Gala Bingo Information
Web Address: www.galabingo.com
Operator / Owner: ElectraWorks Ltd / LC International Ltd
UK Gambling Commission Ref: 54743
Licence Held: UK
Licensing Complaints: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/
Software: ElectraWorks
Networks: Entain Network
Banking Options:
Mobile / Tablet Version: Yes
Gala Bingo No-Deposit And Match Bonuses
No Deposit Required Bonus: No
First Deposit Welcome Bonus: Yes
Welcome Bonus Details: £10 bingo bonus and 100 free spins.
Deposit at least £10 on your first deposit, and play through it at the site. You will receive a £10 bingo bonus which can be used on selected games and comes with a 2x wagering requirement. The free spins have a value of 10p each and no wagering requirements on any wins. Both bonuses have to be used within 7 days of receiving them.
18+. New customers only. Min Deposit £10. Spend £10 on Slots to get 100 Free Spins (£0.10 each, valid for 7 days, valid on selected games). Spend £10 on Bingo to get a £10 Bingo Bonus (2 x wag, valid for 7 days). Player restrictions and T&Cs apply.Bonus Promo Code: N/A
Gala Bingo are not currently offering a promo code for our users, but you can sign up to claim their welcom bonus if you are a new player.Full Promotion Terms And Conditions
The full terms and conditions for the bonus offer can be found here.
Gala Bingo Review
Gala Bingo have been prolific in the bingo industry for many years, so one thing that you can say about them immediately is they are a trusted brand. Having operated over 100 clubs throughout the UK catering for around five million members, and running a world-leading online bingo site means they understand bingo. You can play Gala Bingo from the comfort of your own home, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Unlike land-based bingo, Gala online just never shuts.
Gala Bingo has undergone many changes over the years, with several platform moves over the years, the latest of which happened in July 2021. Those with a long memory will remember Gala Bingo initially launched as a part of the long-dead St Minver bingo network and on Parlay software. The site disappeared unexpectedly circa 2007 and later relaunched with its own proprietary software, which served it well until the 11th July 2012. On that date, the site completed migration to the Virtue Fusion/Playtech software platform, where Peter Andre became the new face of Gala Bingo. There have been changes of look and featured faces on the homepage since then, but Gala Bingo remained a massive bingo force, given its split from its online bingo clubs which rebranded as Buzz Bingo.
The most recent change came in July 2021, when Gala Bingo’s current parent company, the gaming giant Entain Ltd, moved the site from its old outsourced platform to its own in-house Electraworks software and network. The move brought the site inline with their other flagship brands, such as Foxy Bing and Ladbrokes. The move didn’t come without a lot of controversy, with many of its members feeling short-changed and ill-informed by the move to the new software. A number of room and game changes happened that maybe could have been better thought out by Gala and communicated better with its members, but at heart there is still a lot to commend the site, especially if you’re already familiar with Entain’s bingo offerings.
Sign-up is straightforward and follows the standard process you’d expect of an Entain site. Once you’ve completed the process, you can take advantage of the welcome offer when you make your first deposit (details below) and jump straight into a top-notch gaming experience. Those here for the bingo are well serviced with 18 rooms offering a number of branded games and game variants, such as the standard 90 and 75-ball games and others such as 80-ball, 50-ball, 36-ball and 30-ball games.
Some rooms are networked across the Electraworks bingo network, which means there’s a good number of players and decent amounts of prize money up for grabs. And like before, budget players will be pleased with the range of ticket prices available, with plenty of cheap and free games available. Chat remains busy and there’s always something going on somewhere be it freebies, promotions or special event promotions.
There’s a great range of slots and casino games available at the site, with more than 700 to choose from. All the favourites are available here, with plenty of styles and variants of slot games offered. There’s a load of Jackpot slots to choose from, including favourites such as Jackpot King, Daily Drop Jackpots and Eyecon linked slot games. This is allied with a good range of promotions for slots players, including free spins and rewards for slot players.
With an admirable range of promotions, TV tie-ins, bonuses and exclusive games, Gala Bingo are still firmly focused on their players and delivering an award-winning experience to players. Despite the recent changes, the brand is still one to be reckoned with and one worthy of your time. For me personally, it remains one of a handful of sites that I often return to time and time again, and I’m happy to give it as a recommendation to you.
Our Verdict:
Gala Bingo has been doing our favourite game for many, many years and it’s clear when you play online that their offering is one of the best available. From the game play to the promotions, we think you will enjoy every minute with this site.
Gala Bingo Contact Details
If you are having issues with the site or want to check anything with them, their support can be contacted via the following methods.
Telephone: 0800 294 7294
Support Email: support@galabingo.com
Postal Address:
Gala Bingo,
Suite 3B Regal House,
Queensway,
Gibraltar,
GX11 1AA.
