Thinking of switching to internet bingo? If so, you’re not alone. Experts in the online bingo industry are predicting a huge increase in the number of bingo players on the internet. Who plays bingo and why the sudden surge in the number of bingo fanatics who are choosing to play online?

The old stereotype of little old ladies sitting in a church basement chain smoking is no more. In recent years there has been a surge of younger players both on the internet and at land based halls. While male bingo players are still relatively rare (about 15%) studies have shown an increase in the number of men playing bingo on the internet. Bingo, whether online or land based, is still dominated by females. Online, women comprise 85% of players while at land based halls they account for 70% of all players.

Several factors combined are contributing to this increase in online players. Internet Bingo sites can offer much larger jackpots and a wider variety of brand name prizes than their land based counterparts. In Europe and the US smoking bans have literally emptied some land based halls and sent players to the internet. In the UK alone it is estimated that the new smoking ban could account for as much as a 63% increase in new internet bingo players. Convenience is a major factor for the switch to internet bingo. Given the fact that most bingo players are women and a majority have children, many women choose to play online because they can play and watch their children at the same time. It is obviously more convenient for a woman with children to play bingo on the internet. No baby sitter is needed and occasionally a parent will allow the children to participate in the game.

When making the switch to internet bingo what makes players choose one site over another? There are many reasons cited by experts in the industry. Most internet bingo players, like a majority of the general population, are not tech savvy and a site that is user friendly is more likely to attract players than one that is difficult to use and uses technical jargon. The attractiveness of a site, while a minor factor, can often make a player choose one site over another. As with any other business customer service and reputation are major factors attracting players and retaining them. In the past there have been some fly by night operations that gave the whole industry a bad rap. Most of these are now nonexistent.

The jackpots and prizes offered by internet bingo sites are significantly larger than those of their brick and mortar counterparts. Prizes such as expensive plasma televisions and all expense paid vacations are common on the internet but virtually unknown in land based bingo halls. The social aspect of bingo is cited as one of the main reasons players congregate in land based bingo halls. Internet bingo offers the same social interaction through the use of chat rooms. Internet Bingo has a real advantage here because the internet is global in scope and players from different cultures and countries can interact. Over half of online bingo players use the chat rooms and cite it as a major reason they play on the internet.

Internet Bingo is a steadily growing industry around the globe. With all the competition between the many sites consumers have the upper hand. Clearly internet bingo is the wave of the future.