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Are original games the secret of success in online bingo?

Posted on April 9 by Bingo Surfer in bingo No Comments
Home» bingo » Are original games the secret of success in online bingo?

In the UK the online bingo market is now worth an estimated £700 million in gross gaming win every year. There has been a massive growth in the number of people playing online bingo and at the same time there has been a huge increase in the numbers of bingo sites. Currently there are around 250 to 300 online bingo sites in the UK market, and the vast majority of them are using 1 of 3 main bingo products: Globalcom, Virtue Fusion and Parlay. Based on market share figures it is estimated that some 50% of the total bingo gross win is actually earned on the 3 main bingo platforms. With many bingo brands offering the same games on the same platforms there is now little to distinguish them except their branding and marketing. But is this enough and will they be able to stay successful in an increasingly competitive market with an unoriginal product offering?

There is a common argument which says “that if it ain’t broke, why fix it!” Indeed this would seem to make sense when one considers the some of the things which are important to bingo players. For many players learning how to use a bingo site and all its foibles can actually be a challenge. The majority of users are not as technically competent in the navigation of applications than the people who built them. You do not have to look hard to find excruciatingly bad examples of bingo products which have been built for the 26 year old techno-geek developer’s satisfaction. Rather than being built with the 42 year old female user’s ease of navigation from her armchair in
Wolverhampton in mind, it has been used to show off the developer’s skills (or lack of). Therefore, the strategy which Cashcade have adopted of launching multiple brands on a strong and simple platform, makes perfect sense. Having mastered playing bingo at Foxy Bingo a bingo player can effortlessly transfer to the free bingo being played at Cheeky Bingo. A big part of the barrier to user activity is removed once the understand how to make deposits and how to play the bingo. It is this approach which has enabled Cashcade to maximise the activity of their customer base through multiple brands. There is a much better chance of reactivating a lapsed bingo player with a new brand when the player has already mastered the bingo game.

The same effect, although more disparate, can be seen on the Virtue Fusion platform’s multiple brands like Bucky Bingo and Ladbrokes Bingo. In this case Virtue Fusion’s (VF) strong suite of mini-games makes their product a big attraction for existing bingo players. For example, players will take advantage of a new free bingo sign up offer at a new bingo brand with VF because they know exactly what to expect and they can find their favourite slot games. But is marketing and brand all bingo is about? Surely simply shifting players from brand to brand on the same platforms points to product and customer relationship issues. If the users keep lapsing does that not mean that none of the platforms or brands has got it right yet?

It is absolutely human nature to want to try new things and take advantage of special offers, so it is a bit of a stretch to think that the propensity for bingo players to move around points to major product and CRM deficiencies. However, the lack of original great quality bingo products is certainly a major contributor to the market conditions we see. Take the example of Tombola Bingo, surely now the biggest bingo by player numbers, which operates its own bingo games and bingo variants. This site has significantly higher retention rates and loyalty than any other bingo site in the UK market. It is difficult to understand exactly why, but one has to think that unique games which the players cannot get elsewhere are a big factor. Why would any of their bingo players play elsewhere if they like Cinco, Bingo Roulette or Hamster races? Or indeed why would they move from what is one of the most easy to use user interfaces? It is unlikely to be purely coincidence that the site with unique games now has the biggest player numbers.

Whilst it is not 100% clear that all Tombola’s success is attributable to its unique game content certainly a good proportion of it is. Couple the unique content with the excellent distribution that the site enjoyed in national newspapers and the answer is clear. Whilst brands can still build massive marketing led businesses on “me too” products at the moment, will this still be working in 2 years time?

By Sam Cook
Sam Cook is a freelance author writes articles on various game related topics. For more information on Free Bingo Games and Buckingham Bingo Online he suggests you to visit http://www.freebingohunter.com

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Did you know that …

... there are two types of bingo played around the world?

North America plays 75-ball bingo on a 5x5 card with the centre square usually marked 'free'. In the UK, parts of Europe, Australia and parts of South America they play a 90-ball game, marked on a 9x3 card. Both types of bingo are prominent online.

Unlike balls used in regular bingo halls, online bingo sites use a random number generator. The online bingo play works almost exactly like playing online poker or online casino games with everything being virtual. Most bingo halls also offer links to online poker and casino offerings. One notable feature of online bingo is the chat functionality that gives the opportunity to interact with other players.

Useful Tips

If you are going to try online bingo for the first time look for the best no deposit bingo and free bingo sites. Experience the game with the calm deriving from the awareness that you are not risking your own money, nevertheless you can win some good bucks.

Progressive jackpot bingo games offer high value cash prizes. The jackpot is accumulated over a period of time, often taken from payments made to play smaller games. Usually as each new card pattern emerges, the pattern will have a number defining the amount of calls needed to claim the Jackpot. If players obtain a Bingo in this amount of calls or less then they will win the Progressive Jackpot. But rules are different for the different online bingo halls, so check before playing.

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