and recently it was revealed that Playtech is actively seeking partners in the United States.

According to Reuters Playtech is holding talks with several potential American business partners. A recent Justice Department ruling has cleared the way for states to offer internet gambling to residents. Playtech anticipates the reopening of the lucrative American internet gaming market. What does this mean for American internet bingo players? Since the DOJ said that only sports betting is illegal states will be able to offer internet bingo games along with poker and other casino games. Playtech software powers several top internet bingo sites in the UK.  Playtech also operated their own internet bingo network and offers 75 and 90 ball bingo along with other bingo variants.

Playtech CEO Mor Weizer told Reuters “We have lots of potential customers that approached us or that we approached that would like to have us as their suppliers of online gaming products when the market opens up. There is a lot of work being done behind the scenes in various states by various local authorities. We have people on the ground now in the U.S. working with us in order to monitor all these processes.” Playtech said it sees increasing opportunities as more countries liberalize their internet gambling policies. Recently the company announced it was restructuring its deal with Scientific Games to provide internet poker in the state of California.

Playtech has also announced a series of strategic partnerships that will allow the company to enter new markets. Playtech purchased a 49.99% stake in a joint venture with Gauselmann which is the parent company of German gaming manufacturer Merkur. The company is betting that German regulations regarding sports betting will be eased. Playtech has also entered into a 50/50 agreement with South African casino operator Peermont and plans to offer sports betting in the African nation. In addition to Playtech several companies have expressed interest in the lucrative American internet gaming market. Despite the law the American online bingo market is still the largest followed by the UK. Internet bingo players in the United States may be able to play high quality games legally by the end of the year.

For decades bingo has been a very popular game on both sides of the Atlantic so it should come as no surprise that the world’s largest bingo halls are located in the United States and Great Britain. At today’s Foxwoods casino and bingo hall players find it hard to believe that the mega casino started out as a humble bingo hall. In 1991 Malaysian developer Lim Goh Tong helped the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation to start the bingo hall that evolved into the Foxwoods resort and casino. The resort has 344,000 square feet of casino space making it the largest bingo hall on the planet. Here are the top 10 Bingo Parlors ranked by seating capacity;

1.    Foxwoods Resort Casino – 4,000
2.) San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino – 2,500
3.) Isleta Casino & Resort – 2,500
4.) Cherokee Tribal Bingo – 2,000
5.) Penobscot High Stakes Bingo – 1,800
6.) Ft. McDowell Casino and Radisson Hotel – 1,700
7.) Turning Stone Resort & Casino – 1,400
8.) Potawatomi Bingo Casino – 1,354
9.) Gala Bingo Peterborough Westfield – 1,300
10.) Sycuan Casino & Resort – 1,246
Foxwoods has a definite edge as the largest bingo hall but 340 miles north of Foxwoods the Penobscot High Stakes Bingo Hall can seat 1,800 players. The San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino is located 60 miles west of Los Angeles and can easily seat 2,500 players. The San Manuel bingo hall features special games and promotions such as the Beat the Taxman Bingo where 15 regular games will pay $1,199 which is exactly one dollar less than the amount players would have to report to the Internal Revenue Service. The Isleta Casino and Resort specializes in high stakes bingo and can seat over two thousand players.

In the UK Gala is the largest operator of bingo halls. The company operates a chain of halls throughout the UK and the Gala Bingo Peterborough Westfield is their largest bingo operation in the UK. In Great Britain huge bingo halls are common and the game is a firmly entrenched part of British culture. The Potawatomi Bingo Casino in Milwaukee is undergoing expansion and the tribe plans to open a large hotel in the very near future. In the United States bingo halls and casinos have brought prosperity to formerly impoverished reservations.

Bingo fans can play at the largest bingo hall of all-internet bingo. Internet bingo is available around the globe and games take place 24/7. Millions play online bingo regularly every week and internet bingo halls have no limits on how many players they can accommodate!

