Good News for Cheeky Bingo – they won 2 awards at the 4th Annual Online Bingo Summit that finished yesterday in London. Best Newcomer 2009 and Best Innovation Award 2009 for their free online bingo games! Well deserved. Considering they have only been around since February 2009, Cheeky Bingo has been welcomed with open arms to the thousands of online bingo players that the UK happens to have.

Cheeky Bingo, offer you the opportunity to play free online bingo at their site every single day of the week. Free bingo games run from 8am in the morning through until midnight and when you play free online bingo you will play for real cash prizes that can be withdrawn. “We’re delighted to win the award,” said Ben Starr, Head of Sales and Marketing, “We put a lot of work into the Cheeky Bingo concept and it was a big risk strongly marketing our free play rooms. Who wouldn’t want to play for free and win for real? Although it makes it more competitive for us, we are flattered that a couple of sites sharing the same concept have entered the market. We had high hopes for Cheeky Bingo but the uptake has astounded us all.”

Congratulations to Cheeky Bingo!!! Belle x x x

Gala Bingo seem in trouble I see. With the tax increasing, huge debts and gaming rules and regs will bring them nearly to their knees.

The owners of Gala have said their investment in the company is nothing albeit giving the company a much needed boost of £120 million+ in May last year. The company is in debt by approx £4bn and £80m of that is supposed to be paid back to the creditors by the end of this year, with another £150bn due again 12 months later.

They pulled out of the BA, decided against the National Bingo Game instead giving us their own High Five Jackpot and cancelled their membership for the British Casino Association, Remote Gambling Association and the British Bookmakers Association.

It certainly doesn’t help with the tax being raised from 15% to 22% (it’s only bingo that’s taxed mind you – other gaming such as betting and casinos only have to pay 15%)- that on it’s own will cost them as much as £7m in extra tax. The only way to recoup that type of payment is to lay workers off. Another great idea Alastair Darling!

Let’s just hope that they continue to push the boundaries as stay one of our national treasures despite having all this stuff thrown at them!!

Belle x x x