Once again, the game of bingo is hitting the press, only this time, it is for all the wrong reasons.
Although traditionally seen as one of the softest forms of gaming, online bingo has been getting a little bit of a bad rep of late. What has been the darling of the egaming world is coming under increasingly frequent fire, and it’s all to do with gambling addiction. In recent weeks, the link between online bingo and gambling addiction has been pushed, with many blaming the success of online bingo on the growing problem of gambling addiction in the UK. But when it comes to online bingo addiction, is this a case of truth – or lies?
It’s a trend that we have noticed appearing more and more in national and local news agendas – with more papers keen to point out the “dark side” of online bingo. Take the recent comment in a Guardian newspaper article, which said “compulsive betting will become an even greater menace than it is at present, presenting Britain with a binge-gambling problem to rival its binge-drinking culture.’ And there is also the recent report of one online bingo who stole over £12k from her bosses to fund her addiction. Over a period of 15 months and with escalating credit and debit card debts, Sujata Chaudhry, 33, ending up robbing a total of £12,519 from her work, the Middlesbrough based training charity NETA. Commenting at her trial, her barrister admitted: “She had been playing online bingo, sitting in the house at night with a computer. I am sure she involved herself in that because of boredom, and it may be that if she goes out and does something that may be of benefit.”
But it seems that it has been one report too far for some online bingo portals, with Bingo Hideout recently running an article suggesting the recent negative press “ would seem and might possibly have us all believe that we are going to see groups of gamblers complete with hoodie, ASBO and pit bull dog brawling in the street, staggering about totally out of control and mugging strangers in the street all to enjoy their binge-gambling habit!”
The article continued “Having a go at the bingo and gaming industry because of a small percentage of those that suffer with addiction problems is the same as having a go at Sainsburys because there is an increase in those with eating disorders!”
Sensationalist stuff, and as online bingo fans, it is easy to see why some have come leaping to the defence of online bingo. A bingo portal would obviously feel the need to honour and defend an industry it clearly has more than a passing interest in. And of course, being responsible players that have enjoyed the online bingo world for many years, to see it’s name being dragged through the mud is quite frankly ignoring the brighter (and more common) side of online bingo – a fun activity that if played in moderation (and at the right sites) will provide many with a great social outlet and maybe a cheeky jackpot win.
But we think that instead of starting a blame game, there is a great opportunity for online bingo bosses – and fans – to take control. As online bingo hogs more of the gaming world’s limelight, it is natural that the national and local press will start paying more attention to it. The last few years have seen more and more regulations – from advertising to licensing – placed upon the industry. The online bingo world is no longer a baby, and whilst the controversy over whether or not online bingo causes addiction rages, there is a great opportunity for operators to in effect, grow up. Dismissing negative reporting and pretending that online bingo does not lead to gambling addiction in some players – however tiny the proportion – does not solve the problem.
Already there are many sites such as Wink Bingo, which offer self-assessment tools to help players take autonomy in recognising their own gambling addiction, surely an essential first step for curing addiction. Other sites, like Foxy Bingo, will offer players the opportunity to set limits on their accounts to avoid them spending beyond their means. And of course, all sites we review carry links to recognised gambling bodies such as GamCare, giving you the chance to get help if needed.
But we still believe that these sites represent a relatively small proportion of the hundreds of bingo sites out there. And we still think there is a great chance for online bingo operators to up their game when it comes offering support and raising awareness. Whether online bingo addiction is more fiction than fact, by taking the issue of gambling addiction more seriously, operators stand to offer a much safer (and fun) playing environment. Which creates a great situation for them, and ultimately, for the people that matter – the players.
