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2nd Online Bingo Summit 2007 - Introduction

One of the highlights of the year for the online Bingo market is the conference arranged by Bullet Business. 2007 saw the second of these summits held in the Regent's Park Marriott Hotel on the 25th and 26th of September. Playing Bingo were at the event to sample the event and report on some of the major subjects the summit would cover. This introduction to the event will give a general overview to some of the themes at the event before moving on to more a more in depth look at a number of the main strands the summit covered.

Opening Of The Online 2nd Annual Bingo Summit If you've been following the press around the online Bingo world the last couple of years, you would be hard pressed to find a piece that had anything but the utmost praise about the growth of the market. Since I started taking an interest in the area for this site, I've seen nothing but positive press and the continued notion that online Bingo is blooming. 2007 was forecast to be a bumper year for the game online, with a massive predicted uptake thanks to the smoking ban and growing broadband penetration. The 2nd Annual Online Bingo Summit is testament to that growth and the importance of online Bingo for the overall future of the game.

The summit features a range of panels, round tables and talks on a number of different facets of the industry. The first event held in 2006 managed to attract around 60 attendees. By comparison, this year's event has trebled in size with over 180 attendees. As well as the swollen attendance, it's also a sign of the growth that the attendees came from a range of backgrounds. As well as people in the online Bingo industry there were a number of people there who were looking into online Bingo as a means of broadening out their existing brands or trying to start their own. Like the good press the game's been getting the last year, the buzz from the summit supported a lot of the press surrounding the game and where the market around the game is likely to head in coming years. At essence, that's upwards.

It was acknowledged that the market place is very full and likely to get more so. The importance of differentiating the offering was stressed, as well as the mass market appeal of the game and its ability to find itself moving into new audiences that remain untapped and unexposed to the game. Partially through branding and sponsorship, online Bingo is fast becoming a part of the culture of the UK. As well as finding these new audiences, time was given over to discussing how to keep them as well as part of this differentiation. The importance of affiliates in the marketing of the game was also discussed and debated and explored alongside more off-the-wall marketing ideas.

As well as the growth in the market, a number of speakers were of the opinion there would be some consolidation, both at the network and brand level. The dominance of the branded Bingo offering will continue to be of importance. Sites like Ann Summers Bingo and Emmerdale Bingo offer an insight into how this trend will continue at a pace in the near future.

The technology behind the game was also under scrutiny. The long vaunted mobile revolution was held under the spotlight and found wanting but on the Bingo software side, there was a lot of interesting stuff to look at both under the direction of the panel speakers and outside in the exhibition hall. The area will be one where I'm expecting to see some interesting ideas flourish in the coming years as sites try to differentiate their offerings.

There was also a much welcomed discussion about the legal implications of the game and the implementation of the 2005 Gambling Act. If you've followed reports here you'd get an insight in to the confusions it was causing webmasters. This was echoed at the summit. As well as things to watch out for marketing the game, there was also more discussion on the current licensing laws and requirements for online Bingo operators. This tied in with a look at the legal aspects of online Bingo in a couple of European markets as well.

And talking of the European market, the area also played a part in the event - looking at both the growth areas around the continent, and the legal and licensing requirements for both areas. If online Bingo is hitting its stride here in the UK, then going on the discussions held, its yet to mount the horse leave the stable in certain areas of the EU. As laws change and clarify, these areas will provide a large untapped market for those out there willing to take it on.

As I've mentioned, there is more detail in the individual articles that follow. In order to make sense of the wealth of great information and discussion from the two days, I've cherry picked and lumped together a number of the discussions under the following sub headings.

If you're already interested in next years event, then please note it will be held on the 23rd and 24th of September 2008.

Author: David Lloyd - October 2007

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2nd Online Bingo Summit 2007 - Introduction

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