Recent Storm Sends Bingo Players Online

Posted on January 13th, 2010

Recent snowstorms in the UK sent millions indoors to escape from the dismal weather. Many of those who were shut in by the weather played online bingo. The Rank Group which is one of the largest bingo providers and gaming firms in the UK reported a surge in internet bingo activity. This is not the first time a storm has sent bingo players online. In early 2009 a storm caused a sudden increase in internet bingo activity. Throughout the UK brick and mortar bingo clubs are facing hard times and the storm dimmed activities at land based bingo clubs.

The Rank Group which is one of the UK’s biggest bingo operators under the brand name of Mecca Bingo reported a 29% increase in the number of players during the recent storm. The increase was good news for an otherwise troubled industry. Rank said it has seen an improvement in business since its internet bingo operations began. An optimistic Greg Johnson, analyst for Shore Capital said stated, The consumer side is not bad as far as previous years are concerned when the bingo industry was hit by the smoking ban and wasn’t a growth industry. If you look historically at bingo they have seen sharp declines in spend. Rank has seen improvements in recent weeks and its online division has gone up.”

Figures from Spain where bingo is popular are not as positive. Rank owns 11 bingo clubs in Spain and reported a 9% drop in business. Johnson said, “The Spanish economy has been hit far harder than us. While like-for-like sales are down 4 per cent over that last three months it looks worse than it is because of the movement in the euro currency.” Most internet bingo websites reported an increase in business during the storm as players kept warm while playing their favorite game.

Internet bingo players who kept warm playing bingo have a lot to be happy about. The internet bingo industry is thriving and competition is keen in the industry. Bingo websites are offering players fantastic bingo bonuses. Many bingo sign up bonuses offer players as much as 300% on a deposit. Several sites have special games and members will receive an email with a bingo bonus code that can be used to play and purchase bingo cards. Bingo players can now comparison shop to find out which site has the most generous bingo bonuses. The bingo industry in the UK is poised for growth during the coming years.