Online Bingo News

SUBSCRIPTION BINGO V. PAY TO PLAY BINGO
21/03/2005

Most of us approach subscriptions with scepticism. It reminds us of joining a gym. It just makes such perfect sense at the time and then ends up being a burden, a guilty reminder of money wasted, of how we should be living our lives but aren't. When we buy a subscription we are committed and thus opportunities for spontaneity go out the window. This all applies to online bingo and more.  

While bingo is definitely the most socially acceptable face of gambling, in fact bingo players would rarely define themselves as gamblers, the concept of taking the decision to fund and play is part of the experience. For online bingo players, buying a subscription and playing unlimited games of bingo is worse than playing for free. There is no sense of anticipation mainly because losing is inconsequential and ultimately it makes winning less meaningful.    

There has already been a high profile example of a subscription online bingo site - Hurrah's Lucky Me, which launched in the UK in November 2003 and closed less than a year later. This speaks volumes. At the exact period when the online bingo market was gathering momentum a contender with major backing had to bow out after less than a year. This says little about the Lucky Me experience and everything about online bingo subscriptions.

It is interesting to see the strategy of Electronic Arts' gaming sites - there is pogo.com where players fund accounts and pay game by game and there is also an exclusive Club Pogo, which works on a subscription basis and offers bingo games not available on the free access site. It is the view of this publication that once the novelty of being part of an exclusive groups wares off players will be hit with the same subscription blues, thge same lask of bingo excitment... To truly understand the psychology of the bingo player is to steer clear of subscription models and mix up the incentives through different promotions. The bingo player is one who enjoys a little bit of risk, not a huge amount but definitely a bit.