BINGO FOR A CAUSE

Traditionally, in the USA and the UK, bingo has been played in church halls or small bingo parlors. The large bingo halls found in both countries are a relatively new development. Most of the revenue obtained by churches through bingo is used for maintenance, building funds, recreation centers for inner city youth, and other church related activities. Many charitable organizations have found bingo to be an effective and enjoyable fund raiser. In fact the first bingo game for charitable purposes was at a Catholic Church in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

Bingo was found to be an ideal means for raising funds because the social and fun atmosphere of bingo made players feel they received value for their donations. The causes supported by bingo range from school fundraisers to organizations for the blind. Bingo is a particularly effective tool because it is, fun, social, and is a socially acceptable form of gambling especially in the United States. While many in the US would frown on poker for charity almost no one objects to bingo.

While most bingo for charity is land based the online bingo world is slowly catching up. Bingo is essentially a social game with players forming virtual communities through online chat rooms, but sadly the online world until recently had lost it’s connection to charity. While many online bingo websites are flashy and seem to be about “bling” online bingo has a softer side. There is a site that allows players to donate part of their winnings to a wide variety of causes. Among the charities listed are, The American Red Cross, Action against Hunger, Appalachian Mountain Club, Breast Cancer Action, and many other worthy causes. If you are an animal lover you may donate to cat rescue or the humane society. There are causes to suit various interests, and political beliefs.

Charitable organizations stand to benefit enormously from the new games and technology offered by online bingo . Bingo can be used by almost any organization for fundraising. The virtual bingo world is slowly adopting the emphasis on charity that land based bingo has had for decades. The potential of internet bingo is enormous and human imagination and creativity are the only limits. While traditional land based bingo is limited by locale the internet is international in scope. This means that in the future players will have the ability to support and donate to various causes around the world while doing something as enjoyable as playing online bingo . Donations would be international in scope and charitable giving would be without borders and political divisions. The online bingo community could make a world of difference while doing something that everyone they enjoy.