Category Archives: Bingo News

Bingo Player Killed in a Hit-and-Run Accident

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Jenny Moller, a Frankston woman, was killed in a hit-and-run accident after leaving a bingo bowling club. Police say Mrs. Moller was probably hit by a stolen Mercedes Benz which hit a car before hitting Mrs. Moller. Mrs. Moller won a share of a $200 bingo prize at the bingo game just before her death.

Bingo Night Tragedy

Jenny Moller, a 54-year old Frankston bingo player, was hit by a car while crossing the street after leaving a weekly bingo game. Mrs. Moller won a share of a $200 bingo prize at the local bingo bowling club just before she was killed in the hit-and-run accident. One of the bingo organizers, Bob Stevens, said that Mrs. Moller was a fighter and had two primary school children. Mrs. Moller had been a regular attendant at the bingo club for 8 years. Those who knew her said she had some struggles but she loved to play bingo. Mrs. Moller even brought her daughter to bingo nights during school vacations. She had a group of friends that she would sit with every time she attended the bingo games and was friendly to everyone she met.

The Accident

Mrs. Moller was crossing the street after she left the bingo hall to meet her husband. Ambulance were called to the scene and attempted to treat her wounds but her injures were too severe. Police say that a stolen E63 four-door Mercedes Benz was believed to have hit Mrs. Moller after hitting another car. The driver of the Land Rover, who was also hit by the Mercedes, said the driver just continued driving down the road after he hit the Land Rover. The police are still looking for the driver of the Mercedes and say he was hearing a white t-shirt, a peak cap and had brown hair. Police also say that the Mercedes has damage to the left side of the vehicle.

Theft by Officials of Volunteer Organization Fund

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Bingo-related news has surfaced regarding a couple from a volunteer organization that pled guilty to theft from the Matamoras, PA Fire Department. They were both given a prison sentence of 60 days to 23.5 months. The judge also ordered restitution in the amount of $25,984.93. A further requirement is the reporting of financial transactions in excess of $500.00, as a condition of the couple’s parole and probation supervision. The purpose of the financial disclosure is to monitor sources of potential restitution.

Theft from Bingo Fundraising Operations

The defendants were officials of the Fire Department: The husband had been the president, and the wife had been the designated treasurer. According to news reports, there was simply too much temptation. And the defendants found it too easy to steal. The theft was from the bingo fundraising operations. The couple also admitted to making personal expenditures from Fire Department accounts.

The authorities noted the serious nature of the crime, as displayed a flagrant abuse of official status – malfeasance. It was further concluded that the transgression sorely undermined the public trust. Ongoing and permanent damage to volunteer organizations is the result of acts of theft, much like the crimes committed by the husband/wife couple. In the public arena, there is no way to reverse the perception that monies contributed to the organization may be stolen by those in charge.

The adverse instinct, which is created by crimes of this nature, is that the donation of hard-earned money, even though intended for a good cause, may in fact be thrown in the garbage. A system of checks and balances, involving unrelated individuals, is being required in order to restore a modicum of public trust. Further, the use of a Certified Public Accountant, making monthly reports, accessible to the public, of funds received from all activities and monies expended, is being viewed as a means of putting a lid on future embezzlement.

Soiling the Good Game of Bingo

Results of the Eastern Pike Regional Police Department investigation led to the convictions. The Assistant District Attorney thanked the police department for its thoroughness in uncovering the heinous crimes. Subsequent to the sentencing hearing, the couple was immediately removed to the correctional facility to begin serving their prison sentence.

DWP Swindled Out of £60,000 by Bingo Worker

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A 58-year old woman swindled the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), and the Blaenau Gwent Council for a total of £60,000 in order to obtain her disability living allowance. Her name is Sophie Stefferson, and she worked as a spinster in a bingo hall for £5.73 per hour. Despite this, she decided to intentionally deceive the authorities in order to receive a disability living allowance for the past 8 years. Stefferson affirmed that she suffered from asthma, arguing that this disease did not allow her to breathe, walk or even get out of bed.