Gala Bingo Slots And Games
Gala Bingo has plenty to offer when it comes to instant win games and slots. The following are just an example of a handful of games that are on offer at the site.
Popular Slots Available:
Gala Bingo News Posts
Any news or blog posts featuring Gala Bingo on the Playing Bingo Blog will be listed below.
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For many years now retail bingo has been trying to shake the image of the blue rinse brigade. If you visit your local club you’ll find a more younger demographic in attendance than you might expect and Gala Leisure are hopeful that this becomes the norm as Gala rebrands to… [More]
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The Gala Bingo club in Winterton Road, Scunthorpe opened in November 1996 with an investment of a whopping £4.5 million. Back then the venue used to host live shows and celebrities like Roy Walker, Little and Large, Bobby Davro and Cannon and Ball have all appeared there. However, since the… [More]
Posted: Neighbours and Home and Away were always a main stay of early evening TV when we were kids. We have fond memories of coming home from college and lolloping in the chair to catch up with the latest happenings with the likes of Harold and Madge and Scott and Charlene.… [More]
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Over the years we’ve followed the ebb and flow of the retail industry’s biggest players. There’s been a number of purchases and sales, but this latest move from Gala is possibly one of the biggest we’ve seen here. In one fell swoop Gala has sold its entire portfolio of high-street… [More]
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Click here to play at Gala Bingo Since the 2014 bingo taxation announcement we have been waiting to see what the long term effects of the budget would be, and this is the first truly positive outcome we’ve seen. We are guessing that many clubs that may have closed if… [More]
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We never take any joy in reporting the closure of a bingo hall, but for some reason it’s even more lamentable when the hall in question is one that has a bit of history both as a bingo hall, and as a landmark building. Gala Bingo on Barking Road in… [More]
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In the year to June 30 Mecca Bingo’s attendance figures have fallen by 7% which is probably a bit alarming for the chain’s owners, The Rank Group. In some ways this was good news however, as the first quarter showed a fall of 10% which may partially been down to… [More]
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There have been hints over the past year that the Gala Coral Group who own the Gala Bingo chain were going to sell off their bingo halls in advance of a stock market flotation. And now it looks like the big sale is about to become a reality. The sale… [More]
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This is the second bingo hall to close since the reduced bingo taxation announcement in the 2014 budget (to our knowledge). Despite the taxation reprieve, business is business, so if a club is not making money, it will close, and, this is particularly pertinent to small chains and independents who… [More]
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Gala Bingo have got themselves in the the Guiness Book of Records by playing a game of bingo with the biggest set of bingo balls in the world. The set of 90 balls was custom made for Gala Bingo who were using the event to raise awareness for the Male… [More]
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The bingo tax reduction is now old news, but the Bingo Association feel that the support they received for their ‘Boost Bingo’ campaign should be rewarded. So, on Friday 16th of May, there will be free links games across the country in bingo clubs which are members of the Bingo… [More]
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Since the budget announcement we’ve been expecting less bad news when it comes to bingo halls. We’ve been expecting less closures and more success stories, but we haven’t really been expecting to hear of new clubs opening other than by either Gala Bingo or Mecca Bingo who have the financial… [More]
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The effects of the reduction of bingo taxation in the 2014 budget are already being felt. We’ve already noted how Crown Bingo in Portsmouth was saved from the chop as a direct result of the budget announcement, and week by week we are hearing more good news from the bingo… [More]
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It looks like one of the UK’s biggest and most well known brands may be about to sold off in what may be one of the biggest sales in bingo history. Gala bingo has been a recognised brand on many of our high streets for over a quarter of a… [More]
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Gala Bingo in Falkirk will be having a comedian onstage every Friday in April as the the latest ‘get ’em through the door’ initiative. It starts tonight with Scottish funnyman Bruce Fummey who will be taking the stage at 10pm after the main session has finished. He will be followed… [More]
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As our readers will know on some occasions I like to visit our local bingo hall, this is the Mecca Bingo hall in York. As it is quite a trek, my friends and I usually travel by car which means using the parking facilities at the club. A recent news… [More]
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As of this week another bingo hall has bitten the dust. Top Ten Bingo in Blackwood, South Wales has been purchased by Picturedrome Cinemas, who are going to restore the venue to its original use as a cinema. Located on the High Street in Blackwood the bingo hall has been… [More]
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Whilst you might not have known it, the competition that has been going on for domination of the bingo industry has been running parallel in the casino industry. The Rank Group, owners of Mecca Bingo clubs across the UK, have bought out nearly all of the Coral owned Gala Casinos… [More]
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Getting hitched is expensive these days, with everything from the dress to the venue to pay for, it’s little wonder so many of us are living in sin. However, for one lucky couple who won £12,000 at the bingo, it’s a dream come true, and the cash will be used… [More]
