Bingo Review

Blackpool Bingo

Blackpool Bingo takes it’s name from the seaside town of Blackpool in the UK, a place that some have – perhaps cruelly – dubbed as the “poor man’s Vegas”. Blackpool tries hard to be glitzy and glamorous, but the illuminations on Blackpool prom are little match for the bright lights and dramatic of America’s gambling capital. And whilst Blackpool has a famous tower (well, it’s famous in Britain) Las Vegas goes one better by boasting a thirty storey pyramid and Sphinx. Can we therefore assume that Blackpool Bingo is also little more than an “also ran” in the race for the best online bingo site?

To find out, we downloaded the software. A browser incompatibility problem meant that this didn’t go as smoothly as we hoped, but we worked our way around that challenge without too much difficulty, then waited a minute or two for the software to download. We needed to enter more information than we would have liked to open a new account (whilst we know that sites need an address and phone number when playing for real money, it seems a little demanding to require this just so that one can have a look around) but the process didn’t take long so we’ll let that one go.

Blackpool Bingo offers 90 ball bingo as played in licensed pubs and clubs throughout the UK. Cards start from 10p each, so they aren’t the cheapest available online but the site does give bonus cards to players who buy several (15 or 20, depending on the game) to play simultaneously. The cards are presented in the centre of the main gaming screen, with a numbers board, animated ball selector and game information taking up the rest of the space. Players have the option to view the gaming environment in a window or full screen.

Whilst there is a token nod toward the Blackpool theme with the inclusion of a Blackpool Bingo logo, there is little here to make the site stand out from the crowd. Yes, it’s nicely designed and colourful, but the voices of the callers (which can be male or female, depending on which you select from the options menu) are fairly monotonous. The prize levels for bingo won’t make anyone hold their breath either. Imagine winning 75p for a line… £2.50 for a full house… or maybe land the progressive jackpot of – wait for it - £30. Gasp!

Okay, so the site was fairly quiet when we reviewed it, and there are hourly “Blackpool Bingo Jackpot” games that offer £200, but the fact remains that if you want to win any really decent money here you will need to focus on the mini games, where progressive jackpots can run up to five figures. Play normal bingo at off-peak times and you’re looking at turning a 10p card into around £2.50 if – and only if – you happen to get lucky and win the full house. We’re not particularly greedy, but we think our investment of time is worth more than that.

Chat is friendly, but again, if there are only two other people in the room and one of them is the moderator, you’re not going to have much of an immersive experience off peak. Of course, the optimists would point out that playing against one other person increases your odds of winning, but by that token you might as well play on your own and win the pot every time.

In short, we’d say that Blackpool Bingo does remind us of Blackpool, but only if you visit the resort off-season, in the rain, and when everyone else has taken a day trip to Brighton. Give it a whirl if you’re curious, but don’t expected to be dazzled.

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To obtain customer service (available 24 hours a day all year round), speak with a member of staff via the chat facility or send an e-mail to: support@blackpoolbingo.co.uk.

Blackpool Bingo uses Paynet Solutions to securely transmit financial transactions, and personal information is encrypted to ensure security. The site is licensed and operated from Antigua.