Fraudulent Conduct Shocks Community

There was no doubt that this fraud could not last forever. Stefferson’s scam was finally revealed by fraud investigators who saw her working in a local bingo hall. According to the investigators, her job consisted of calling numbers, gathering glasses and preparing appetizers. During 8 consecutive years Stefferson managed to get £43,400 from the Department of Work and Pensions, and £17,200 from the Blaenau Gwent Council. According to the court, she has only returned £540. Prosecutor Nuhu Gobir declared that she was sufficiently healthy to be able to work in the bingo hall. He added that she was awfully deceitful in her claims for her disability allowance.

Defence Attorney Takes the High Road

Stefferson’s lawyer, Lawrence Jones, said that she went through a terrible breakup, resulting in her being left very lonely. Additionally, she was heavily in debt, and she knew that her benefit would be canceled if the authorities knew she was working. He also told the court that it was important to highlight the fact that she never used those benefits to do trendy shopping or to take glamorous holidays, but to survive. Stefferson lied about her wellbeing for 8 years without worrying about the consequences.

She was compensated with the highest rate of disability living allowance by claiming to be extremely sick. She could have ended this deception sooner, but she decided not to do it and to continue lying until she was caught. Lord Freud, DWP Minister for Welfare Reform, said that this type of cases prove that a welfare reform is required since it is extremely important to ensure that these benefits only go to the people who really need them. After being caught by the authorities, Stefferson admitted to 5 counts of fraud and she was sentenced to 8 months in jail.

Financial Pressures Eat Away at Charitable Bingo

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The Arkansas lottery, casinos in bordering states and the tax on bingo is vastly reducing the funds that charities receive from bingo. There has been a decline in charitable bingo by over 30% since 2008. Bingo operators fear that if the bingo decline continues, they will not be able to afford to host charitable bingo events.

Bingo on the Decline

Many bingo operators in Arkansas claim that the casinos in neighboring states, the taxes on bingo and the Arkansas state lottery are eating away at the profits that bingo generates for charity. Arkansas has issued 30% fewer bingo permits since the Supreme Court of Arkansas ruled the charitable bingo was legal in 2008. Only 201 bingo permits have been issued for 2011 as opposed to 283 during the 1st year charitable bingo was legal. Many bingo operators have closed down their bingo halls because they are not able to raise enough money for their charities.

The Department of Finance and Administration has set $600,000 aside to hire personnel to monitor bingo operations with a 1 cent tax on every bingo card. The bingo tax collected $1.1 million in the first year alone and bingo operators argued that the tax was excessive and was cutting into charity funds. The tax was then lowered to 0.3 cents where it still currently stands at. With the reduced tax, Arkansas has generated over $200,000 on average and bingo operators say this is still hurting their charitable bingo halls.

Bingo Regulations and Competition

The charitable bingo halls in Arkansas are also having a hard time competing with casinos that are in the neighboring state of Oklahoma. The bingo operators say the casinos have much bigger prizes and it is impossible to compete with. Charitable bingo has also come under attack by the Department of Finance and Administration as they say charitable bingo halls must follow all regulations including using volunteers to run the games. Although charitable bingo is on the decline in Arkansas, the Moose Lodge charitable bingo organization seems to be doing very well.

One of the Lodge’s members says the key to success of charitable bingo is to have a loyal and consistent customer base, to run bingo like a business, advertise the bingo events and most importantly, always follow state regulations. There have been several bingo halls that have not followed regulations and their licenses were revoked immediately and their profits were taken so it is imperative to follow regulations set by the state.

Bingo Hall Robbed by Armed Men

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A bingo hall was robbed by two armed men who made off with $2,000. The armed robbers intimidated the bingo players and employees and took the business’s cash. The men covered their hands and faces and have not yet been identified.