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Click here to play at Mecca Bingo Now that the snow has cleared and looks like it will not be coming back in any big way Mecca Bingo’s owners Rank are counting the cost. Their profits for the month of January are down by 3 million pounds. The downturn in… [More]
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Click here to play at Gala Bingo Gala Bingo have recently rejoined the Bingo Association after a five year absence. They left in 2008, and I’m hoping that this return to the fold is a signal that bingo is going to get serious with the government over taxation issues. The… [More]
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A new gallery has just been added to our Lost Halls section courtesy of Charles S.P. Jenkins, a keen photographer who has supplied us with a lovely set of photographs that he took himself. The gallery is of Gala Bingo in Powis Street, Woolwich, London, and like the previous set… [More]
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The exterior of Slough Gala Bingo For those of you with an interest in the halls we feature at the site, I’d like to highlight some of the new galleries and pages recently added. Kicking off are a collection of photographs kindly provided by Charles Jenkins, providing a great record… [More]
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Click here to play at Gala Bingo Gala Bingo have just starting promoting an online bingo offer to their land based club members. Anyone who plays in their local club on the 25th of October 2012 will receive a bonus code that will enable them to access 10 hours of… [More]
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Click here to play at Gala Bingo In these tough economic times no-one can afford to rest on their laurels, even those who’ve established themselves as market leaders have to be proactive in attracting more customers. Gala Bingo are going one step further and are going to be addressing bingo… [More]
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After a long break, Ian Grundy has returned with another fascinating insight into a grand old bingo hall, illustrated with Ian’s wonderful photographs. This latest piece looks at the development of the monstrously huge Kinston-Upon-Thames Gala Bingo hall. The hall started out as a church and was a theatre /… [More]
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If you’ve read our scholarly and in-depth article on the early history of Bingo in the UK, like myself you were no doubt surprised to learn that bingo was played by British troops in the trenches of World War I. The game proved and excellent morale booster and social event… [More]
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In other news, there’s been a few major stories to do with bingo company takeovers and sales. First up, and a major pointer towards the consolidation taking place in the online bingo market is the yet to be finalised sale of the standalone Cassava powered site Wink Bingo, which was… [More]
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First up today, congratulations to the 25 bingo players / Gala staff members that engaged in a game of bingo on the slopes of Everest last week. The event was more than a year in the planning, and arranged to raise money for Gala Coral’s nominated charity, Sue Ryder Care.… [More]
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One of the highlights of the 4th Online Bingo Summit for me was the talk given by Angus Nisbit of Mecca Bingo, in which he spoke about Mecca’s growing ability to promote between their online and retail arms. During the talk he gave a glowing insight into the success of… [More]
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Well, it’s been a long hard Summer for me, with my adventures taking me away from bingo and in to completely new areas. As a result, things have been on the quiet side around here, but now I’m getting back to it and catching up with it all. I actually… [More]
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It’s not all doom and gloom in the retail world. Beacon Entertainments are showing their commitment to bingo by rebranding themselves alongside adding a number of improvements to their halls. During the rebrand, the company will improve its existing Beacon clubs and re-name 3 others to expand the Beacon name.… [More]
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I’m on the train at the moment on the way to the 4th Annual Online Bingo Summit in London. Just browsing through the news and there’s a couple of interesting stories worthy of note. First up is the news that the sale of Cashcade could be literally days away. EGaming… [More]
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Following my last post about the success of Mecca Bingo at their High Court appeal about their tax rebate, Bingo Supermarket has an interesting take on the ruling. Rather than saving the industry, it could actually cause some operators severe difficulties as banks take the rebate’s straight off them to… [More]
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I have to start by saying that I find this story particularly shocking. According to the report in the Daily Mail, pensioner and longtime member of the Mecca Bingo, Rosalyn Clemson has been banned from every single Mecca Bingo in the UK. Her crime was organising a trip for other… [More]
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With the 2009 Online Bingo Summit barely weeks away, the nominations have been announced for the 2nd Annual Online Bingo Industry Awards. Interesting to note there’s been some changes in the way the votes will be awarded this year. Following last year’s event I had concerns that the voting for… [More]
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One other thing that’s caught my attention as well the last couple of weeks is the movement of sites from the St Minver network to Virtue Fusion. Rather than throw it in with the other rash of stories in the last post, it’s something I wanted to look at in… [More]
