There are millions of people all over the world who are now playing bingo right in the World Wide Web. Others, however, are apprehensive. At the back of their minds, they are not sure if the game is a form of gambling or not. As you know, the word “gambling” will always have negative connotation. It’s like it’s meant for the Mafia, high rollers, and those who live on such a lucrative lifestyle.
For us to know if it’s really gambling or not, we have to define the word. What is gambling? There are three elements that make it up. First, there is a risk involved. Unless the numbers can be manipulated in an online bingo website, you really don’t know if you’re going to win or not. Second, you are going to play the games with the use of money and for monetary gain. With your deposits, you can buy bingo cards, which you’re going to use for playing. Moreover, you hope that by doing so, you can also win prizes. Third, the outcome can either be favorable or unfavorable to you. Simply put, in general, online bingo is still a form of gambling.
What Other Things Could Make You Conclude?
Online bingo websites make use of RNG or random number generators. This is a special program that allows the website to come up with numbers without having to follow any type of pattern. In fact, it’s made to just produce whatever number it can practically think of. This cannot be edited or manipulated by anyone, not even the administrators of the website, though the results can be audited by independent parties to ensure fairness and accuracy. RNG is one of those responsible for making online bingo a form of gambling. Because you cannot have it modified, it increases the level of risks and the chances of having an outcome that is favorable or unfavorable to you.
You also have to remember that online bingo doesn’t have strategies to brag about, unlike poker or blackjack. In virtual bingo, the only way that you can win the game is when you can produce the pattern that is required of you and be the first one to call out “bingo.” You may choose to increase your chances of winning by buying as many cards as you can, but if other players do so, then it still evens out the playing field.
Why is it Less Regulated?
You may ask, “If online bingo is gambling, why are governments less stringent on it?” There could be a number of reasons for it.
First, bingo is usually associated with charities. Organizations that would want to raise money would often come up with bingo sessions, in the hopes of obtaining proceeds. No government would want to appear hostile and prevent these organizations from holding bingo games. Second, even with its success, online bingo still doesn’t have as many players as poker, roulette, slots, or blackjack. Third, it doesn’t require a lot of money unlike casino games, where bets can increase while the game progresses.
Filed under: Bingo News on August 21st, 2009
A lot of people are asking if online bingo can ever be trusted—if it’s going to be worth the time, money, and effort.
There are plenty of reasons for you to trust the game, especially based on the rules that are being upheld by the different administrators:
1. They make use of RNG. RNG stands for random number generators. This is a special program that comes up with bingo numbers without the use of formula, code, or pattern. Simply put, it just reveals to you the number it wishes to show—nothing else.
All legitimate websites should run this one. This is how they can ensure players that the numbers that appear on the screen are without human intervention. Besides, RNG is known to be hard to decode or manipulate even by programmers and the administrators of the bingo websites.
2. The game is always audited. There are independent auditors that would verify every winning. This is to make sure that there was no deceit or cheat that has been done by anyone who played during the session. Moreover, there is an online gaming commission that always sees to it that the standards of the bingo websites remain high and meet the expectations of the online agency itself. Perhaps it would not be fair for you if the prize will be awarded later on your account while other previous winners received theirs at a much earlier time.
3. The game is basically based on luck. Unlike the table or card games, such as poker, bingo doesn’t have a lot of winning strategies. This is because it doesn’t require a lot of skills. In fact, there is only one thing you need to have: attentiveness. You should be alert on the numbers called as well as when you call out “bingo” once you’ve already come up with the needed pattern. Otherwise, you could simply pray that Lady Luck is on your side.
Because this is solely based on luck, you have an equal chance of winning with the other players. It would change, though, if the other players have more than 1 card. This means that their probability of winning becomes higher than yours. You can opt to buy more cards for yourself too, or you can check out websites that put limit to the cards that can be bought by players. Others would allow as many as 50, while some would want you to stick to just a pair.
It would also be different if there are a lot of players during a bingo session. This can also lessen your chances of winning since you’re up against so many bingo players. What you can do is to choose a bingo schedule that doesn’t have a lot of competing members.
4. You have managers. There are also managers who make sure that fairness is still an integral part of their system. After all, if there’s one shadow of dishonesty attached to their website, a lot of players would cancel their account.
Filed under: Bingo News on August 11th, 2009
Today, there are millions of people who would sit in front of their computers than trek to social halls. This only means one thing: there are also so many people who realize that online bingo has more benefits than traditional bingos.
Why Is Online Bingo Such a Hit?
Just in case you’re wondering why bingo websites are sprouting like mushrooms in the World Wide Web, it’s because of these following reasons:
1. It’s highly convenient. For an avid bingo player, online bingo is way better than traditional bingo because it offers convenience. For one, you don’t have to leave the comforts of your own home and be trapped in a very compact social hall, where you can get all sweaty and dirty. You can also choose to play all your favorite bingo games 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; it doesn’t even matter where you are at the moment. There’s no need for you to dress up or talk to other players even if you don’t really want to. You can be all on your own and still enjoy bingo as much as you want.
2. It helps you raise money fast. One of the reasons why you’re playing in online bingo is because it offers you a lot of ways to earn money. While in traditional bingo, you can only raise an amount if you win, in online bingo, you can already earn money the moment that you sign up. They offer a lot of bonuses for their players. If you’re loyal, you will be greatly rewarded with more non-cash and cash prizes. You can even win even if you’re not really playing and you’re just in the chat room. There are always special events organized in online bingos.
3. You can feel more secure. You can’t trust anyone these days. The moment you get out in social halls with your winnings, you could just be mugged, robbed, or, worse, killed by those who have interest over your money. On the other hand, when you’re playing in an online bingo, you will feel a lot safer since you’re practically just inside your home. You can keep your money on your own virtual account, which only you can access. Online bingo sites run a technology called SSL, which encrypts all information you send through the Internet to make sure that no one such as hackers can steal them. These include your credit card number, name, and address.
4. It can reach out to far-flung places. There are really places that don’t have social halls or even bingo games. Thus, an online bingo becomes a good alternative. As long as the area offers a broadband or wireless connection, anyone can definitely enjoy a wide variety of bingo games.
5. You can play with your distant friends. Your favorite bingo buddy may have already moved to another state or to another country, so you lose interest in playing traditional bingo. Well, online bingo gives you an opportunity to reconnect to him or her and even play bingo games together. You just talk about the best time to sign in and meet in chat rooms.
Filed under: Bingo News on August 3rd, 2009
