We use cookies to analyse traffic and for ad measurement purposes, including for personalizing ads. Read Our Cookie Policy

igb-logo egr-logo
VIP Red Carpet

Bingo VIP & Loyalty Schemes Are Changing


Sue Dawson

Why Bingo VIP Schemes Are Changing

In September last year the Gambling Commission announced “strict new guidance” regarding the running of VIP schemes – including those at online bingo sites.  The new rules came into effect on 31st October 2020 and if you’re interested, you can find a summary on the Gamling Commission website.

In short, before making a player a VIP, operators now have to

  1. Check that the player’s spending is “affordable and sustainable as part of leisure spend”
  2. Check for evidence of gambling related harm or vulnerablity to gambling related harm
  3. Obtain up to date evidence of player identity, occupation and source of funds

They then have to continue to check, verify and monitor for possible harm to the VIP player on an ongoing basis.  And that’s not all!  In order to increase accountability, each operator has to appoint a senior executive to have oversight of their VIP scheme and these people will be required to hold a Personal Management Licence from the Gambling Commission, making them personally responsible for the conduct of the scheme.

And there’s more! The section in the guidance on “use of incentives” (2.27 onwards) dumps an ocean of cold water on the way tiered loyalty schemes have been run in the past.  Promoting them “in a manner which results in individuals gambling excessively to obtain or retain a grade of status….which is unsustainable” is now a complete no-no, as is “encouraging risk behaviours such as chasing losses, excessive time or money spent gambling, or accelerating frequency of gambling”.  So say goodbye to schemes where you have to deposit thousands to reach the higher tiers, then spend thousands a month to ensure you stay in the higher tiers!

None of this came as a surprise to industry insiders and indeed much of it had already been put into effect voluntarily over the last year or so – with the result that VIP memberships had already dropped by a hefty 70% even before the new rules were published.

How Bingo VIP Schemes Are Changing

So what has actually happened to VIP and loyalty schemes at online bingo sites as a result of the new guidance?

Well, some loyalty schemes have been completely dropped, notably the ones where you had to spend a lot of money to move up the tiers, and go on spending a lot of money every month in order to avoid being dropped down to a lower level.

  • Jumpman got rid of their loyalty scheme entirely, extended the cashback promotion that was available at higher levels to everyone and introduced some new monthly promotions for everyone.
  • 888 Ladies and sister sites got rid of the Joy of Bingo VIP scheme (another one where you had to keep spending £££ to retain your level) and replaced it with a daily rewards promotion that’s open to everyone and resets every day.
  • Foxy Bingo now gives identical loyalty benefits to all players that opt into their ongoing cashback promotion.
  • Robin Hood Bingo and sister sites no longer have any sort of loyalty programme.

Other sites have retained tiered loyalty schemes, but with one or more of the following features:

  1. Loyalty level is based on the previous month’s or week’s play ONLY.  You can be busy with other stuff for a while then swiftly return to your previous level.  Dragonfish have had a scheme like this for years, of course.
  2. Loyalty level is based on lifetime behaviour but you can never drop down to a lower level – such as at Costa Bingo where level is set by lifetime deposits.
  3. There is not much difference between levels – as at Mecca Bingo where higher levels get to collect play points at a slightly better rate, but that’s the only benefit.

One operator, however, has taken the trouble to build a new player rewards scheme that complies with the new rules.  Step forward Gala Rewards at Gala BingoGala Rewards

  • Gala Rewards is a 10 level loyalty programme which resets every month.  Your level is determined by points scored during the previous month.
  • You collect one point for each £40 deposited, one point for each £100 of slots play and one point for each £15 of bingo play.
  • You also score Lifetime Points each month – 5 points for each complete calendar year since account registration, up to a maximum of 25 points. So the longer you’ve been a Gala player, the easier it is to reach the next level.
  • At higher levels, you get access to exclusive promotions including deposit offers, prize draws, cashback and invitation only bingo rooms.  So no automatic free stuff – just the opportunity to participate in exclusive promotions if you want to.
  • Levels 6 and up are not available to players under 25 (this is to comply with recently introduced advertising guidelines).
  • Level 10 is by invitation only and Gala don’t provide any information about eligibility or benefits.

Essentially Gala Rewards is exactly what its name implies – a rewards scheme rather than an incentives scheme. It doesn’t really encourage players to deposit or spend more than they would normally do, particularly not on an ongoing basis – but it rewards them for playing at Gala, and continuing to play at Gala, rather than going somewhere else.  An absolutely key part of the scheme is the participatory nature of the rewards and the sense of community in the invitation only bingo rooms; visit Gala Spins (the slots only sister site) and you’ll see that instead of running a similar scheme to Gala Rewards, the operator has opted for something completely different – mission based gamification.