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It’s been a busy month for me, I’ve had a number of work related things to sort out, and spent almost a week in Amsterdam rubbing shoulders with operators and fellow webmasters at a couple of conferences targeting affiliates. There’s been a lot happening that I just haven’t had the… [More]
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Well, I had wondered how long it would be before Cheeky Bingo found itself a competitor. Cheeky Bingo made a big splash a couple of months back as the UK’s first play for free and win cash site, in which time it’s grown from nothing to a major player in… [More]
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I’d have got to this story earlier, but I was away most of the week taking a break from the internet and all. It’s a pretty staggering story really, and I’d love to know more about the actual mechanics of what went on how the people involved were able to… [More]
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Well, I’m sure that the many hundreds of thousands of members would disagree with the headline of the post, but The Times says otherwise. Following on from previous news about Gala Bingo’s parent group’s financial troubles comes the news that the private equity backers of Gala Coral are concerned that… [More]
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The ongoing financial crisis for land based bingo seems to be deepening at the moment. I’ve recently featured stories looking at Gala Bingo’s finances and their problems. but today it’s the turn of a smaller player, The Buckingham Bingo chain. The Telegraph carries a report about the chain’s current debt… [More]
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Just a quick heads up on this story about the withdrawal of Gala Coral Group’s credit insurance by the insurers Euler Hermes. Gala aren’t alone in this, a number of other big retail chains have also had their cover pared back as a result of the current financial situation. Over… [More]
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Well, it’s been a busy weekend for me here in London, catching up with people who work in the online bingo field and finding out about some of the interesting things planned for online bingo players in the near future. More on that in later posts. The main draw for… [More]
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It’s always good to see positive stories about the game of Bingo, and the last couple of days there’s been a couple of nice features around the online press worthy of mention. First up, my favourite UK online bingo provider tombola continue to lead the marketplace and grow. In fact… [More]
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I saw this story on the wires earlier, and I have to admit, it made me chuckle a bit. Fair play to Gala Bingo on this one, it’s a great little promotion to tie in with the inauguration of Barack Obama next week, and it’s also helping charity as well.… [More]
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Well, I’ve been caught up in all the fun and games the season has to offer, and let a few stories slip. Rather than go into depth, here’s a quick round up and links to further information on a few stories that caught my eye over the last couple of… [More]
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Following on from Gala’s recent news of slight improvements in its Bingo business, there’s more cautiously good news from their biggest rival, Mecca Bingo. The Times reports that trading has been up slightly for Mecca, who’ve seen a rise in their like-for-like sales of 1%. It appears that maybe the… [More]
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There’s been a couple of news stories this week around Gala Bingo’s financial status, or rather the status of the parent company Gala Coral. The private equity backed company has been suffering along with others in the industry, especially in its retail casino business. According to the Guardian the company’s… [More]
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The Times had a report on some major changes at Gala Coral. The private equity company behind Gala Bingo are restructuring to improve their financial position and shedding up to 200 jobs as a part of the process. The move will see their five divisions cut down and rejigged to… [More]
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News from the Bingo Association that Gala Bingo have pulled out of the UK trade body. I suppose it’s not surprising, following their departure from the National Bingo Game, it seems Gala Bingo are intent on going it alone at the moment. It was interesting to see the Bingo Association’s… [More]
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Well, as Autumn is almost upon us, and the little ones are back at school, I’ve been caught up launching a site in time for Halloween and catching up with work from over the summer holidays. I’ve got some great new content lined up for the site the next couple… [More]
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As one of the smaller chains in the UK, it’s not very often I see news about Stylus Sports Bingo arm, Deluxe Clubs. However, today there’s two separate stories on the wires, and unfortunately, neither of them are positive. Both highlight the continuing problems in the industry in the retail… [More]
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It’s no secret that one of my favourite online bingo sites is Sun Bingo, which runs on the tombola bingo platform. They have since the start stood out for their value, the strength of their Bingo community and their focus on good old fashioned Bingo over slots and casino games.… [More]
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I’ve been seeing a number of stories about Bingo halls re-zoning themselves into two separate premises to allow them to double up on the number of Class B3 machines they can get into one venue. There’s a loophole in the laws that allows this splitting of premises to happen, and… [More]
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With so much doom and gloom in the retail industry, the last few months have had a few beacons of light in the shape of the ‘potential’ tax rebate for Mecca and the change in the amount of Class B3 machines allowed in clubs. Well, I’d like to continue that… [More]
