Bingo and social media

Since its launch in 2004, Facebook has become one of the huge success stories of the internet. Whether giving minute by minute daily updates, posting holiday photos, or just killing some time during their lunch breaks, there are currently over 955 million active Facebook users, and with that number steadily increasing, it’s likely to increase to over a billion in the not too distant future.That’s nearly 1 in 7 people in the entire world! Needless to say, websites everywhere are leaping firmly onto the bandwagon, with Facebook “Like” buttons popping up all across the web. And bingo sites are no exception.

Facebook apps and games are ever popular, and many of those games have had gambling themes and casino-oriented settings in the past. However, the most recent development for the world of bingo is Facebook’s decision to allow an app which lets its users bet actual money. “Bingo Friendzy” is the first Facebook app which allows actual gambling to take place on the world’s largest social media site. Restricted to players aged 18 or above, the app has been developed by Gamesys, one of the biggest online gambling providers in the UK. Interestingly enough, while the app is allowed to be released in the UK, it’s effecively banned in the US despite Facebook being an American company.

Facebook bingo?

So what happens when hugely popular gambling meets hugely popular social media? Well it’s difficult to say, but the chance of blending gambling with social media more seamlessly is probably one which many bingo providers will jump at. Many bingo sites already make a point of promoting their social media presence, with many having Facebook fan pages and Twitter feeds which allow players to interract with each other, as well as interacting with the provider itself.

In a lot of cases, the social media aspect of bingo sites is considered as a major selling point, which is why the services of companies like The Marketing Heaven are increasingly used to promote them. These sites already tout their chatrooms as an integral part of the experience, encouraging users to chat and converse to their hearts content. By weaving in their social media sides, these providers ensure not only that their clientele stay well informed about all of the latest offers and promotions going on at the site, but they also build a stronger community. As Facebook is a testament to, a strong community of users lends a lot of stability to a website. The same is true of virtually all other sites which allow user interaction, such as YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. Ultimately, any place online which cares for its users and works to foster its community sees a return on the investment – in the loyalty of its users. Bingo sites do well to heed this advice.

The social side of bingo has long been one of its most important qualities, with many players enjoying the game not for the chance of winning, but for the opportunity to meet and interact with people. Bingo halls have traditionally had strong bases of regulars. Over time, people would get to know each other and would keep returning to see friends who they wouldn’t often see anywhere else. This same motivation is true of any bingo setting, online or off.

“There’s an App For That”

So are we likely to see big name bingo providers releasing their own bingo apps on Facebook in the future? Frankly, it’s too early to tell. The internet is a strange place with things like this. Some things see a sudden dramatic rise in popularity, while others (like Facebook itself) are around for a surprisingly long time before they make it big. Still others are largely overlooked and slowly fade into obscurity.

What’s more, the internet giveth and the internet taketh away. Facebook isn’t the first social network of its kind to exist on the internet, but its predecessors such as MySpace and Friendster are barely even known about anymore. With internet users being notoriously fickle, something new like a Facebook bingo app may become extremely popular in the short term, until the next distraction comes along and it’s simply forgotten about.

While the internet, much like mobile phones and satellite television, is here to stay, it’s hard to determine anything where the future is concerned. Certainly anything which makes things more accessible for people is likely to have some amount of success, and likewise anything which is easily used by the ever growing number of mobile internet users. Will Facebook bingo apps be the next big thing? We’ll just have to wait and see!