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The National Bingo Game, is a linked game of main stage bingo operated by the National Bingo Game Association since 1986 and played in some licensed British bingo clubs, every day (except Christmas Day).
Origin of game[edit]
The game was introduced under UK legislation as a game of multiple bingo.
It was launched in June 1986 as technology became available whereby clubs were able to connect to a game control centre via modem to receive a preselected list of numbers which were called in the same time window in each participating bingo club.
Clubs then relayed the details of the winner in their club back to the game control, who would then award the National Prize to the club whose winner had claimed in the lowest number of call across the country, and Regional Prizes to the clubs whose winners had claimed in the lowest number of calls in the given regions.
Game format[edit]
The format and pricing of the game has changed several times since its launch. Originally costing 25 pence per ticket, this has changed to 30 pence, 40 pence, 50 pence and £2 for a set of six tickets amongst others. Prize money has also varied during these changes and the National Prize is presently in the region of £5,000–25,000, depending upon the day of the week and session played, plus the Jackpot Prize – see § New Game.
Many players prefer to purchase a strip of six tickets, as this guarantees that all numbers 1–90 appear on the strip, so the players know that they will be marking the strip each and every time a number is called.
Technology has improved since the game began in 1986 and currently ADSL secure internet connection is used to collect and distribute data.
Controversy[edit]
The National Bingo Game has been in operation for over 25 years and has an unblemished operating record under both The Gaming Board of Great Britain and currently The Gambling Commission.
There have been some controversial incidents with winners in the past, but these have tended to be few and far between. Of these incidents the majority of cases have been related to disagreements between players, where informal agreements between players to each share their winnings with the other/s, have not been honoured. That said there are also cases where some bingo customers share their major winnings with fellow bingo players, even when they are not present in the club. However, as these are independent agreements made between players the National Bingo Game Association, as operator of the game, has no official role in resolving such disputes.
Over the past 25 years there have also been a couple of occasions where underage players have gained admission to a participating club and purchased tickets for the National Bingo Game. As clubs are managed by independent operators the National Bingo Game has no direct control over this issue, however, operators are extremely diligent in trying to ensure no underage gambling takes place. Players participating in the National Bingo Game must be over 18 as an underage player would, by law and under the rules of the game, be ineligible to participate or claim any prize.
National Lottery[edit]
Until 1994, the National Bingo Game was the UK's largest computer controlled game until the National Lottery was launched. The lottery did have a negative impact on attendances at bingo clubs, although the game underwent several changes in attempt to boost prize money and compete with the lottery. Over £1 Billion has been paid out in prize money since the National Bingo Game was launched.
Rollover jackpots[edit]
In September 2007, bingo operators were allowed to introduce rollover jackpots for the first time and the National Bingo Game introduced the 'Big N' – an optional £1 jackpot charge to players which gave them a chance to play for a gold, silver or platinum jackpot which could exceed £1 million.
Ticket sales for the jackpot were lower than anticipated and the prize was not won for a number of months, before the National Bingo Game decided to reduce the participation charge to 50p, but make it compulsory from January 2008. As a result of this move 3 millionaires were created in the 6 months that followed, but Gala Bingo's decision in September 2008 to withdraw from the National Bingo Game to launch a competing jackpot product meant that further revisions to the game became necessary.
In November 1997, the first Gold Prize winner won the first 'Big'N' prize of £556,000 by getting 6 of the 7 Big'N numbers, in Gala Club, East Ham, London. The winner, a married mother of three, used the proceeds to leave Newham and start a new life in suffolk in a three bedroomed house. When she won the prize, the room went wild, with players clapping and cheering while the winner herself, stunned by her success, sat motionless at the table.[1]
In February 2014 a progressive Jackpot element was re-introduced as part of revisions to the game and launched in March 2014, following a period of player and operator research and consultation – see New Game
New Game[edit]
Following Gala Bingo's withdrawal from the National Bingo Game, the Association and the remaining members needed to make revisions to the game, its prize structure and ticket price. The price of the tickets became 25 pence per ticket each afternoon (£1.50 for a strip of 6) and £1 for a set of 3 or £2 for a set of 6 tickets in the evening.
In February 2014 the Prize structure of the National Bingo Game was revised and formally launched in March. Zone Prizes were removed and a program of ad-hoc prizes and promotions introduced, in addition to a progressive Jackpot Prize rising to £250,000. The special prizes and promotions vary throughout the year and include luxury cruises, additional cash and travel, while the Jackpot remains a constant prize available to be won on every National Bingo Game throughout the year, with the value of the prize varying dependent upon how many tickets have been sold and when it was last won. The current LIVE Jackpot Prize value is displayed on the official National Bingo Game website and is updated regularly.
