The debate about real money Facebook bingo has begun!
Bingo and Facebook have been featured in the news recently beginning with the announcement that Facebook will now work with Gamesy, a London gaming developer, to create a Facebook based bingo site called Bingo Friendzy. Because Bingo Friendzy is a real money bingo site, there has been some public concern about children accessing the site. Some people even believe that this site will actually target and advertise to children. The question is are people overreacting or is real money Facebook bingo a genuine concern that needs to be addressed.
Facebook and Bingo
Facebook is used by millions of people worldwide, many of which are children who are under the legal gambling age so it is natural that people would be concerned about children having access to real money games. However, there are already many real money bingo sites that use Twitter and Facebook to promote themselves so is Bingo Friendzy doing anything worse or different? Zynga’s Slingo Bingo has been on Facebook and has been available for play for quite some time. Although this game is not available in real money play, it may introduce children to ‘soft gambling’ or gambling with no real funds at stake.
Facebook Bingo Fan Pages
There is also the issue of fan pages on Facebook. There are no age controls that stop users who are under the legal gambling age to ‘like’ a page and click the link that takes them to a real money bingo site. However, the Bingo Friendzy site uses advanced age control software, like geo-location and age-gating technology to ensure that no one under the legal gambling age or in a country where online gambling is illegal can view or access the site. Twitter and Facebook fan pages do not have such restrictions.
People then must ask themselves if bingo and other gambling sites use the proper controls, should they still be banned. Also, if real money bingo is advertised on television, does this mean this practice should be stopped as well? Many people think Facebook bingo games are simply another way for them to enjoy playing their favorite game. On the other hand, there are people who believe that these security measures are not enough if they are backed by a social media site. The debate continues as to whether or not these social media real money bingo games pose a threat to children under the legal gambling age.
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