Terror at Bingo Night

Two armed men robbed a bingo hall and took $2,000 from its customers. Although there have been 6 robberies in Kinston, police do not believe the bingo hall robbery and the other are related. Currently, the Kinston Department of Public Safety says they do not have any good leads on the identities of the bingo hall robbers. The robbery lasted about 2 minutes after a large man in black pants stormed into the bingo hall followed by his accomplice wearing jeans. Each man had a gun, one with a silver handgun and the other with a black pistol. Both men were wearing hooded sweatshirts, bandanas, baseball caps and gloves to conceal their faces and hands. The robbers told all the bingo players, security guards and other staff to get on the ground. One gun-men pushed his gun into an employee’s head and demanded all the money at the bingo hall. The robbers got between $2,000 and $3,000 worth of the bingo hall’s cash. There were no serious injuries, but two people had to be seen by paramedics after falling during their attempt to get away from the robbers.

Efforts to Fight Crime

The recent robberies in Kingson were mostly strong arm robberies where the robbers use physical force to take the money from their victims. The Department of Public Safety has told the public to always be aware of their surroundings and be prepared for anything. The Department also advised businesses to put surveillance cameras in their stores and implement a policy that bans customers from wearing hoods. The public is also being encouraged to call the police detectives, even anonymously, if they have any information on these crimes. The Kinson police have also increased their number of patrols in an attempt to prevent additional crime and to catch the perpetrators of previous crimes.

Rock Bingo Back on the Grind

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Rock Bingo was able to reach a settlement with the State in their High Court Case. The case has become known as Omega Leisure Ltd v Charles Barry. Charles Barry is the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána. He is also The Minister for Justice and Equality, in Ireland and also the AG. The court records reflect that during the period of time that is covered under the case, the organization was in compliance with the operation law. All parties involved in the case have stated that they were satisfied with the settlement and they are looking forward to future partnerships to support charities.

The People Speak Up

Dave Barber, who is representing the family of the owners, commented that he was extremely happy with the results of the proceedings. He is pleased that the state has recognized that they have remained compliant with all of the regulations as set forth by the state. He went on to further elaborate that the allegations against the team at Rock Bingo were entirely baseless. He and his family found these allegations very upsetting and they are very pleased that the state has found them to be baseless as well. They are looking forward to continuing their strong ties and great relationship with the local government, and they look forward to moving on and taking the next steps with their business. Mr. Barber also commented that he and his family would like to thank their legal representation Harry McCullagh & Company Solicitors. Without the dedication and hard work the team put into the case, the facts would have never emerged.

The Future of Rock Bingo

Rock Bingo and all the staff are pleased to announce that they are recovering from the latest incident. Despite the setback, they are now able to offer catered bingo, all 5 nights a week. In the near future they are hoping to expand beyond that.

Online Bingo Summit 2012 was a Success

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The Online Bingo Summit took place on April 19th in London, England. It was a great success owing to the many companies that took part. Aside from the fun, participants brought home new knowledge on the online bingo scene.

The first online casino opened in 1995. It provided players with just 18 online games. People embraced it, and ever since then online gaming has grown in leaps and bounds – especially online bingo. That having been said, it makes sense that Online Bingo Summits are being held every year. The 2012 Online Bingo Summit was held on April 19th and 20th at the Hilton Paddington in London England. This year, the summit focused on information dissemination; it wasn’t all gambling and games. Participants were informed of the advancements and massive opportunities in online bingo. Many established bingo companies participated in the Online Bingo Summit.

The Success of the Online Bingo Summit

The participants were very pleased with the knowledge they took home with them. The attendees learned how to establish mobile and multi-screen techniques to upgrade their online bingo products. Further, they learned how to gain a greater market share while enjoying a vastly-improved online bingo experience. The summit was full of useful information that gave players greater opportunities in the European bingo scene. The summit highlighted the growing importance of social media commerce in the online bingo arena. The organizers were able to take home invaluable information on how best to boost their rankings with bingo technology.