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The grand final of Gala Bingo’s in house calling competition was held yesterday in Birmingham. Seven callers from around the regions of the UK met to contest the title in a special session. For the second year in a row, the title was won by Michael Edwards of the Stratford… [More]
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With the Online Bingo Summit this week, and the run-up to it previously, I’ve let lots of little stories slide under the radar and go unmentioned. So, to right that wrong, here’s a bit of a headline blast for you. First up I wanted to flag a couple of Bingo… [More]
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Why do these big stories always come when I’m away on my flaky internet connection? Luckily Brett was in there getting the story up in my stead over on his blog. My heart sank when I saw the headline earlier, but due to what the National Bingo Game Association calls… [More]
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The online bingo comparison site Bingo Port has released an interesting set of figures around the sales of online bingo tickets in the UK. They’ve set about researching the UK Bingo market, an area where there’s few definite figures that quantify the size of the market, with the aim of… [More]
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I’m just back off holiday and catching up with the news. Talk about bad timing, the one week in the year I’m away from the PC for any length of time, two of the largest Bingo news stories of the year break! Midweek I found out about Gala Bingo’s withdrawal… [More]
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Brett was on the ball with this story, he published news on Gala’s decision to pull out of the National Game earlier today. This has come out of the blue for me, it’s a pretty staggering decision. Gala’s reasoning is that they will enhance their High 5 game and use… [More]
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Just a quick note to say that the National Bingo Game have added to their site the entry forms and details for entry into this year’s competition. If you’re a regular Bingo Caller at a club that’s a member of the NBGA, and fancy your chances in the competition, you… [More]
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I’m not quite sure where to file this one, it could go under ‘proof that young males like Bingo’ or ‘vague Bingo connected news story’ or even ‘loony laws’ but it was so surprising that I thought it was worth a mention. Not only me, but both the Telegraph and… [More]
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There’s been a few stories around online bingo this week. First up, Bingo software provider Parlay has rejected the companies who tendered to buy them. They have however struck a close relationship with these companies with an eye to later licensing deals and joint ventures. Elsewhere, Bingos has been bought… [More]
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If you’re a bingo caller, the real flashpoint and problem area of the job is dealing with missed claims. There are a number of reasons why claims can be missed be it quiet calls or late calls. When it happens it can be a moment of disquiet in the audience… [More]
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I’ve spotted a couple of news stories the last week about Bingo clubs closing down. The latest is on the Welsh island of Anglesey. The BBC carries a story of the Empire Cinema in Holyhead having closed. Whilst the piece concentrates on the closure of the cinema, the reason for… [More]
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Near enough 4 months after it was first launched, the National Bingo Game’s million pound Big ‘N’ Prize has finally been won. Congratulations go out to Christine Bradfield from Bargoed at the Merthyr Tydfil Castle Bingo club who won herself her a massive £1.1 million prize. If you hadn’t noticed… [More]
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The last month I’ve had a couple of trips to one of the bigger Bingo halls in Cardiff, The Castle Bingo on Newport Road. The times I’ve been, a couple of things struck me about what was happening at the club in contrast to the press I see about the… [More]
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Well, have to say I was shocked when I spotted the news over at The Guardian that Gala Bingo are to close five of their Bingo clubs. It’s the first sign of closures from the UK’s biggest Bingo chain, and it comes just a short while after Gala Coral’s CEO… [More]
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News from the FT that Gala Coral have seen a profit rise in its last year of trading. The rises come on the last trading year up to September 2007, so the changes brought in to by the 2005 Gambling Act affecting gaming machines won’t real have bitten in much… [More]
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The UK’s third largest Bingo train is suffering profit and share troubles. ICWales Business reports that the chains profits have halved in the last 6 months, with the foreseeable future set to be equally difficult. Top Ten Holdings have also seen their share price slump as well. Top Ten have… [More]
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Following the Kerchingo game, Gala Bingo are back on the big prize money ladder after their first ever Gala High 5 main jackpot has been won, with a jackpot prize of £874,208. The Gala prize is a bit different to the Mecca Millionaire and Big N though, because that prize… [More]
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Well, the stage is now set for an epic showdown of Bingo calling talent in London on the 25th November. The last two regional heats of the NBGA Bingo Caller Of The Year were held in the last week – so we now have the full line up for the… [More]
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Woah! Where has the last year gone? I was reminded that the 4th of October was the birthday of Gala TV – the UK’s first Bingo TV channel. It’s been going from strength to strength over the last 12 months with a growing user base and a number of special… [More]
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As I’ve been busy preparing for and attending the Online Bingo Summit, I’ve been a bit neglectful of the news, so here’s a quick round up of some other interesting Bingo news from the last week or so. We’ll start with some big jackpot news. Mecca Bingo can claim the… [More]