According to several bingo news sources an incident at a Gala bingo hall sparked outrage in the bingo community. According to witnesses Williamina Cornes ‘turned blue’ and suffered a fatal heart attack during a bingo game. Amazingly the caller refused to stop the game and continues to call the numbers. The caller continues even as paramedics tried to save the unconscious woman’s life. Bingo player Sharon Dunn, who saw the woman collapse, said she was disgusted about the decision to continue the game. Dunn told reporters from the Daily Record “It was clear the woman was in a bad way. She was struggling to breathe and started to turn blue and people were quite distressed. But a woman came on stage and announced it was company procedure always to carry on with the bingo. People couldn’t believe it.”

Dunn said that a staff member attempted to render first aid until paramedics arrived. Dunn described what happened next and said “They began all the procedures and even had what appeared to be a defibrillator machine out. The woman was eventually carried out with a blanket over her and we feared the worst. All the time, the caller was continuing to call out the numbers. We couldn’t believe it. A bit of decency and compassion would have been nice.” Dunn also said that several outraged players left the hall. The incident was widely reported on bingo blogs and online bingo sites. A Gala spokesperson explained the hall’s policy and stated “Our initial approach in such instances is to create as calm an environment as possible, to reduce the stress for the customer in question, their friends and family and our qualified first aider until the emergency services arrive. In this case, it was felt the best way of dealing with this particular incident was to continue with the bingo. Our staff are trained to deal with situations like this and carried out all the correct procedures until the paramedics arrived.”

Support for the staff at the hall has come from an unexpected source; the woman’s daughter. Linda McKee, who was with her mother at the hall the night she collapsed, said that the staff had been “a great help.” “a great help”. told reporters “The staff looked after me very well until the paramedics arrived. So thanks again, Gala staff.” Several players have sided with the hall’s staff and say that more disrption would have been caused by stopping the game. Some unhappy players are accusing Gala of caring more about money than a human life. One player said on a local media site “Bingo before life. This is Scotland 2012.”

The caller at the hall, Joe Casey, has received support from several players. A message posted on Facebook expressed support for Casey and his decision to continue the game. The post states “We would like Joe to know all his friends are behind him 100 per cent. It has always been policy in most bingo clubs to continue to call no matter what is taking place within the hall. People who know Joe personally know he is a kind-hearted soul who has been devastated by this incident.” Another player, Liz Melia, posted “Joe doesn’t make the rules, he just follows them. It’s a disgrace for anyone to blame Joe for this.” Hopefully both sides can move on and contimue to enjoy the entertainment and excitement provided by bingo games.

The internet bingo world is aghast at the news that an internet bingo site in Guatemala may have been used to launder tens of millions in drug trafficking profits.  According to the US Department of the Treasury Department Marllory Dadiana Chacon Rossell is the most prolific drug dealer in Central America. US authorities say that Rossell is responsible for the transshipment of tens of thousands of kilos of cocaine into the United States each month. As the violence escalates due to drug cartels American authorities are targeting the big fish in Central American nations to try to break the chain. In this particular case Rossell, four businesses and three individuals have been targeted.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said that the group’s US assets have been seized and measures have been taken to prohibit Americans from doing business with the business entities and individuals in the group. The group has operations throughout Central America. OFAC Director Adam J. Szubin stated “Marllory Chacon’s drug trafficking activities and her ties to the Mexican drug cartels make her a critical figure in the narcotics trade. By designating Chacon, OFAC is disrupting those activities and closing off from the U.S. financial system the network of companies aiding Chacon’s illicit activities.”

Internet bingo players will be interested in one aspect of this strange case. Rossell laundered tens of millions through her internet bingo site ‘Bingoton Millonario.’ According to the site’s Facebook page Bingoton Millonario is a “family lottery” which uses its revenues to finance maternal-infant health and education programs for impoverished Guatemalans. The bingo site, Bingoton Millonario, looks much like any other legitimate bingo operation but has a dark secret. The news has shocked many internet bingo players and so far this is the first case of an internet bingo site being used to launder money from criminal activities. In most licensing jurisdictions internet bingo sites must adhere to strict regulations and their software must undergo stringent testing procedures. They must also keep accurate tax records.

The Treasury Department coordinated the investigation with the US Drug Enforcement Administration. The action is part of a plan to apply financial pressure to foreign drug traffickers and their organizations. Penalties for violation of the US Kingpin Act range from civil penalties of up to $1.075 million for each violation to severe criminal penalties. Penalties for executives can include up to 30 years in jail and fines of $5 million.