  • 18+. New online customers only. Min 1st deposit & spend £10 on Bingo tickets to get £60 Bingo bonus (4x wagering, valid 7 days). Restrictions and T&Cs apply. *18+ BeGambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad

    The Return To Player of slot games can change and may not be the same at all casinos. Please check the in-game documentation before playing for the correct RTP figure.

  • 18+. New customers only. Min deposit & spend £10 to get £20 bonus (40x wagering, selected games). 30 Free Spins (value £0.10 each, selected games). Bonus & Free Spins valid for 7 days. Payment restrictions & T&Cs apply. *18+ BeGambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad

    The Return To Player of slot games can change and may not be the same at all casinos. Please check the in-game documentation before playing for the correct RTP figure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ad Disclosure
At Best New Bingo Sites all of our reviews are completely honest and written by industry experts. We aim to present all our offers as transparently as possible with a full explanation of the terms and conditions. We receive commission from the sites we feature and this may affect how prominently they appear on our site and their position in our listings.

Ask us a question

10
Notifications

18+ New customers. Opt In, Deposit & Play £10 on Bingo within 7 days. Get £30 on Bingo + 100 Spins, 7 days expiry. Advertised £30 Bingo based on 10p tickets. Card/Apple Pay Payment Only. Click for T&Cs *18+ BeGambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad

This one-time offer is only available here for new UK customers of Jackpot.com. To participate a minimum £15 bet is required. Any terms not specified in these Special Promotional Terms, the Promotional Terms shall apply and will be subject to Jackpot.com Terms and Conditions. *18+ BeGambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad

18+. New Bingo players only. Deposit required. Spend £5 or more on Bingo tickets to get a £25 Bingo bonus. 2x wagering requirements apply to bonus. Accept bonus within 14 days. Bonus valid for 30 days. Certain deposit types excluded. Player restrictions and T&Cs apply. *18+ BeGambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad

New members only, must opt in. Min £10 deposit & wager. 30 day expiry from deposit.18+. The MONOPOLY name and logo, the distinctive design of the gameboard, the four corner squares, the MR. MONOPOLY name and character, as well as each of the distinctive elements of the board and playing pieces are trademarks of Hasbro for its property trading game and game equipment.© 1935, 2015 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.Free Spins: on MONOPOLY Paradise Mansion. 1p coin size, max lines. Bingo: Advertised ticket value based on £1 tickets. Game availability & restrictions apply. *18+ BeGambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad

18+, UK only. First deposit and Stake £10 on casino slots. On qualification of the promotion, you will receive 100 Free Spins on Big Catch Bass Fishing. Qualifying players will have the Free Spins credited to their account the following day by 5pm. Free Spins will expire 7 days after award. Full T&Cs apply. *18+ BeGambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad

New customers only. Deposit and stake £10 on bingo to qualify within 7 days of initial deposit. Some prizes have wagering requirements and expiry dates. Country Restrictions Apply. See full T&C for more detail. *18+ BeGambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad

New customers only. Register with code GAMES100. Deposit and stake £10 or more, within 7 days, on Slots at Betfred Games to receive 100 Free Spins on selected titles. Free Spins credited within 48 hours. Free Spins are valid for 7 days. E-Wallet & Card restrictions apply. SMS validation may be required. Full T&Cs apply. *18+ BeGambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad

Min. deposit £10 with code ‘BONUS300’. Debit card only. Wagering requirements apply. Selected Slots only. 5 redemption points per £1 to clear bonus. Game contributions vary. 7-day expiry. Terms apply. *18+ BeGambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad

New players only. 100% bonus up to £50 on first deposit + 50 bonus spins. Bonus spins are credited immediately and are valid for Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead only. Min first deposit of £20. Max bonus £50. Max bonus bet £5. Max bonus cash-out £250. 40x wagering requirements. Bonus expiry 30 days. Bonus spins expiry 2 days. Game restrictions apply. Further terms apply. *18+ BeGambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad

*Welcome bonus for new players only | Maximum bonus is 100% up to $/€/£ 99 | Min deposit is $/€/£ 10 | No max cash out | Wagering is 40x bonus | Maximum bet while playing with a bonus is $/€/£ 5 | Eligibility is restricted for a suspected abuse | Skrill and Neteller deposits excluded. Full T&Cs apply. #AD *18+ BeGambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad