Posts Tagged ‘Bingo’

Do you know that there are two ways of playing your favorite casino games? Your first option is to play at a casino which is probably found within Las Vegas or other areas within the country which are known for their great casino games and bonuses. Your second option is the chance to play blackjack or bingo over the Internet. The latter is possible because of the advanced software that is being used by several casinos. Through this software application, casino owners are able to develop an online version of the games that they offer on their land-based casinos.

There are plenty of online casinos over the web. However, not all of these casinos offer great deals to their players. This is the reason why you need to find out more about different casinos and compare the information that you have obtained. If you do not want the hassle of going through magazine articles, you can look for casino reviews over the Internet. There are various sites which you can get helpful online casino reviews. One of these is Online Casinos Directory; providing interested online gamblers the opportunity to gain knowledge on the latest online casino, the most current game, news update, and guides.

Other than reviews on the top online casinos, the site also offers a guide to casino games. This way, you will know how to play your favorite game. In turn, you will end up with more money than what you have deposited. One of the offers of Online Casinos Directory is reviews on bingo. Aside from the review, the site’s bingo guide will allow you to learn how to play this casino game the way experts do. If you are just starting to discover the wonders of playing online bingo, you might want to get more information by reading the review and guide of the site.

Since there are already a lot of individuals who have discovered the ease of playing online bingo, this game is quickly gaining popularity. They appreciate the security and the convenience that they get when they choose to gamble over the web. In order to provide you with information on the best online halls for bingo, Online Casinos Directory has come up with a list of great online casinos to visit when you want to play bingo. In order to know which hall is better than the other, the site makes careful research. What is more, they check out the halls personally so that they will know more about the services that each online bingo hall provides.

The site carefully goes through each bingo hall over the Internet. When one online hall makes it to the list of Online Casinos Directory, you are guaranteed that it is a wonderful room to visit. The site only includes bingo halls which it thinks are offering the most honest and safest atmosphere for their players. The site also gathers information; and they do it through knowing what online gamblers have to say about the latest hall. Through the feedbacks of the players, the site is able to determine whether a specific hall is worth further research. After the site reads player opinions, a team of Online Casinos Directory checks out the online rooms themselves. They look into the general assets of the hall, the provided game selection, the payment options, and the over-all presentation of the bingo hall. If they think that the information which has been provided is acceptable though not enough, they keep on making researches.

How many of you remember the famous movie Casablanca? There is a scene in which Louis (the police chief) has just told Rick (Humphrey Bogart that he is shutting down his cafe. When Rick inquires why, the police chief, as he is being handed gambling winnings from the cafe’s cashier, says “I am shocked, shocked to find out that gambling is going on here.” Hypocrisy right? But thats the same kind of logic used in the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act passed in 2006.

A brief inquiry into the history of this bill and the means by which it was passed reveals the hypocrisy of so many that it is truly shocking. The bill was tacked on to the Port Security Act by Republican Bill Frist (R-Tennessee) shortly before the bill was presented in the middle of the night with no time for debate. In fact many in congress were totally unaware of this ridiculous addition to a much needed bill to ensure port safety and security.

As it turns out Senator Frist has some serious ethical problems of his own including, campaign finance law violations, and insider trading. Frist said that he was concerned about minors gambling online which would be a good point if it were true. A recent 60 Minutes episode had a minor trying to access various gaming sites without success. Another argument given was to “protect public safety and morals”. Given the wide variety of pornography, bomb making, and drug manufacturing available on the internet to users of any age the argument seems absurd.

Another argument frequently used by conservatives is that gambling possibly could support terrorism. Terrorism seems to be invoked whenever the current administration needs to find a justification for bills that would restrict or limit rights enumerated in the US constitution. To date there has not been one documented event or incident linking online gambling to terrorism or money laundering. Terrorism is a serious business but when it is used as a smokescreen to justify the current administration’s agenda the public may tend to ignore credible threats.

When gaming industry tried to reach Frist there was no response but a referral to a statement issued to a special interest religious group. Essentially Frist said that brick and mortar casinos were ok but somehow online gaming is somehow more objectionable. With new software that blocks minors from playing on online sites Mr. Frist’s arguments become moot. Essentially Mr. Frist is pandering to a tiny minority that welcomes government intrusion into their lives.

A vast majority of Americans resent government intrusion into their private lives but somehow government never seems to get the message. Most reasonable people would agree that what a person does in the privacy of their own home or how they choose to dispose of their money is their own business and those adults are fully capable of making informed decisions about the way they choose to conduct their lives.