The then new format proved popular with players and operators, with new clubs joining the Game and increased ticket sales.
Gala Bingo returned to the National game in February 2017 with the launch of a new look National Bingo Game: no longer a full house only game, the current format costs £1 for a strip of six tickets, with each game offering a line, 2 line and full house prizes. On a weekly basis a community prize and jackpot prize are offered, as advertised.
Biggest wins[edit]
- The biggest win ever was on 23 March 2008, when Soraya Lowell from Motherwell, North Lanarkshire scooped GBP £1,167,795. The game was played in the Club 3000 bingo hall in Coatbridge
National Bingo Game Caller of the Year[edit]
The National Bingo Game has in the past operated a competition to find the best bingo caller in the UK – the caller of the year competition. Regional heats were held across the country with each winner going forward to the national final. The competition was suspended in 2008
Recent winners:[2]-
- 2008 competition suspended
- 2007 Blake Robson, Mecca South Shields
- 2006 Brett Hyrjak
- 2005 Karl Seth
- 2004 Mandy Gargan
- 2003 Mike Vyse
- 2002 Peter Lewis
- 2001 Alan Stockdale
- 2000 Phil Groom
- 1999 Steve Linder
References[edit]
- ^'Big'N Gold Jackpot'. Gamble.co.uk.
- ^Caller of the year winners
External links[edit]
Gala Bingo is an online bingo and casino offering under the ownership of Entain.[1]
Gala Bingo was created in 1991 as a division of Bass plc. It later became an independent company, and then became the Gala Coral Group after acquiring Coral Eurobet in 2005. After the sale of its 126 clubs in 2015 to Caledonia Investments (who rebranded them as Buzz Bingo in September 2018[1]), Gala Coral retained the online Gala services and was later acquired by Ladbrokes (which was later acquired by GVC Holdings).
History[edit]
The chain began as bingo clubs operated by Bass Leisure, a division of Bass plc. As of 1983, Bass had 22 clubs operating under the Coral brand, and another 24 located in its Pontins holiday camps.[2] That year, Bass purchased a chain of 80 bingo clubs from Thorn EMI for £18.2 million.[2] By 1988, Bass was down to 72 locations, but added another 30 by purchasing Zetters Leisure for £23 million.[3]
In May 1991, Bass purchased Granada plc's chain of 74 bingo clubs for £147 million.[4][5] Combined with Bass's 91 clubs, the chain was tied with the Rank Organisation for the largest bingo operator in Britain.[4] A united brand for the combined operation, 'Gala,' was chosen by John Murphy of Interbrand as a simple word incorporating letters from 'Granada' and 'Coral'.[6] Gala was officially launched on 17 October 1991 when 17 clubs re-branded and launched a new image.
In 1997 a management buy-in purchased all 130 Gala Bingo Clubs from Bass for £235 million.[7]
Over the next few years, Gala began acquiring other bingo clubs to increase their portfolio, including 17 clubs from Ritz in July 1998 and 10 clubs from Jarglen in March 2000. In April 2000, they added 27 Riva Bingo Clubs from First Leisure for £90 million. Gala diversified outside bingo for the first time when it purchased 26 Ladbroke Casinos for £235 million from the Hilton Group in December 2000. In 2001 it added the Jamba Online business for £1.5m.[8]
The owners sold the whole business for £1.24 billion in February 2003 to the private equity firms Candover and Cinven.[9]Permira bought a stake in the company in August 2005, which valued the business at £1.89 billion.[10]
In October 2005, Gala acquired Coral Eurobet for £2.18 billion and changed its name to Gala Coral Group, creating the United Kingdom's third largest bookmaker and largest bingo operator.[11]
Gala Bingo Online Sign In
The group added another 10 bingo clubs in 2006 when it purchased the County Clubs in Scotland for £64 million.[12] The company spent another £14.5 million in February 2006, when it bought the Leo Casino in Liverpool from Dolby Management Ltd increasing the number of casinos in the estate to 31 (at the time).[13]
Gala Coral won 403 betting licences in Italy in an open market tender in December 2006, under its Eurobet brand. The group formally established an international division in 2007. The group also set up a joint venture to attempt to launch bingo shops in China.[14]
In 2011, a decision was made to move substantial parts of the business to Gibraltar, including almost all of the remote gaming division. The group, through acquisitions and new developments had over 30 casinos and 1,800 licensed betting offices.
