Online Bingo is in the news again for fraud committed by players to fund their Bingo playing habits.
Bingo & Fraud – A Growing Issue
UK Bingo enthusiasts would not normally associate Bingo with fraud for various reasons, including the fact that playing Bingo is relatively inexpensive.
The fact that two separate cases of fraud involving bingo sites have surfaced in two succeeding weeks is a shock to the system.
The first of the two fraud cases brought to trial involved a chartered accountant in Northern Ireland. She stole £50,000 from her employers to fund her habit. The poor lass involved has undoubtedly wrecked her career due to her inability to stop gambling on the site.
It is also the first time we have seen a specific UK site named in a fraud-related trial. On this occasion, Jackpot Joy runs a variety of gaming sites targeted at players in the United Kingdom.
The second person to be prosecuted for fraud was a carer of an elderly 92-year-old woman. The carer raided the frail lady’s account to the tune of £43,000, of which £30,000 got spent on online Bingo sites.No bingo sites got mentioned in this report.
The United Kingdom does not have laws restricting monthly purchase amounts at Online Gambling sites as in some countries. Players in the UK decide how much they spend at Online Bingo sites.
Players can also not expect Bingo sites to turn away big players because they are spending too much. Bingo sites do, though, have a duty to make sure that any problem gambling gets stopped.
Most Online Bingo sites will have a link to a Gambling Helpline. Some will allow players to decide how much they want to spend on a daily, weekly or monthly period. It must get stated that Jackpot Joy offers players these options. Most, though, pay lip service to the real and growing issue of problem gambling.
The reality is most Bingo sites tempt players with a variety of games that are Casino related. Go to any Online Bingo site, and there will be a considerable amount of slot games with massive jackpots on display in prominent places. These are probably the games that cause players’ addiction and loss of money.
These Bingo sites are all competing in an incredibly competitive marketplace. To invade or risk losing a player by asking tough questions about a player’s ability to spend is not likely to happen soon.
The matter is that, as it is with anything, Online Bingo can be addictive. Therefore it is essential to set spending limits. Bingo games should get played for fun, not for winning a significant amount of cash.
Even it if is a game of Bingo, it is still a form of gambling, and the odds of winning massive amounts of cash get stacked against players. If you believe you have a gambling-related problem it would be wise to contact any number of organizations that deal with these issues.
GamCare and Gamblers Anonymous are two of the organizations that can help deal with issues like this.