With the online bingo world maturing, there has never been more of a focus on differentiation than now. As more and more online bingo sites look to ways to keep themselves one step ahead of the competition, bringing something new to the game has extended far beyond no deposit bonuses and free no deposit bingo. And this has appeared in one of the least likely of places, namely, the side games offered at many online bingo sites. The news that ladies seem to be just as keen to spin the roulette wheel as playing bingo has clearly caught the attention of online bingo big wigs and we think this will continue in 2010, with operators starting to focus their attention a little more on the side games that they provide.
Take the recent 888 Ladies slot promotion, focused around the X Factor slot game. Entry into prize draws for X-Factor live final tickets was based around play of the recently released X Factor slot. And if that wasn’t enough, last year Foxy Bingo realised the potential of side games, branching out from the Foxy Bingo site to provide Foxy Flutter, a site packed full of typical bingo side games such as instant wins, slots and casino style table games alongside video games. Sharing the same look and feel as the Foxy Bingo site, Foxy Flutter looks to be carving a bit of precedent when it comes to bringing it’s players something beyond bingo.
So why are side games coming off the sidelines? The move to sharing the centre stage with online bingo itself seems a natural progression. Side games provide quick, instant gratification which was traditionally used to occupy players in between online bingo games. But the games have become stars in their own right, not least in part to the ability for a high production turnover. Although the software for bingo games seems to remain relatively static, gaming software providers are constantly producing new games which can incorporate licenses from big TV companies to mark them out as something special, such as the X Factor slot, Deal or No Deal, The Price is Right, and so on. Although the skin of a bingo game can be changed, the format stays roughly the same. With instant scratch cards, casino style games and a multitude of slot formats to play with it seems operators are happier to leave the technological innovation to the side games. And this means if a site is looking to prove its innovative credentials, there is more room to manoeuvre by growing the number of side games.
From a player perspective, the side games push by online bingo operators looks set to be a win win situation. Not only do players have more choice when it comes to side games, but there has been an increase in the number of online bingo players winning as a result of their bit on the side. Many online bingo sites find their biggest wins come from the side games themselves- take a look at the recent Wink Bingo win by TonyJo1, which at just under £51k is the largest recorded single win by a Wink Bingo roomie. And what was the game? None other than Wink Bingo’s progressive jackpot slot game “Fluffy Favourites”. Prior to the win, the Fluffy Favourites game was hugely popular amongst the Wink Bingo community, and we have a feeling the news regarding TonyJo1′s win is only going to stoke the side game fire at Wink Bingo in the future!
Whilst we are not saying bingo is going to be pushed out, we have a feeling the battleground for being the “best bingo operator” may start looking for new territory, and side games seem to be the perfect place for many online bingo sites to start. Looks like the game of bingo will soon be sharing a spotlight with the humble side game, making 2010 a very interesting year for players everywhere.
