What is the world's most popular gamble?

I just recently read an article which claimed sport betting was the world's most popular type of gambling. I find this somewhat hard to believe given that it is an activity banned in most parts of America! Something like bingo on the other hand is playable in many states (not online though!). So surely that must make bingo more popular!

What do you think?

86 year old War Veteran mugged for Bingo winnings

I have just been reading today's Sun newspaper and came across the shocking story of a man being mugged for his £1,000 bingo winnings.

Apparently the 86 year old victim was robbed of his winnings just a few moments after leaving his local bingo hall... clearly the hooded mobsters new that people leaving the hall would be carrying big wads of cash.

It raises the question of whether bingo halls should have more security present. I dare say this chap no longer feels safe when going to play bingo, and indeed could have now been put off for the rest of his life. It's just another example of broken britain if you ask me. When a war veteran can't even spend an evening at his local bingo hall without encountering trouble... just what is this country coming to?

Bingo hall numbers dropping fast

Playing bingo online remains one of the fastest growing hobbies for bored housewives (or husbands!), but apparently the number of people attending bingo halls is dropping quickly. Not only has online bingo become ever popular, it seems that the impact of the smoking ban is certainly taking affect on the sector.

JP Morgan, a major financial analyst, predicts that this summer could one of the worst for land-based gambling estasblishments since records began.

Clearly, with bingo halls on the way out, now is a good time to jump on the online bingo bandwagon if you haven't already. That said, there are still some huge jackpots up for grabs at the moment, with yet another person winning big last week.

ITV's late night bingo show

At the start of June ITV launched a new late-night show allowing viewers to take part in a live bingo game.

The show is hosted by Melinda Messanger and Michael Underwood, the latter being a former childrens TV presenter so this is quite a jump for him! The show allows you to play for free so it's can be entertaining to watch for a short while.

That said, I don't think it can replace the rush and joy of winning money when playing bingo online or at your local bingo hall.

Have you seen the show? What did you think?

Celebrities call the bingo balls

A new series of charity bingo games kicks off in New York this week. The games will see celebrities calling out the numbers as they are drawn and will have prizes such as Broadway memorabilia.

It's certainly a pretty cool idea, though the list of celebrities currently lined up to call the balls is not exactly A-list. Anything though to continue the rise of bingo back to being popular is great in my opinion. However, the price of $10/$15 entry and $2 per ticket will probably price most people out.

The first event will take place on May 11th.

Littlewoods Bingo giving away cuddly bears!

I already have waaaaay too many cuddly toys, but who can resist a freebie?

In Littlewoods' latest promotion the online bingo site is giving away stuffed cuddly toys to all players register and make a £20 deposit by April 30. There is a limit of one bear per customer and they will be sent out at the end of the month.

Just continue doing what you love - playing online bingo that is - and we'll send you this adorable little bear. Simply deposit and play £20 by 30th April and you'll be cuddling and snuggling until your heart's content. He makes the perfect little bingo companion and who knows, he could just bring you that extra bit of luck.

Bingo more popular than the gym!

Online bingo sites are said to now have more regular users aged 18 to 35 than a gym.

In a survey conducted in Cardiff, some 22% of women in the age group said that they logged onto bingo more often than they visited their gym.

The survey also found that 19% of Cardiff's women would rather go to bingo than go shopping on a Saturday!

Is this a trend you are noticing where you live?

Having fun with online bingo

If you love bingo as much as we do, you'll probably already know that winning is pretty much out of your control - basically you need a good bit of luck! But there are various things you can do in order to make bingo more enjoyable and have a better experience.

We have compiled a list of top tips to help you get the most from online bingo.

• Win more by playing more
  Perhaps it seems obvious, but the more times you play bingo - the better the chances of winning. Only people good at doing several things at once should try this. You will lose some of the enjoyment of bingo if you can't give each game your full attention.
  


• Find the best competitions
  Regular competitions are run by many of the major online bingo sites. Take part in as many of these as you can. Bigger jackpots and larger overall payouts are 2 of the key benefits to these competitions.
  
  
• Only have one account per site
  Your account is likely to get banned if you try to have more than one account on any given site. It gives you an unfair advantage over the other players.
  


• Discover who has the best bonuses
  When signing up to a new bingo site, aim to get the best sign-up bonus. These usually match your first deposit with a credit of equal value. Many sites are now also offering free online bingo cash which you can use to play (and hopefully win) with.
  
  
• Quit when you are ahead
  A good online bingo player is one who knows when to quit. If you have had a good day at the bingo, don't expect the run to continue forever. Rather than put all of your winnings back into the site, you would be better off going off for a nice cup of tea and feeling satisfied with your win.
  
  
• Aim for the big one occasionally
  The reason we all play bingo is for the thrill of the win. Once in a while you should target playing only the biggest game with the biggest jackpot. You could be the next big winner, just like Christine Bradfield who walked away with £1.1 million in January 2008.
  

Bingo increases your mental agility

A study of 112 people has shown that playing Bingo can in fact help develop your brains reaction times. The following snippet comes courtesy of UK Bingo News.

Bingo is hardly the most active of games, and whether you play online or at clubs, you are unlikely to develop a fit and toned body in the process (unless someone comes up with bingo-robics). However, a study of 112 people – in which half of the group was made to play bingo, whilst the other half remained idle – showed that the people who played bingo completed tests more accurately than those who did not. These findings would suggest that though bingo may not help you develop a fit body, it may help to build a fitter mind.

The superior performance of the bingo players was evident across the whole age range of 18 to 82. While younger players were slightly faster, older players were more accurate, though the difference between age groups was marginal.

The survey also found that over a third of all online bingo players play on a daily basis. I thought this was quite interesting - it just shows how popular the online game has become over the past few years.

Actress wins big filming ad

I am still not sure whether or not to believe this. But, regardless of it's authenticity, no one can deny that this is a crackin' bit of advertising by Littlewoods Bingo. Watched the YouTube clip below to see an actress winning £500 while shooting a commericial for the online bingo giant.

A newcomers guide to Online Bingo

I like to consider myself a bit of a veteran when it comes to Online Bingo. I've been around pretty much since it all started! In the past few years, there has been a huge influx of sites offering you the chance to play an online bingo game, so I am sure many of you will be playing for the first time today. I have compiled this list of 5 top tips to help those new to the scene.

1. You want to be playing games with only a small number of participants. While large numbers of players will increase the top prize, it is going to be a lot less likely you will win any money.

2. Make friends with members of the bingo site at which you play. Not only can they offer companionship during games, they could tell you best times at which to play.

3. Try to find sites that will give you free online bingo cash. You could use this free money to play and increase your profit.

4. Bingo sites that have chat special bonuses can give you extra money. These games involve you typing into a chat area of the software and will give you the chance to walk away with a big jackpot.

5. Have a lot of patience. It is likely your first win could take several days (weeks!), but stick at it and you'll get that win.