All Bingo Sites: the Abundance on the UK Market

Online bingo has become a real scream these days. Along with high-street halls diminishing and closing, online bingo clubs are buzzing with life. The diversity is most welcome, I believe. Players have lots of opportunities to choose from and plenty of bonuses to take advantage of. In this article I will introduce you to the various types of bingo sites you can come across and point to you some of their strengths and weaknesses. You will find an easy explanation of the options you get with playing on different bingo sites.

• Online bingo sites: new, no-deposit and real-money ones
• Mobile bingo sites: native apps, web apps and free apps
• How to choose the operator and offer

Of course, there are lots of crucial criteria you need to take in mind when choosing your preferred bingo site. But, even when we eliminate some unreliable names, websites are still abundant. What I really want to do in this article is give you pointers what the sites themselves offer, assuming they satisfy the initial requirements of being legal and trustworthy. At the very end, I plan to speak briefly of how to choose between the many offers and that choice will be based on the said criteria, of course.

Everybody Does It Online

Naturally, customers are online as well. No need to explore why and how, everybody finds it easy to do things on the Internet, instead of face to face. That is partially the reason for the rapid decline of brick-and-mortar businesses. Some of the established bingo halls went online as well. The following short paragraphs will look into that in more detail. There are several groups of bingo sites we can distinguish. There are the new bingo sites, that open with bombastic welcome offers. There are the free bingo sites, where you play for fun mainly. And, finally, there are the good old real-money bingo sites where you can use certain free benefits, but you need to deposit your own money. These groups overlap in many cases, and no one can draw an actual demarcation line.

Bingo sites group around specific software providers. The newly launched bingo sites are part of the developers' ambition to expand. Some companies offer so complete 'turnkey' solutions, that numerous white labels flock their way. Cozy Games is one such company, gathering great numbers of white label bingo sites under their wing. They supply the licensing, the support and the overall gaming platform. In addition, they unite bingo sites in networks which makes it even more profitable for the individual operators. For instance, linked prize pools or network-wide tournaments are great attractions. If you check the website of Live Bingo Network, operated by Cozy Games, you will see new bingo sites added practically every week. Because the bonus and games offers are well-established and centralised, the service is impeccable and success is, if not guaranteed, then pretty much likely.

Where free bingo is involved, matters usually become less clear. You need to distinguish between 'free sites' and normal bingo sites that offer complimentary games to their customers. Here, I prefer to discuss the first case.

There are bingo portals whose main purpose is to give you information about bingo operators, software providers and specific offers, as well as news regarding the bingo industry in general. They sometimes offer free bingo games as a way to entertain their visitors. Such portals are freebingo.co.uk or bingoport.co.uk. You can sign up for free and will get complimentary points that you may use to 'purchase' tickets for their games. Many of the rooms run completely free games, not even reducing your points. When you win, you receive more points, and so you can continue playing. And what happens after your points finish? Remember when I told you such sites offer reviews and bonus offers to their readers? So, when you join one of the real-money bingo sites through their links, you will get more points in your free-site account. It's a good practice for novices and access is relatively easy. For example, you don't need to provide card details and telephone numbers, the ID checks are not so serious as with operators. After all, those are flash games for fun.

The only downside of fun play is that you never make real cash winnings. Real-money bingo websites treat their players as valuable assets. They try to attract them with nice welcome bonuses, often based not on deposits, but on a simple sign-up. Even when there are deposits involved, players prefer to join such sites as they give away cash prizes and hold jackpot games where you can win really big. Although depositing your own funds may seem as a big commitment, it is bounding for the operator, too. Reputed brands undergo strict audits and independent inspections to make sure their games are fair, all customers' transactions to and from the site are secure and your privacy is protected. The age control, geolocation validation and ID checks performed by the operators are necessary to guarantee safe and completely legal service.

Mobile Bingo: Play on the Go

Looking toward making things even simpler for users, entertainment has been moving to mobile platforms. As devices get increasingly easier to carry around and lighter weight, whole industries are competing about the users' attention. There are operators that take the additional step and go mobile offering their major gaming packs, and there are others that stay on desktop and laptop only. A third group of operators exists that offer only slots on mobile and plan to rebuild their bingo to fit phones and tablets. And, besides these well-established providers, there are others, strictly mobile app developers who offer apps directly without having any traditional or Internet website at all. Below are short paragraphs elaborating the three different types of bingo apps you may come across.

To develop a native app you need to make sure it is worth it. Meaning there will be enough users who would download and use it. And, mainly, that there will be enough possibilities for investment returns for the developer. It is by far easier to make native apps for iOS devices, because they are a finite number and there is not too much work to be accomplished. Android apps follow close behind. The trouble there is so many handsets are on the market, with such a variety of screen resolutions, that a lot more resources have to be input in the making of them. Unfortunately, BlackBerry and Windows handsets are not so numerous and thus, present but a small opportunity to app developers. Users of non-iOS and non-Android operating systems can go for web apps, instead.

If your chosen operator doesn't feature a native app that you can download from an app store, then perhaps they offer a mobile site where you can play. With mobile sites there are two variants, as well. One is responsive design which makes it possible to open the site on all screens and in all browsers. The other is the web app, where the mobile site is especially designed and optimised to open on smaller screens without suffering any faults due to rescaling. Often, web-based apps lack characteristics such as redeeming loyalty points or withdrawal requests. Besides, not all promotional offers are available on mobile, neither are all games. Of the two, the web-based app is definitely the better option.

These apps are very similar to the free sites of which I spoke several paragraphs earlier. They are not offered by established bingo operators, but typical game developers. Their main purpose is to entertain you. Winning is on the bonus side, with more play time and small game-specific items that enhance your experience. Such apps are the Bingo Blitz or Bingo Slingo, which can be found for both iOS and Android, and can also be played on Facebook. They combine beloved features of bingo and games. Players enjoy achievements, collect objects that help them climb levels easier and trick the game play. While you look through the different types of bingo sites, you may come upon this type of apps and wonder what they are. In a way, such bingo apps are a deviation from the typical practice. Players searching for bingo sites, may be slightly disappointed. Or, on the contrary, they may prefer such games.

How to Choose Your Bingo Site?

Apart from the important factors of legality, security and payment options, which we assume are impeccable, there are other factors that may help you choose. Because so many operators fall into well-established software networks, often the matters of safety and fairness are resolved even before players even think of them. If you want to make the right choice, you have to know what you are looking for. If you are after realistic bingo experience that will remind you of the land-based halls you used to frequent, then operators of good standing and reputation should be your choice. Some of the high-street names are also on the online stage and they even integrate some features of both platforms. E.g., on Mecca bingo website you may claim a voucher that you can then spend in any of their clubs.

If you are searching for playing, then you should choose an operator that credits frequent bonuses. It is not necessary that they are very big. The weakness of a large bonus is wagering requirements make it harder to get your winnings. Another thing to consider is the time limit of bonuses. Every bonus comes with some validity. Even if you receive £100 bonus, you will still have to play it within the period advertised. So, better go for a bingo site that offers regular bonuses that you can use up.

Whatever you decide, it is of utmost importance that you have fun and enjoy your experience. I hope this article succeeded in explaining the difference between bingo sites and highlighted their advantages and disadvantages. With so many operators and brands around, I am sure you can easily find your call.