In countries like Spain, live bingo has been a feature of the social fabric for generations. Locals loved heading to the local bingo hall not just in the hope of winning, but also because it was a way to meet up with friends and have fun.

As we know, Spain is one of the worst-hit countries for the coronavirus, leading to strict lockdown conditions, preventing citizens from free movement and keeping them in their homes for the foreseeable future.

Like many other parts of the world, this is having a significant impact on the economy. But while there is no alternative to many of the residents’ previous activities, at least they have found a ready alternative to their bingo fix.

Online bingo offering some lockdown relief

It might sound odd to say so, but online bingo sites are proving to be an excellent way for those Spanish folks to play their bingo still and have fun. We’re waiting for the latest quarterly figures from the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ), the Spanish equivalent of the UK Gambling Commission.

However, we’re confidently expecting the latest quarterly stats to show a rise in revenues across most gambling sectors, including casino, poker and, of course, bingo. Only sports betting has fallen through the floor. At the time of writing, the only competitive football league to bet on is in Belarus!

Bingo sites were already gaining traction before the virus outbreak, with Botemania one of those leading the way. Botemania is operated by Gamesys Spain PLC and moved its fiscal address to Ceuta recently, like many other operators in Spain. Ceuta is a Spanish autonomous city on the border of Morocco and offers tax benefits for online gambling operators, much like Malta, Gibraltar and the Isle of Man.

How online bingo is filling the void

The reasons so many live bingo players are turning online is because they have discovered the game and experience is remarkably similar. And with regulators from the DGOJ or those in Ceuta, players can now be confident the games are fair, and their money is safe.

Here are some of the benefits of online bingo new players are using to their advantage.

Community-minded
Online bingo enjoys an active online community, much more so than casino websites. Operators are keen for their players to chat and join social media forums, getting their socialising fix like they would have done down at the local bingo hall with their friends.

New promotions
Like any other online gaming business, bingo sites are keen to attract and retain new players. One way is the use of enticing welcome offers and promotions aimed at existing players. By being active with giveaways, sites will stop players from heading off to try the bingo games at a rival. This is not something live bingo halls had to contend with since you would never have two competing halls on opposite sides of the street.

Variety of games
A distinct advantage of online sites over live halls is the different type of bingo games on offer. In the live environment, you can only put on one game at a time. Naturally, the owner would always put on the most popular format to attract numbers. Online sites, however, can put on multiple games simultaneously, meaning players never get bored as they can try something new.

Operating 24/7
While bingo halls must operate on regular opening hours (not many people would be out and about looking for a game at 5am), online bingo sites can put on games at all times of day and night. Their fixed costs of operation do not change from one hour to another so, even though player numbers will drop off overnight, there will still be games to play for those night owls.

Faster action
In live bingo halls, you could never say it was fast and furious. Sure, you had to concentrate or miss a called number, but for many experienced players, it could take a while for things to wrap up. With online bingo, things are much faster – you don’t even have to mark your numbers when they come up. You can sit back and relax and watch the software do all the hard work for you.

A summer of online action awaits
There’s no telling how long the Covid-19 lockdown will be in place across Europe. Estimates change from one expert to another. However, we can all be sure it will be a couple of months at least before people venture out, and likely a few more months before places like bingo halls open again.

At least with an online alternative, bingo players will still be able to make the most of their isolation at home and have a little fun.