The UK online bingo market has boomed over the last few years. Increasingly, we have seen more companies, more sites, more TV presence, more jackpots and indeed, more bingo than you can shake an old school bingo dauber at. The recession has been relatively kind to the online bingo world, as more turn to their computer screens and online bingo to entertain them. So whilst the novelty factor of online bingo may not be cooling off yet, with bingo operators, it is always important to keep one step ahead of the crowd. Which is why expansion looks set to be a big theme in 2010, and with this, we’ll begin to see a whole new world of bingo players and roomies.
The rules mainly exist around advertising and regulation. Perhaps part of the success of online bingo has been the easy position most companies can operate in. Licensing laws do not apply to most online bingo operators as they are based in countries like Gibraltar or Malta rather than the UK. Because these companies were still based in the EEA (Europe Economic Area), they are not subject to scrutiny by the Gambling Commission, and can also advertise freely to British customers without a British license. In contrast, many other countries in the EU have much stricter regulations, which is why operators have spent so much time focusing on Britain, and why many companies have moved their operations to Gibraltar or similar areas where they can operate relatively freely.
But 2010 looks set to be an interesting year in terms of rules – and believe us, as players, this could get very interesting. It is all a question of control. Italy looks set to relax it’s gambling rules a little, Poland has recently shown some signs of relinquishing the reins a little on gambling and many industry insiders are hoping for continued expansion into areas like Spain and Scandinavia. For bingo operators, it is all to play for in 2010, and the idea of opening new online bingo sites as well as expanding existing ones can only help them as they continue to capitalise on the growth of online bingo. And as the UK Government tries to tighten their control over gaming regulations, it may well be a good time for operators to start looking elsewhere.
And in terms of integration, for some bingo operators, the transition to another market has been relatively painless. Many sites offer a variety of currency options already. Take Party Bingo, a US based site that has been gathering pace amongst UK players for a little while now. With a bit of clever thinking and a push in the right direction, more and more British online bingo players are now taking advantage of Party Bingo’s offers, which do just as well as some of it’s British rivals when it comes to the big bucks. With a deposit bonus of 100% when you first sign up and clever translation guides between various currencies, the Party Bingo site is a sign of the new trend we expect to see in 2010.
For operators, it looks set to be a year of finding new players. And for players, the continued expansion of online bingo can only mean one thing – even more great choice, regardless of what currency you operate in!
