Free Online Bingo Arrives in the UK

UK -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- The UK's first free-to-play 90 ball online bingo game has officially been launched this week. FreeBingo (http://www.freebingo.co.uk) offers the chance for bingo players to play the same game that they play in bingo clubs up and down the country, online and for free. Cards look just like those at Mecca and Gala et al, and are 'purchased' with the game's unique currency known as FreeBingo Pounds. Balls are pulled by a computer, announced by a Caller using old-style rhyming calls and players' cards are daubed automatically. Whilst players play bingo online, they can chat to each other through an in-built chat window. Players even have the chance to win lucky FreeBingo t-shirts as well as other prizes that are awarded at the end of the month through a free prize draw. (The much-sought-after lucky FreeBingo t-shirts have already even started appearing at bingo clubs around the UK.)

Phil Fraser, managing director of FreeBingo, said: "Currently we believe about 100,000 people play online bingo in the UK, but with the introduction of free sites like ours, we expect this to rise to around half a million by the end of the year."

"Because we are free we attract people who want to play just for the love of the game and also those who just want to chat. In fact, we are finding that the social and community aspect of playing online is one of its biggest attractions – something that by having a free site we are very keen to promote."

To date, there has not been a free-to-play option for people who want traditional British bingo, people either have to pay or go to one of the US sites – which play a different game, don't have a traditional caller or offer the same opportunities to chat with people like themselves.

Phil Fraser said, "We do have the conventional silver surfers playing bingo on-line – but the online game is drawing in many more than those who traditionally go to bingo halls. More that three-quarters of the UK online bingo players are aged between 25 and 54, with almost a third of all players falling into the 35-44 age bracket. We are also finding that very specific communities are springing-up, such as people with disabilities who can't easily get out of the house to either play bingo or take part in other social activities. We have even had sister-in-law's re-finding each other across the world through the chat facility.

Players at FreeBingo are given a balance of "Free Bingo Pounds" when they join the site – and at the end of every month, each pound the player has qualifies as an entry to a prize draw. This provides the competitive thrill, but without the need to spend money and is thus the form of internet gaming at its most social and harmless.

"We know that online bingo players can be very committed – over half of the free-play market say they play at least once a day. We therefore felt that it was important to offer a free game, to complement the existing pay-to-play sites, so that people can indulge in their passion for online bingo without necessarily spending significant amounts of money".