Online bingo is one of the fastest-growing gaming industries in the world. It is reported to be worth around £200 million and is increasing by more than ten percent each year. Much of this has to do with the evolving technology that makes gaming online more straightforward and more accessible. This is even more so now that you can play bingo online on your smartphone, meaning you can play at any time, anywhere in the world. But how did this phenomenon begin, and where is it heading?
History of online bingo
Bingo is one of the oldest games, and its routes date back to the 16th century. The game we know and love today is derived from Beano, which is essentially the same game with a different name. The game of Beano began in the late 1920s in America and was usually played at carnivals. The concept was the same as it is today, but players marked their cards by using beans to cover the numbers, hence the name Beano. When a player had a winning card, they would then shout Beano. In a game played in Atlanta, Georgia, someone accidentally called out bingo instead of Beano, and the name stuck.
Online bingo became available in the 90s, but it was played for fun back then. It wasn’t until seven or eight years later that people started playing it for money when the gaming industry took off. It took a while for online bingo to take off, which was mainly because at that time, bingo was still seen as a social past time and online bingo was a solitary game. However, as the game has developed, so has the social aspect, and many online bingo games have chat rooms attached to them. Developers have also tapped into a market where they have associated bingo games with different themes like popular TV shows or interests so that users playing the game have a common interest and something to talk about while playing their beloved game. To learn more about these developers and the development of technology in other gaming areas, you can visit Think Computers. They can keep you constantly updated with all the latest industry trends.
There are hundreds of different developers all around the world.
Developers behind the game
As the industry has seen an increase in demand for online gaming and bingo, in particular, there are now over 400 software developers in the UK alone. Some of the industry’s biggest names include Jumpman Gaming, Dragonfish, Cozy Games, and Playtech. Many of these developers belong to extensive bingo networks, which means their software isn’t exclusive to one website and is used on several different ones. When choosing which games and software are best for you, there are many things to consider, such as graphics, gameplay, sounds, bonuses, and themes. However, what players sometimes forget to look at is what payment methods are available to them. Let’s take a look at why this can be important in particular.
Online bingo payment methods
Depositing and withdrawing quickly should be a priority for most online bingo players. All bingo sites accept card payments, but other methods can be used and may be more convenient. You might prefer to use Pay Pal, Neteller, a Paysafecard, Apple pay, Skrill, or a Pay by Phone option where you top up your online bingo balance and can charge your mobile phone bill. You can usually find out what payment methods are accepted at the bottom of each website’s home page. For those wanting instant withdrawals, Paypal is probably the best method for you as typically; these go through instantly. In contrast, a withdrawal to a credit or debit card will take at least a couple of days.
Bingo apps
Lastly, we will examine why bingo apps are so popular within the various app gaming stores. With the rise of smartphones and tablets, mobile devices are now responsible for over half of the online gambling industry. It’s predominately down to mobile applications. There is an app for almost everything these days, so why would bingo be any different. Using apps generally gives you faster access to the platform you wish to use, there secure and convenient. It’s estimated that more than two billion people in the world have a smartphone which means bingo and other industries have a larger target market than ever before. This has resulted in a new generation of bingo players. In the 1990s, bingo was seen as a game for older ladies, and it wasn’t cool for younger people to be seen playing. It has since moved on from these days, and thanks to social media, it has become a thriving industry for people of all ages and interests.
There are also many incentives included for downloading bingo apps, mainly surrounding sign-up bonuses. These bonuses aren’t always available to players that only sign up through an internet web page. You can also set up alerts with an app, so if you have a particular jackpot game you are interested in playing, you could set a reminder for yourself so that you receive a notification when the game is about to begin.
Benefits of playing online bingo
There are many benefits of playing online bingo, like not having to leave your house or playing at a time that suits you. Online bingo websites and apps will have games taking place 24/7, so if you work a particular shift, the gaming can revolve around your lifestyle and not the other way round. There are also plenty of different sites to choose from, so you will find a setup that you like. You will also often find different variations of bingo that you might not have seen at a traditional bingo hall which keeps things fresh and exciting.
