Does it really pay to be an online bingo VIP?!

Having made the transition from playing at her local bingo hall for some 20 years to playing online, Lynn is definitely our mama bingo. And whilst she is a massive fan of loyalty, it seems that for her, VIP schemes aren’t always what they are cracked up to be…

Well, we’ve been invited to mouth off a little more about what makes us tick as online bingo players, and indeed, what ticks us off. And for me personally, the site of a VIP scheme often winds me up no end. Not because I don’t believe in certain players getting the special treatment (believe me, I do) but I think that there are some VIP schemes that just do not pay for all the effort you put in. I’m not talking about all VIP schemes, but there are a select few out there (no names mentioned… for the moment) that really do not make anyone feel very important at all. Here’s my reasons why:

The fiscals:

If a site is gonna ignore me until I’ve spent £600 or above in a single month, then that isn’t really gonna make me feel special at all. Not all players can afford to be as high rolling as they’d like to be – and for a bingo site to ignore them, despite the fact that they play bingo regularly at that site and recommend that site to friends is just downright rude in my opinion.

The principle:

This is kinda related… but the way I see it, if you manage to play regularly at an online bingo site, someone should be saying thanks for your custom. See, not all of us can afford to be big spenders – what should matter to an online bingo site is that you are coming back for more, and not going elsewhere. It could be easy for someone with a bit of money to come in, spend the required amount on bingo tickets and then walk away with all the benefits. In fact, it’s the same idea as someone coming in, taking a no deposit bonus, using it and waltzing off to another bingo site without a second thought. But – and maybe I’m being really idealistic here – but what would be nice is if a site could reward you based on how much you give to the site – and not just on how much you deposit.

The practicalities:

I’m not saying I’d boycott any site that offered a VIP scheme. In fact, I really think the idea of rewarding your best players is a great idea. I just sometimes think that the way this is measured is a little rubbish as it’s all done on how much you spend. What this does is wipe out a large chunk of players that play as often as they can and leave them feeling a little neglected – and so more likely to try their luck elsewhere. Overly exclusive VIP schemes are not only leaving players out in the dark – it can also hurt the bingo site that refuses to acknowledge the “little man”.

Of course, there are some sites out there that are trying things a little differently. I love the fact that Wonder Bingo allow you to move up their ranks by interacting with other roomies and making yourself a part of their site alongside basing their player levels on how much you spend. And I love bingo sites that can offer up loyalty points and loyalty schemes that allow any player to feel like their custom is valued at a bingo site. Because, for me, it’s that feeling – of knowing that you are valued and welcome at a bingo site – that really is priceless.