Casino City's iGaming Pocket Directory - 2018 Edition

10 Sponsored by Casino City’s iGaming Pocket Directory BINGO BINGO INDUSTRY OVERVIEW Like poker rooms, bingo rooms are heavily reliant on the liquidity they are able to generate. The larger the player pool, the larger the prize pool. But bingo operators have been able to weather economic downturns and new regulatory frameworks much better than their online poker counterparts. Because the game is social, players want to be able to relate to the presenter, the chat hosts and each other. As a result, bingo rooms are typically regional, despite the need for liquidity. Italians have played at Italian bingo rooms, Spaniards have played at Spanish bingo rooms, and the British have played at British bingo rooms. The best online bingo rooms find ways to build their players into a community. Jackpotjoy, which won the Best Gamesys Online Bingo Site and Best Chat Team awards in 2016, launched its Chat-O-Vision feature in 2016, featuring shows broadcast with live chat hosts who react to what players are typing in real time. They also present fun content, such as silly challenges for the hosts to attempt in “Host Dares Wins.” These have included stacking cups and the “Fluffy Bunny” challenge, in which a host must stuff his or her mouth with as many marshmallows as possible and still be able to say “Fluffy Bunny.” Gala Bingo builds its community by offering players the chance to participate in “Live Caller” games, in which players are entered into a drawing where the winning player has a chance to participate in an in-studio game for prizes. These types of promotions also play well in social media, which is growing into a key marketing avenue for online bingo. While the way to win in bingo hasn’t changed since the game was born in Italy nearly 500 years ago, the online operators that innovate and create the most dynamic communities will be the ones reaping the rewards of the growing market.