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The NGBA Bingo Caller Of The Year is well and truly under way now, and the first couple of results are in. The North West head was held on the 19th at the Mecca Bingo Club, Moor Lane, Bolton. The heat was won by Allen Musa from Preston’s Buckingham Bingo.… [More]
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It seems like the Bingo world is going big money bonkers at the minute. We’ve just had the Kerchingo game from Gala Bingo, which created the UK’s first online bingo millionaire. There’s been an alternative multi site pooled million pound prize floating around before that, despite being what I feel… [More]
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Following on from the talk of million pound Bingo prizes, Brett’s newest columns has just gone up featuring a look at the night that Gala TV called the numbers on Kerchingo game. Brett also runs through the tough work involved in calling the numbers on the UK’s first Bingo channel… [More]
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I’ve spotted a couple of stories in the news the last week featuring Bingo callers. Unfortunately, both the stories were a bit short in the good news stakes. First up, news that Mecca Bingo caller Ricky Denton failed in his bid to become a boot camp attendee when he failed… [More]
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Well, been busy with a few more holiday things, and a few stories have slipped under my posting radar. Without further ado here’s a quick round up on the interesting stories from the last week. First up, not long after Gala’s Kerchingo created the first online bingo millionaire – there’s… [More]
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Following on from Sunday’s game, The Mirror carried a feature on the winner of online bingo’s biggest prize – Gala’s one million pound Kerchingo game. The winner, 62 year old Pauline Clarke sounds like an ideal winner. New to the internet version of the game, she qualified for the Kerchingo… [More]
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I’ve been off-line for over a week now thanks to the family holiday and with catching up duties. Rather than reel off a load of short story posts, I thought I’d do an all-in-one round-up of the stories that caught my eye the past 10 days or so. First up,… [More]
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Gala Bingo are already the biggest brand in the UK when it comes to Bingo, both online and on the high street. They continue to impress me with the innovations they continue to bring to the game and its marketing. Recent examples of member emails with promotions to tempt online… [More]
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A Bingo player in Wigan was given a warning by the manager of her Bingo club after sneaking off to the loos for a sly fag. As a result of her annoyance of both her treatment and the wider ban, Margaret Paddick has started her own petition signed by a… [More]
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The open to all chain National Bingo Caller Of The Year Competition is still a few months away, but Gala have just held their own in-house competition. The winner was Michael Edwards of St Ann’s Gala Bingo. 33 year old Michael was one of the North East finalists in last… [More]
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Neil Goulden has admitted that as many as 13 Gala Clubs around the country could close as a result of the smoking ban and the financial problems faced by the industry. Guardian Business has a report that 100s of jobs could be lost in the closures. The closures aren’t as… [More]
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The online bingo site Bingo Scotland have a new press release out talking about their experiences of picking up customers following the start of the Scottish smoking ban. Whilst many in the industry are talking about an explosion in players come the start of the ban, Bingo Scotland are urging… [More]
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Bingo Port have an interesting exclusive about the sale of the domain GalaBingo.com. It seems the UK’s Gala Bingo have been after the domain for a while, and through a domain auction the domain has been sold for around £33,000. At present though, it’s not known who was responsible for… [More]
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Bit of a quick end of the news style story from Metro today. Congratulations to Shelly Smith on the birth of her new baby girl. She went into labour at the Castleford Gala Bingo Club, and as a result – named her Mika Jade Gala. Good job she never went… [More]
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Although it’s a bit late for the old Gala Bingo Hall in Lancaster which closed back in February, it looks like the building could find a new life. Lancaster today reports the hall is up for sale with tenders being invited to purchase with the potential to turn it into… [More]
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News from West Yorkshire of another Bingo hall being targeted last weekend. In this case a pair of masked robbers armed with hammers scared the cleaner into letting them into the Gala Bingo hall where they set about the fruit machines and stole cash. Police are asking that anyone with… [More]
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Brett Hyrjak is the reigning Bingo Caller Of The Year, we featured an interview with him in our Interview section. Life’s been busy for Brett since winning the competition, with guest appearance and a new roll as a TV caller on Gala’s TV channel. Adding to his workload we’ve cornered… [More]
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There’s been a few news stories the last couple of days involving the bricks and mortar Bingo industry and crime, so here’s a round up of events. Firstly, the now empty La Scala Bingo hall in Runcorn was set on fire by arsonists. The building is waiting conversion into apartments,… [More]
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I missed this news from last week, but it’s worth repeating. Apparently, Gala Bingo are considering dropping Sharon Osbourne as their celebrity face for their brand. Given the amount of work and branding that Sharon’s invoved in, the decision to replace will not be taken “lightly.” Now, I’ve sort of… [More]
