Bingo A Crime?

Posted on December 22nd, 2008

It must be tough to be a bingo fan in Turkey! Last week six British tourists were arrested and fined $81 dollars for playing bingo! The holidaymakers were taking part in a charity fund-raising night when police raided the Pyramid Bar in the popular tourist destination of Altinkum. If the name Altinkum sounds familiar it is because last year seven British tourists were arrested on similar charges in the same town.

Altinkum is a popular resort town but obviously no place for bingo lovers. The latest operation followed ‘complaints’ that the bar was allowing gambling to take place on its premises. Bingo is illegal in Turkey and is seen as an unregulated form of gambling. The arrests have angered regulars at the Pyramid Bar. The bingo game in question was a fundraiser for a British woman suffering from cancer. The woman Ruby Myerscough, moved to the resort town from Burnley. She was diagnosed with cancer several weeks ago, had an operation in Turkey and is now facing the prospect of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Pauline Ellington, who has lived in Altinkum for three years, was quoted as saying: “I hope I don’t get a criminal record for playing bingo. We have been hauled out of there as if we are common criminals. It is disgusting as the night was for a good cause.” The six men and women were arrested and detained for several hours by police.

Online bingo players fare even worse in Turkey because the conservative government bans any form of online gambling including bingo. Turkey routinely engages in various forms of internet censorship also blocking access to such popular sites as YouTube. In fact Turkey has gone so far as to arrest two employees of an online gaming company while on vacation in Turkey.

Turkey sounds a lot like the US in its puritanical approach to internet bingo. Fortunately the US has politicians who are working to overturn the draconian online gaming laws in the US. Internet bingo sites say they will be ready to receive the expected influx of American players. Internet bingo websites plan to offer more games and bigger than ever bingo bonuses. Many will provide a free play option complete with free bingo bonuses for new players. It sounds like Turkey is not about to loosen any regulations and laws related to internet gaming anytime soon. Turkey sounds like a country both online and offline bingo players should avoid!