Bingo Not A Problem

All forms of online gaming can potentially lead to problem gambling, but the recent annual report released by GamCare appears to indicate that online bingo players are among the least likely to have a problem with their gambling activities.

GamCare is a registered charity that provides, "information, advice and practical help in addressing the social impact of gambling." It supports those that have a problem with gambling dependency and can be reached online (www.gamcare.org.uk) or via a telephone helpline on 0845 6000 133.

In the past year, just 0.8% of calls were from individuals who primarily play bingo. The most calls came from those who are involved in betting (30.7%), or play fruit machines (22.2%) and Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (22%). Against those percentages, just 0.8% of calls from bingo players is really very impressive.

The bingo industry is extremely pleased with these figures, as they give it some official data that can be used to defend itself against the oft-made accusation that bingo is just as potentially damaging as any other form of gaming. The tabloid press have long put bingo in the same category as casino gaming and sportsbook betting when discussing serious issues such as gambling addiction, and even those journalists that have made a distinction have tended to suggest that a fairly innocuous form of gambling like bingo could lead to more dangerous forms later on.

As any psychologist worth his salt will tell you, anything that activates the pleasure centres in the brain - be it bingo, chocolate cake or a favourite television soap opera - can become addictive. But the idea that addiction is inevitable is far from being the case. The vast majority of bingo players appear to have absolutely no problem in keeping their activities under control, and when you look at why people play bingo in the first place, this isn't at all surprising.

Whereas casino games and sportsbook betting are all about the money, the game of bingo is much more about socialising and having fun. This is why most bingo players who go home (or log off) without having won a prize still have a smile on their face. Yes, we like to play bingo regularly, but we're not addicted because we're not merely playing to win - we're playing because the activity itself is enjoyable regardless of the outcome. The GamCare report provides an accurate reflection of this, but whether the mass media will ever have the intelligence to catch on is a different matter altogether.
 

22nd January 2008