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Gala Bingo have signed up to the Nectar loyalty scheme, creating what’s claimed to be the first “long-time loyalty scheme for bingo players”. It’s not unusual for clubs to give people the chances to earn points for prizes for attending, so this is will not be too strange for your… [More]
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Well, anyone following Bingo in the UK will have seen Sharon Osbourne’s face all over the place promoting Gala Bingo – both in the press and on many websites (this one included). We’ve already mentioned Gala are official partners for this year’s Red Nose Day with a special game planned… [More]
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Bucking the recent trend of club closures and doom and gloom within the industry, Gala are set to open a brand new Bingo hall in the 23,000sq ft Brewery in Cheltenham, off St Margaret’s Road. There’ll be all the glamour and glitz that comes with a Bingo opening on the… [More]
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Another plus for Gala, they’re about to launch new hand-held consoles that the smokers are allowed to play out on their smoking breaks. There are plans to put 120 machines into 170 clubs, as well as applying for outside licenses. I’m still wondering why they’re not trying some sort of… [More]
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Police from Leeds are appealing for witnesses following an armed robbery yesterday at the Gala Bingo on Stonebridge Lane, Farnley, Leeds. Three robbers, one armed with a fireman raided the hall and forced staff to hand over the contents of their tills. Anyone with information should contact the Pudsey Weetwood… [More]
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With just a month until the next Red Nose Day, here’s some Bingo related news I missed. Gala Bingo are one of the partners for this year’s event on March 16th. Gala Bingo Clubs, gala-bingo.co.uk, and Gala TV – the world?s first interactive bingo television channel – will be offering… [More]
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News from Mecca Bingo in Fishergate, York that they’re in the process of getting permission to erect a large smoking shelter at the front of the club in preparation for the ban in July. Read more… Sigh… They’re just not getting it are they? I hope they have more planned… [More]
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News of a Gala Bingo hall closure from Lancaster. The hall on King Street has been home to Bingo for some 35 years, and sounds like it’s another of those classy old cinema style buildings rich in Art Deco and history. It’s always sad to see another one go the… [More]
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Well, Happy New Year to all our readers – been as it’s the time of year, I thought I’d share some of my selected highlights from 2006, and thoughts for what will happen in 2007 for Bingo in the UK, off and online. In 2006 the biggest news has been… [More]
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I don’t often bother with the daily stories of big National wins, as let’s face it, somebody wins it big every day. However, this one made me smile enough to want to feature it here. Six women who lost money in the recent Farepak collapse have struck it lucky on… [More]
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The Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt has finally announced the day the smoking ban comes into force in England – it’s set to begin on July 1st 2007. In Wales it comes in on the April 1st 2007, three months earlier. Effectively, the ban will put an end to traditional smoky… [More]
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Well done Brett Hyrjak, the south finalist from Gala, Butlins, Bognor Regis. This afternoon he was crowned Bingo Caller Of The Year 2006 at the Surrey Quays Gala club. The prize was presented by Esther Rantzen at the end of a glitzy afternoon with cabaret and special events. Brett wins… [More]
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Well, the clock is ticking to the 2006 Bingo Caller Of The Year Competition, which will be held on Sunday in Surrey Quays Gala. I’d love to be going to do a report, but it’s not possible. Maybe next year I’ll be able too. Anyway, a head of the competition… [More]
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For the second time in three months, staff and customers at the Freshfield Road Gala Bingo club have been subjected to a terrifying armed robbery. Masked raiders entered the hall and held staff at knife point, whilst customers were aware of what was going on. Bingo halls must increasingly be… [More]
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Tessa Jowell, the Culture Secretary is hoping that with new gaming licenses, the UK can become a centre of respectability and a shining example of good practice for the online gaming world. Speaking at the opening of the first international summit to discuss the global impact of online gambling, she… [More]
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There’s a bit of a change going on at the top of Bingo and casino company Gala-Coral. Chairman of the UK’s biggest private company John Kelly will be handing over day-today control of the business to make time for other projects. Time to get the old CV out the drawer.… [More]
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Following on from my earlier post about the pending Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, US operators are not only turning their attentions to the UK, but to the far east as well. UK based FC Group will be holding a conference on the 31st October to explore the burgeoning market… [More]
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Nine months after buying rival operators County Bingo, and the historic Lyceum Cinema building in Glasgow, Gala have decided to call it quits and sell-up. The cost of refurbishing the grade-b listed building proved to be too much – so Gala will close the club and sell it on. Staff… [More]
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The annual competition’s into its 12th year. The regional heats are gone and the winners will be going forward to the grand final on Nov 26th at Gala Bingo’s Surrey Quays club. For a full list of the regional winners and finalists check out the National Bingo’s page on the… [More]