Take the example of online bingo, a traditionally socially acceptable form of gambling. Charitable organizations and churches have been using bingo as a fundraising tool for decades. Not everyone, especially those in remote and rural areas has access to these games but still desire to play bingo. The internet is the obvious solution for these citizens and to deny them access to online bingo would essentially make them unequal merely because of their location. These players are making a choice to play from the privacy of their own homes and spending their own hard earned dollars and what government entity has the right to say they can’t?

A new bill submitted for consideration in congress by Barney Frank (D-Mass) would essentially repeal the bad piece of legislation that is the Uniform Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. It would regulate and possibly tax internet gaming and the revenues generated would help several government programs. Frank is joined by Ron Paul (R-Texas) a Republican who believes that citizens are capable of making their own decisions making him one of the few to adhere to the founding principles of his party. A companion bill to Frank’s was introduced by Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) which essentially allow gaming revenues to be taxed.

Another ray of hope is a lawsuit filed by the Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association against Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Federal Reserve. The lawsuit seeks to halt enforcement of the UIGEA on the grounds that it is an infringement on the rights of free speech, freedom of association, and equal protection under the law. The lawsuit has asked the court for a temporary restraining order. Unfortunately as it is, occasionally a lawsuit is the only way to void a bad piece of legislation.

Our constitution allows citizens to petition the government for redress of grievances and time and time again this has been the most effective way for citizens to make their views and feelings known to their representatives. There have been several cases in which a few letters, e mails, and phone calls have influenced the way a legislator may vote on a particular issue. Obviously bingo players and other gamers are not criminals, capable of making their own decisions, and should start to stand up for their rights. Believe it or not, contacting your respective representatives can actually have an effect. A civil, well reasoned letter, phone call, or e mail is one sure way for a legislator to know how their constituents feel about an issue or piece of legislation.

Two quotes, the first by Abraham Lincoln, and the second by the renowned author Ayn Rand are extremely applicable when discussing the topic of individual freedom; “Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man’s appetite by legislation and makes crimes out of things that are not crimes. A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded.”

Abraham Lincoln

To quote Ayn Rand; “The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What’s there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced or objectively interpreted and you create a nation of law-breakers and then you cash in on guilt.”

Just a little notice to my regular online bingo industry readers ? my computer needs a little maintenance which means I will not be posting any updates for two or three days.

In the meantime I?ll leave you with this little tidbit of info I picked up from the US. If there are any bingo online players out there who remember a certain Patrick Duffy of 80?s TV Dallas fame, you might be interested to know that he?s just picked up the job as Bingo America?s host. Bingo America is a GSN TV quiz show with a bingo game element to it created by National Bingo Night founder Andrew Glassman.

?Bingo is such a family pastime,? says Glassman, adding that: ?Patrick embodies everything we whished for ? not only is he TV?s marquee good-guy leading man, he is also playful and has a great sense of humour.?

My comment: So ?Bingo is such a family pastime? in the US is it? Then why does the US need UIGEA to protect it from UK online bingo halls and free online bingo operators? This smacks of hypocrisy ? no matter how playful ol? Patrick is.

See you in a two or three days

While it?s technically illegal to accept payment from US-based online bingo players in US$ thanks to UIGEA, it?s not illegal to accept US$ from other eligible players. But is the current massive slide in the value of the US$ a cause for concern amongst online bingo games operators?

Of course, the issue only applies to prices denominated in US$ and few UK online bingo halls outlay prices in that currency. However, there is still the issue of what it means for customers who have to pay in US$ – and there are still enough of them out there to warrant attention.

There is no doubting that the US$ is collapsing with little relief in sight and many currency analysts are projecting continued losses. It is therefore logical to assume that in order to minimize losses to their margins, online bingo operators are going to have to adjust their US$ denominated prices higher to compensate.

Unfortunately this means passing on the loss to those players having to make payment in US$ – so what?s an online bingo hall to do?

As a suggestion, it might be wise promoting ?bulk? buying by US dollar-based customers to hedge against the loss of their US$?s value. In the long run this would be better for the players and better for the operators if the US$ continues to slide. The player gets a store of bingo product wealth and the operator?s cash flow is enhanced. The key, it would seem, is in convincing the players that their bingo purchases will maintain value a lot longer than the sorry state of the US$.

Written by Charlene Gary

In its online form, Bingo is not about raising money for charity. It’s about being available to anyone to play 24/7. Unfortunately one of the most popular activities online is gambling. And even though bingo enjoys a reputation of being an old ladies game and it is not a casino game, it can be every bit as addicting as any other form of gambling.

