Italian Online Bingo Legal Once Again

Online bingo in Italy is once again legal following the reversal of a regional court’s decision to suspend laws regulating the game. This follows a positive Administrative Court of Appeal decision which has overturned a lower court’s suspension of the laws backing regulation of the game.

A few International operators have high hopes for the Italian bingo market as Italy is Europe’s biggest egaming market, despite its tough and parochial regulatory regime.

The news will be welcomed by operators seeking to capitalise on investments in the Italian bingo market and some companies such as Playtech and Bingo Entertainment have already stated that they are gearing up to enter the Italian online bingo market later in the year.

Hospital's Paediatric Unit Receives Double Bingo Boost

Wink Bingo

Wink Bingo

The John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford has become the double beneficiary of an online bingo win, after Wink Bingo.com, the UK’s fastest growing online bingo site, matched a donation made by one of its £25,000 winners to purchase vital equipment for the hospital’s Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Myra Carbin, from Northampton, whose six year old daughter received urgent heart by-pass surgery when only four weeks old at John Radcliffe Hospital, used some of the £25,000 she won with Wink Bingo.com to purchase an infusion pump for the hospital that treated her daughter.

“It was such a surprise to win,” Myra told us. “The fact that it was so unexpected persuaded my husband and I that we should do enjoy it and do good things with it too. So we’ve had great experiences because of it and being able to help John Radcliffe Hospital is just the icing on the cake.”

And Wink Bingo took Myra and her daughter back to the hospital to present the cheque to hospital staff.

“We were very touched when we heard about Myra’s story and were keen to do what we could to help,” explains Wink Bingo’s Marketing Director, Maurice Karpes. “It’s a reminder that not only is bingo a lot of fun and you can win some fantastic prizes, it also presents an opportunity to put something back into the community and use what we have to do something good. We were delighted to be able to match Myra’s donation and buy more equipment for this amazing unit.”

Penny Hambridge, Children’s Development Officer at John Radcliffe Hospital, commented:

“We are extremely grateful to both Myra and Wink Bingo for their amazing donations to the Children’s Intensive Care Unit. Donations such as these enable us to buy equipment beyond what the NHS alone can fund and this is a wonderful example of how people in the Community can support the Hospital.”

Besides online bingo, Wink also offers gamers popular and classic entertainment like Instant Cash Scratch Cards, Hi-lo, Video Poker, and a large variety of daily cash prizes. Huge jackpots are included in each of the site’s bingo games and are handed out every day. Wink’s unmatched sign on bonuses include an immediate free £15 in your account in addition to a 200% bonus on your first deposit and a 50% bonus for any subsequent £10 deposit.

Ladbrokes Bingo Back on the Box

ladbrokes bingoCalling all Bingo fans. Look out for the re-launched Ladbrokes Bingo TV advert, on screens now. The exciting advert gives you even more of a reason to get online and get involved in the nation’s favourite game.

The advert highlights an unrivalled offer for each and every new player, *£20 FREE when they deposit and spend £5. This great bonus is available to all new players, giving them even more chance to win big at Ladbrokes Bingo.

Rupert Thacker, Ladbrokes’ Head of Marketing, Bingo and Games said, “We are delighted to be offering new customers such a fantastic offer. Just like Ladbrokes Bingo, the advert is fun and entertaining!”

The media for the campaign was booked through Walker Media with creative by M&C Saatchi and is part of a heavyweight marketing campaign which is supported online and with promotions on site.

Ladbrokes Bingo user scoops £16,888 in 33 balls

Ladbrokes Bingo

Ladbrokes Bingo

Ladbrokes Bingo is today celebrating after one of its customers won £16,888! xxVERYxNICExx has been playing bingo for years, but only started with Ladbrokes recently. She was blown away after finding out she had won £16,888, even though she was playing in another room at the time!

She said: ‘I wasn’t even in the room at the time as I was multi rooming. I saw someone had two to go, then I realised it was me! I was so excited! I just couldn’t believe it. I am going to give something to the kids’ then plan a great holiday’

Rupert Thacker, Ladbrokes Head of Marketing for Games and Bingo said, “Wins like these are why Bingo is such an exciting game. We are delighted for xxVERYxNICExx and wish her a happy holiday.”

Playtech Acquires Virtue Fusion

PlaytechPlaytech announced today that it has acquired the business and assets of Virtue Fusion, a developer and licensor of online bingo products.

The company said that initial consideration of £29 million or €33.4 million, subject to agreed working capital adjustments, will be funded from Playtech’s existing cash resources.

Playtech said it expected the deal, which sees it gain new licensees to add to its own bingo offering, to be earnings accretive in 2010. It said that bingo was one of the fastest growing segments in online gaming in 2009 and that the deal would provide it with cross-selling opportunities.

Playtech Chief Executive Mor Weizer said: “We see this acquisition as not only furthering what is already Playtech’s competitive advantage in the growing online gaming market as a whole, but as having the potential to generate meaningful opportunities in newly regulated markets,” Weizer said.

Virtue Fusion, which has more than 20 licensees including well known brands such as William Hill, Ladbrokes and Paddy Power, had a turnover of £12.3 million and adjusted earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortisation of £3.8 million in 2009.

Shares in Playtech were up 2.1 percent to 477 pence, valuing the company at about £1.15 billion.

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