Obama’s Stepmother Launches Internet Bingo Game

Posted on January 15th, 2009

Many Americans are unaware that president elect Obama has a stepmother in the UK. Kezia Obama, now 67, married Barack Obama’s father in a traditional Kenyan village ceremony in 1957. She moved to England to be with her Kenyan-born daughter Auma, the President-Elect’s half-sister, who guided him around his extended family when he visited Kenya in 1988. Mrs. Obama is very fond of bingo and has recently launched a charity internet bingo game.

Kezia Obama has partnered with Gala bingo to raise £1 million pounds ($1,451,278 at current exchange rates) for Sue Ryder Care, which helps people suffering from Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s and Multiple Sclerosis. The internet bingo game became live January 14th and will remain active until January 23rd. Regarding her stepson’s inauguration Mrs. Obama said, “I’m so proud of him. I sent him a message congratulating him and will be in Washington with the family next week. I am delighted to help galabingo.com raise funds for the Sue Ryder Care charity. It is a really positive way of celebrating Barack’s inauguration.”

Mrs. Obama has been a regular bingo player and said she played three times a week in Bracknell, Berks, where she lives in a council house. Mrs. Obama is also an internet bingo fan and so far it seems the partnership with Gala bingo is going well. Gala is one of the largest providers of internet bingo in the UK. Mrs. Obama plans to be present at her stepson’s inauguration which will be the most expensive in history, costing $110,000,000.

Bingo has been used to raise money for a wide variety of charitable causes. For decades church based bingo halls provided cheap entertainment for working class players and provided funding for church based charities. For profit bingo is a relatively recent phenomenon and in the UK bingo clubs and halls are big business. Mrs. Obama may have pioneered the move of charity bingo online. Since Mrs. Obama’s game there have been several other internet based charity bingo games.

Charities are just beginning to realize the potential of online charity bingo. Most UK bingo sites have large player databases and UK internet bingo has seen a huge influx of players after the national smoking ban went into effect. Bingo players have gone online for a variety of reasons. Many are attracted by the bigger jackpots and free bingo bonuses offered to players. Charities that tap into this huge new market are assured of success.