In the Internet version of Bingo, players can play anytime they want to in the comfort of their own home. Many sites offer the player an option to start out playing for free or even give them a small deposit to start out with and then entice the player to continue. A typical bingo website will be filled with banners advertising bonuses and recent large sums awarded to random winners. Little, if any emphasis is about the social aspects of playing bingo. It is not about getting out on a Sunday night and enjoying the opportunity to see others. Online bingo players sit at home alone hoping they will be the lucky winner. Some will lose and not be persuaded to return ?although once the site has their personal info they will be relentless in trying to get the potential gambler to return. Others will be easily persuaded to keep on trying. Bonuses, occasional wins, all sorts of enticements are built into the system so that once they do succeed to get someone in, it will be very tempting to try playing just “one more time”.

Bingo has suffered on internet in USA with implementation of Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act, and criminalizing many American bingo online players who are enjoying game online. There is very little that is done about this unless law is changed, however this bingo prohibition is on stark and contrast to popularity of game in UK. British bingo players online are at present spoilt for the choice, and not just it is ok to play game online for the UK residents, at moment it is one of more famous online pursuits for the games players.

In case anything, game in UK is growing in the popularity, and fuelled by television & press adverts that became legal in September 2007. The online bingo companies also lost no time to advertise their web sites as well as gaining attention of new & old players alike. The special offers such as

There are a lot of points you need to examine when choosing an online bingo site to deposit your money at. First you should make sure that you play bingo at a respectable and safe online bingo hall where you can be assured that you can withdraw your cash in case of winning and where you receive quick and professional support any time you needreply. Luckily you can find lots of bingo rooms around that are secure and you can trust them.

The subsequent point you need to consider is your requirements when playing bingo; what do you like in a bingo site, what kind of bingo player are you, what aspect of the game is the most important for you? Let’s examine these points individually.

Are you from the USA?

Perhaps the most important question after the UIGEA that lots of popular bingo halls have transferred its operation from America and closed their doors to American. This doesn’t mean that US bingo players cannot find an internet bingo site to play at, but it is always harder to find a good bingo site with a trustworthy money processor. International roomies don’t have to deal with this, they can quickly find popular online bingo sites to play.

Do you prefer the American or the UK version of the game?

Lots of bingo sites have both, moreover some of them offers the unique 80 ball version. It is said that usually American roomies prefer the 75 ball version with a 5×5 bingo ticket while the UK version of the game is usually played by the 90 ball rules. I suggest to have a go at both and choose which kind of bingo game you like the most.

Do you like other mini-games beside bingo?

Nearly every bingo hall online has now instant side games beside bingo. Till you wait for the next bingo round you can spin a slots game or play scratch cards to try your luck. If you like these internet casino games then look for a bingo site with additional side games.

What is your preferred banking method?

You will find lots of deposit and withdrawal options at each bingo site. It is a good idea to check them in the FAQ of the bingo halls’ websites before signing up if you can find your preferred method, so when you choose to become a real money player, you can make your deposit without difficulties.

Do you like to play chat games?

If you like to play chat games then you should sign up with your chosen bingo hall and observe the chat during game play. In this manner you can get a hang of the community at the bingo room, whether you can be the part of it or you don’t like it at all.

Do you like bigger pots with many players or smaller pots that you have more chance to win?

Bingo players usually think that having less players in a bingo room makes your odds of calling bingo higher. That can be true but always think about it that in this case the winning amount will be much lower too. When there are a lot of players in the room then your chances of winning are lower, but if you bingo on your tickets, you can be sure that the pot size will be much larger than in case of less players.

There are lots of things you need to take care of when choosing your next bingo room. Be aware of the bingo sites’ pros and cons and you will find your next preferred site quickly and make friendships.

The question is that is it legal for citizens of the United States of America to play online bingo?

Well the short answer is probably YES. Bingo is just a game; it?s like asking ?Can Americans play Monopoly, Bridge or Scrabble?? It is legal to play online bingo but here?s the rub. Technically a US player is not allowed to receive cash prizes from playing bingo. In 2006, the UIGEA law was passed, attempting to stop US players from gambling. Many people see this as an infringement of civil liberties and indeed one correspondent I read suggested that it was possibly against human rights!

I don?t know about human rights but this seems to me to be an impossible law to enforce, there are just too many grey areas, especially when dealing with the internet. Indeed the number of Americans playing bingo is apparently growing. Most bingo websites are situated outside the United States so do not come under US jurisdiction and can not be ?controlled? by the US government. Therefore the government has focused on the US banking system to try to stop US citizens playing bingo for money. But of course the web is a wonderful entity and many banking institutions do not come under US law.