Gala's total clubs peaked at around 174, but since 2007 and the introduction of smoking bans in Great Britain, this total declined to around 140.[15] In their year end accounts of 2012, the company reported employment of 4,801 staff in their bingo clubs, along with 10,849 in 1,600 Coral shops, 2,776 in 25 casinos, 276 in remote gambling and 98 in Italy where it had over 400 betting outlets, plus a further 374 in support staff functions.[16]
In July 2015, Gala Coral agreed to be acquired by its slightly larger rival Ladbrokes.[17] The 130 Gala Bingo clubs were not part of the merger, and were sold to Caledonia Investments for £241 million in December 2015.[18][19] The merger was completed on 1 November 2016, and Ladbrokes became Ladbrokes Coral.[20]
Operations[edit]
As of 2008, Gala Bingo operated 137 clubs throughout the United Kingdom, with approximately a 24% share of all clubs and nearly 40% of National Bingo Game ticket sales up until the operator's withdrawal from the National Game in Summer 2008. Gala has around five million bingo members, of which approximately 1.2 million are active players. Gala Bingo has an average of 600,000 admissions per week.
Gala Bingo Winners Prizes
The bingo division began participation in the Nectar loyalty card scheme on 1 June 2007.[21] Nectar points were originally awarded for club admissions, and additionally for slot machine play from 1 September 2007, a first for the bingo industry. Gala Bingo no longer participates in the Nectar loyalty card scheme.
On 31 July 2007, pensioner Pauline Clarke, 62, became Gala's first GBP millionaire, after winning a tie break against another online player.[22]
Gala TV was a satellite TV channel that aired from 2006 to 2011, showing bingo games.
Online services under the Gala brand are operated by GVC Holdings, including an online bingo site, GalaBingo.com, and an online casino, GalaCasino.com.[23]
Bingo Free Gala
References[edit]
- ^ ab'Gala Leisure to relaunch all clubs as Buzz Bingo with two-year £40 million investment plan'. International Coin Slot. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
- ^ abBatchelor, Charles (10 September 1983). 'Bass buys Thorn EMI bingo'. Financial Times. London – via NewsBank.
- ^Harris, Clay (7 June 1988). 'Bass pays 23 million pounds for bingo clubs'. Financial Times. London – via NewsBank.
- ^ abChurchill, David (11 May 1991). 'Bass reshuffling its gambling interests'. Financial Times. London – via NewsBank.
- ^'Granada Tooting, London'. Cinema Organ Society. Archived from the original on 9 June 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
- ^Ashworth, Jon (23 September 1991). 'Bass seeks full house in Gala opening'. The Times. London – via NewsBank.
- ^'Memorandum submitted by the Gala Coral Group'. UK Parliament. 2007. Archived from the original on 29 November 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
- ^'Gala will spend £3m to make Jamba pay-to-play'. Brand Republic. 7 November 2001. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
- ^'Bingo group bought in £1.25bn deal'. BBC. 7 February 2003. Archived from the original on 11 January 2006. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
- ^'Permira Funds buy stake in Gala'. Permira. 1 August 2005. Archived from the original on 13 August 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
- ^'Casino group Gala snaps up Coral'. BBC. 7 October 2005. Archived from the original on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
- ^'Gala acquires County Bingo'. Casino compendium. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2016.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
- ^'Gala buys Liverpool casino for £14m'. The Guardian. 13 February 2006. Archived from the original on 29 November 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
- ^Annual Report 2007(PDF) (Report). Gala Coral Group. p. 18. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^Gala BingoArchived 13 December 2012 at the Wayback Machine galacoral.co.uk.
- ^Annual Reports and Accounts 2012Archived 23 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine galacoral.co.uk
- ^'Ladbrokes to merge with smaller rival Coral'. BBC News. 24 July 2015. Archived from the original on 26 July 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
- ^David Cook (27 October 2015). 'Gala Bingo acquisition 'strange', says consultant'. Gambling Insider. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
- ^'Caledonia Investments completes Gala Bingo acquisition'. Morningstar. Alliance News. 21 December 2015. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
- ^'Ladbrokes Coral Group – Completion of Merger' (Press release). Ladbrokes Coral Group. 1 November 2016. Archived from the original on 23 April 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
- ^Gala Bingo joins NectarArchived 17 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^Daily Telegraph, 1 August 2007 Issue Number 47,325 Pensioner is bingo's first £1m winner
- ^'About GVC Holdings PLC'. reuters. Retrieved 9 November 2020.