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I’ve not yet mentioned the Internet Gambling Act that was passed earlier this month by the US Congress. Under the Safe Ports Act, measures being pushed into law to protect US ports, it will be illegal for banks and credit card companies to take payment for online gambling from US… [More]
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Well, I’ve missed this one being a Freeview viewer. Gala Bingo now have their own TV channel. Not content with just sponsoring shows on ITV, they’ve got their own broadcast! I wonder if they’ve got some stay at home Bingo planned for the smokers come the ban? If anyone has… [More]
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Nude calendars by normal people was once such a shock to the system that it made national headlines and the ladies who did it first international stars. They’re pretty common fair now, naked firemen, nude gardners, etc. Now there’s a Bingo one to add to the list – staff at… [More]
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If you’ve ever fancied starting up your own Bingo chain, a Bingo hall will shortly be available in Glenthroes. Gala has been told they can’t own the only two halls in town for competition reasons, so have to sell the Carrick Gate Club. Judging by the picture on the article,… [More]
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News of a big TV sponsorship campaign from Gala Bingo. They will be sponsoring Sharon “Ozzie’s Wife” Osbourne’s new ITV chat show, Mrs Osbourne Presents. The first season of the show will run from late August to mid October, and the sponsorship will see Gala adverts book ending the show… [More]
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Another Essex Bingo Hall has been targeted by theives in an armed raid that has similarities to the Lakeside raid on the 21st July. No one was harmed on the raid at Basildon’s Gala, but staff and customers were ordered to take hit the floor. They made off with a… [More]
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Customers and staff at the Lakeside Gala Club in Essex were shaken up when a gang of armed robbers stormed the club on Sunday. The theives made off with £20,000 – people with information should contact the police. [More]
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The Internet Gambling Prohibition Act – which looks to ban online gambling for US citizens is causing the gaming industry great concern. I’ve been seeing more and more on this in the press recently as industry giants fear they may soon be made illegal. It looks like the UK based… [More]
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There’s been a lot of interesting stories this week but I’ve been tied up getting another site off the ground. I’ll do a quick run over of the Bingo stories that have caught my eye the last week. First up, sensitive ears around the UK will be happy to hear… [More]
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This interesting article was sent into me, and I’d like to thank Dave for it. It looks in a lot more detail at the great opportunity the Bingo hall operators could exploit when smoke free halls become a reality. According to the piece, Gala could be one to watch going… [More]
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Interesting to see a news report about prominent Scottish chain Carlton holding off expansion plans until losses caused by the smoking ban are clear. It seems in contrast to Gala’s news in April that fears of losses were offset by increased admissions to their clubs. Whilst annual profits are up… [More]
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A few stories popped up this last couple of days that I didn’t mention as I was heads down spending some dosh and reviewing Bingo sites for the review section. There’s now a review for Crown Bingo and Bingos UK if you’re looking for an insight into online bingo. A… [More]
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Well, as I’ve been busy getting the new site up and running, I didn’t update the news section. So, without further a-do, here’s a round up of the stories I missed over the last couple of weeks. Firstly, a Swindon school’s vandalised pond was restored to full glory thanks to… [More]
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TOP STORY: Bank Holiday Blackpool Fun – 25 April 2006 With the Bank Holiday around the corner, Blackpool Bingo has a number of free games and big prizes to celebrate. Read more…(Dead Link) Record Online Jackpot For Luton Lady – 21 April 2006 Lucky Jo Collins from Luton won a… [More]
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TOP STORY: Online Players Vs Bingo Hall Players – 27 February 2006 Binghall.com reveals that its online demographic is very different from the usual groups who visit Bingo clubs, skewering towards a younger age range for the online variety. Read more…(Dead Link) One Night Smoking Ban For Two Welsh Halls… [More]
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TOP STORY: Get Fit By Playing Bingo? – 30 January 2006 Online Bingo UK muses on the possibilities of Ranks’ new chief executive mixing past experience with his new roll. Read more…(Dead Link) Rank To Appoint New Chief Executive – 27 January 2006 Rank, owners of the Mecca Bingo chain… [More]
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TOP STORY: Bingo Appeals To A Wide Audience – 16 December 2005 Gala club assistant manager pleased at the wide range of people form all walks of life now attending his club on a regular basis. Believes more men than ever are taking up the game. Read more…(Dead Link) Scottish… [More]
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TOP STORY: Smoking Ban Set To Cause Bingo Halls Major Problems – 18 November 2005 Plans to impose a smoking ban in pubs and clubs could damage bingo clubs. The average smoker population is 60% in most major clubs. Read more…(Dead Link) Top Rank Ripe For A Take Over –… [More]
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TOP STORY: Armed Robbery – 24 October 2005 A terrifying ordeal for members of a Coventry Bingo Club as masked and armed robbers storm the hall and steal £7000. Read more… (Dead link) Dundee’s Biggest National Game Win – 24 October 2005 Council worker scoops a massive quarter of a… [More]
