The 2005 Gambling Act And the 2nd Online Bingo Summit

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The 2005 Gambling Act And Bingo

September the first saw the introduction of the Gambling Act 2005. It's been one of the biggest shake ups of gaming laws for the industry in a long while, with some laws that have been in place since 1845 being replaced. The emphasis has been on regulating the game for fairness, whilst encouraging gaming operators to be socially responsible in how they run games and encourage betting.

There are a number of changes that will be effecting the Bingo world both good and bad. Increased costs in licensing and a reduction in the types of fruit machines the clubs can offer is continuing to cause concern for a beleaguered industry. Some think the act was a missed opportunity to improve the lot of Bingo - and the arguments will rumble on for a while.

However, there are some good points as well. New regulations allow clubs to hold back some stake money to fund big money games in the clubs. Along with relaxed advertising regulations these could be useful tools to market the game to new audiences.

Online operators have to adhere to some new advertising regulations. Clubs who are licensed outside the European Economic Area or the DCMS approved white listed areas are no longer allowed to advertise their online Bingo sites in the UK, until they are licensed in one of those areas. Prior to the launch of the act there was some confusion around who was and wasn't white listed, but many sites outside the EEA are either in the process of getting an EU license or already have.

There's been a lot of interesting news stories surrounding the introduction of the act, and we'll be seeing plenty more related stories in this Newsletter and in the general news as time goes on.

The 2005 Gambling Act At The Online Bingo Summit

There's still time to book your seat at the 2nd Annual Online Bingo Summit on the 25th and 26th of September. Playing Bingo will be there on the look out for any great stories and happenings. If you work in the online Bingo field, and have any confusion about your responsibilities under the act, it's worth attending as there'll be a range of experts there and a session focusing exclusively on the new legislation.

The Bingo legislation session will cover a number of important topics to do with operators' responsibilities under the Gambling Act 2005. It will also look at the impact of the new legislation on online Bingo sites, and how to build a strategy to make the most of the new advertising regime. It will be high on my list of the top sessions. You can check out the full agenda for the event here or book your tickets here.

Big Money Bingo Games

As we've already mentioned, one of the best opportunities the industry has to take advantage of is their ability to offer large roll over jackpots. The new gaming legislation for the first time allows operators to keep back some of the stake money from games to add to progressive jackpot pots.

The National Bingo Game will be launching its £1m jackpot game The Big N from the 15th of September, and Mecca Bingo has already got its Mecca Millionaire game up and running. Personally, I see this as a great opportunity for the clubs out there to engage and entice a new audience who'd be wowed by the big prizes. What ever happens, these big money games are going to continue to make the news in the coming months.

Bingo Caller Of The Year 2007

It's that time already?! Yes, the annual calling competition - The NGBA Bingo Caller Of The Year - gets under way on the 19th of September with the first of the regional heats for this year's competition. I've put up a new article which will feature links to any stories and features I spot on this years contestants. The final is on the 25th of November.

Wet Summer Brings Silver Lining For Bingo Clubs

Whilst some sectors of the leisure industry have taken a bit of a beating over the Summer months, Bingo has been a bit luckier, providing the perfect antidote to rain soaked day trips and holidays in the UK. Sales across the industry have been better than expected. So much so, the weather has helped to lessen the losses forecast by the industry going into the UK wide smoking ban.

Brett's Corner - Behind The Scenes At Gala TV

In his latest column, Brett takes us behind the scenes at Gala TV. Ahead of his being a part of the judging team for the 2007 Bingo Caller Of The Year Competition, he gives us a unique look behind the scenes on one of the jobs he's been doing as a result of winning the 2006 competition - being a caller on the UK's premiere Bingo channel. Encounters with celebrities, the glamorous life of working in TV and the excitement of Kerchingo night all feature.

Ladbrokes Bingo £100,000 Give Away And £10 Sign Up Bonus

Ladbrokes Bingo continue to impress with us with their online offering. Following on from last month's rather girly PartyBingo offer, we're firmly back in bloke land with a high street brand that us UK fellas are all familiar with. And they're going for it with some big money games as well - September sees them offering £100,000 in a special prize money give away promotion.

£50,000 of it is being shared out as part of a daily prize fund that can be won if you call in under 44 numbers. However, they're keeping quiet about what they're going to do with the other £50,000. It should be interesting to see what they have planned. There's more detail on their site.

If you'd like to give them a try out they offer a £10 match bet on you first deposit. To get it, sign up, then register your details. Deposit and play your first £10 of deposited money and they'll credit your account within 48 hours for the match deposit. Be sure to check the full terms and conditions at their site.

Join Us At The Bingo Forums

If you'd like to discuss any of the things in this newsletter, add your own opinions or just hang out and chat with like-minded Bingo players and fans, drop into the free forum and grab yourself a free account. Make your voice heard!

And Finally

If you've got any Bingo news that you think will be of interest - or special stories about Bingo that you 'd like to see featured at Playing Bingo, then drop us a line. We'd also love to hear from you if you have any ideas about stuff you'd like to see at the site. In the meantime, may the Bingo luck smile on you...

All the best!

David 'Dio Bach' Lloyd
September 15th 2007