Why do you think the US government would institute such a law to restrict gambling? Social consequences, maybe. Protection of US citizens from the evils of gaming, possibly. But why then is a state lottery in 43 US states legal? Is not a lottery so similar to bingo that they are effectively the same game? A series of numbers that end up with one or more players winning the jackpot, or smaller prizes?

Well my opinion gained from the many blogs I have read on the subject is the old subject of taxation. Where is the US tax dollar coming from. Not from the offshore bingo sites of course and not from players winnings. The view is that the lack of ability to collect taxes lead to this decision. Indeed many legislators feel that players should be allowed to play for money, as long as the US IRS is informed of their earnings!

So in a nutshell, citizens of the United States are allowed to play online cash bingo for money but banks are not allowed to pay you your winnings or process your deposits. Fortunately if you really want have the same privileges as much of the rest of the western world there are many law abiding bingo websites that welcome US players. Using various methods of payment and using legal offshore companies Americans can enjoy one of the most popular internet online games.

Funtime bingo is one such site. Based in Cyprus under the umbrella corporation of BMX Entertainment Ltd, it has been around for over ten years and offers some of the best online bingo and chat games.

Tell me more about Funtime Bingo

Information about online bingo for USA players

Fun Time bingo

Read their terms and conditions if you are unsure about the legality of you playing but I for one have not found one instance yet on the internet where someone has been prosecuted for playing online bingo.

If you know different or have your own ideas about US gaming laws then please leave a comment.

Please note that this article is my view and opinion. It is not a full explanation of any US laws. It is not intended to encourage un-responsible gambling or an incitement to break any laws of any country.

If you decide sign up for the any bingo website it is entirely at your own discretion.

Since the passage of the unpopular Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) many US online bingo players have been confused as to the legality of online bingo and the funding methods left available to them.

Several of the major players in this business such as Neteller have been prosecuted for activities that are perfectly legal in their own countries resulting in heavy fines and settlements with the US government. To avoid similar prosecutions several companies have swiftly pulled out of the US market suffering substantial monetary losses.

These companies include, Neteller, Citadel, My Citadel, InstaDebit, FirePay, Central Coin, and Pre Paid ATM.

Already several startup payment processors have started to appear but they lack the longevity and credibility of the older established firms. Put quite simply these new companies do not have a history to substantiate their claims of services provided. One of the unintended consequences of UIGEA is the appearance of payment processors who may or may not be honest and above board.

We have done some research and found several reliable payment processors that are still available to US online bingo players.

Of course one of the simplest methods to fund deposits and withdrawals from online bingo sites is an offshore bank account. This is not a popular method due to the amount of paperwork involved and balance requirements. What follows is a list of companies that still have the courage to serve US players.

Click2Pay- If you already have an account the will process your deposits and withdrawals but they are not accepting new accounts from the US.

ePassporte-They are accepting US players and accounts can be funded with, A valid bank account, credit or debit cards.

eWalletExpress- They are accepting US players. Accounts may be funded by, basic checking, Xpressfunds, 900pay, bank wire and money order.

900pay-Currently accepting US players this service is one of the more unusual funding methods. This service allows deposits to online bingo sites and the transaction appears on the client’s phone bill. Ju

UseMyBank-This unique service allows players to use their banks existing online bill payment service. All that is needed is a valid e mail address and telephone number.

Immediate Deposit-This service allows the player to use their visa or Master Card to purchase a calling card which can then be used for casino credits. This method is good for deposits only. Another method must be used for withdrawals.

Western Union-One of the oldest methods. There is some confusion with the status of gambling transactions. Check for current information.

MyWebATM-This is a brand new company providing funding for online bingo and accounts are accessible at most ATMs. Since this is a new service many bingo sites and casinos do not offer this funding option yet.

Wire Transfer-One of the oldest and least known deposit methods. The only drawback is the length of time it takes, typically 2 to 5 days.

Add-Funds-A new service that allows US players to fund their online bingo accounts with their credit cards. It is essentially another service where clients buy phone time to be exchanged for credits at the site they choose to play at.

FedEX-Players may fund accounts via FedEX. This involves sending cashiers checks or bank drafts to the site operators.

PIN Debit- This new service allows players to link their PIN Debit to their personal bank accounts both checking and savings. Winnings can be transferred to bank accounts using this service.

Some of the companies providing these services are new and their reliability has not been established. Players need to do careful research when looking for an account funding solution.

Unfortunately US players are finding it increasingly hared to fund accounts directly using their credit cards. Most CC companies and banks have a code that denotes a gambling transaction and given the current atmosphere in the US that transaction is likely to be declined leaving the player in limbo. For the time being third party services seem to be the best solution. Keep right on playing and good luck!

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