Bingo Caller Sentenced to Prison for False Disability Claims

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Sophe Stefferson, a bingo caller, was sentenced to 8 months in prison for falsely claiming disability benefits. Stefferson said she suffered from asthma and could not work so she received over £60,600 in disability for the past 8 years while working at her job at a local bingo hall.

Bingo Caller Imprisoned

Sophe Stefferson, an Ebbw Vale bingo caller, has been sentenced to 8 months in prison after receiving over £60,600 in falsely claimed disability and income assistance. Stefferson said that she suffered from asthma and could not walk outside and needed a part-time in-home nurse. From July 18th, 2001 to August 25th, 2009, she has claimed almost £18,000 in disability allowance. In September of 2001, Stefferson wrote on a disability and income claim form that her asthma was so severe that she could barely get out of bed and needed assistance with housework. However, she had been working as a bingo caller at a local bingo hall since February of 2001. The prosecutor, Nuhu Gobir, said Stefferson was not only a regular bingo caller, but she also went to the grocery store, cleaned the bar and made sandwiches at the bingo hall.

Additional Evidence Against Stefferson

In addition, Stefferson has also received almost £700 in income assistance from February 2nd, 2005 to August 7th, 2009, almost £25,000 in incapacity assistance from April 6th, 2003 to July 28th, 2009, almost £4,000 in tax benefits from April 1st, 2003 to August 16th 2009 and almost £13,500 in housing assistance from April 7th, 2003 and August 16th, 2009. In 2009, Stefferson confessed to her false disability claims and says she wanted to alert the authorities but did not have the courage to do so. Stefferson’s defense attorney, Lawrence Jones, says Stefferson does suffer from asthma and emphysema and did not use the money to live a lavish lifestyle but rather to support herself due to her long-term financial struggles. The judge in Stefferson’s trial sentenced her to 8 months in prison and said he did not believe that she felt remorse as she could have told the authorities of her crimes during the past 8 years but chose not to until she was caught.

Handheld Bingo Devices

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While traditional bingo players are used to daubing their bingo cards, new bingo software gaming technology allows for a better gaming experience. Players can enjoy more bingo cards without all the hassle of daubing. The net result is a vastly-improved gaming experience!Computers are changing the way people play bingo. Many players have moved from the traditional bingo cards to portable, handheld bingo devices that allow them to play multiple cards at the same time with ease. Handheld bingo devices contain software with a tracking mechanism which is 100% accurate. It is impossible for players to miss a bingo in spite of multiple bingo cards. In fact, 20% of players at traditional bingo halls are already enjoying this bingo tool.

How Handheld Bingo Devices Work

Handheld bingo devices have a tracking system that monitors the bingo cards of the player. Different types of electronic bingo devices vary in the maximum number of bingo cards it can monitor. Nevertheless, it can still monitor a substantial number of cards. The player simply needs to listen to the caller and tap the equivalent key on the device. The device automatically marks the current bingo cards of the player once it finds a match – with no error. However, the player will still be responsible for shouting ‘BINGO’ and claiming the win once the device shows a winning pattern. The game will be paused as the caller checks the potentially winning card then once valid; the participant is crowned the winner.

Embracing the Change to Handheld Bingo Devices

Technological change is not always for the better. However, in the field of bingo, it most certainly is. Handheld bingo devices benefit both players and game masters. First of all, players have a better chance of winning. They can purchase as many cards as they want as long as the handheld bingo device allows them to do so. Players do not need to worry about checking on each card every time a number is drawn, since the device will do that for them. In turn, owners of bingo halls will generate more income because more people will want to play since it has become easier. The target market will expand as well. Disabled people and the elderly will be able to play bingo now that the method has become less demanding. Through the technology presented by handheld bingo devices, bingo has become convenient and may now be enjoyed by a larger group of people.

Lucky Friday 13th Bingo Action

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On Friday 13th April 2012, an online bingo player from the UK won £7,791 on a single spin of £3.75 at a popular online bingo room. While Friday the 13th might be the scariest day for many superstitious people, for this winner it was the luckiest of his life!

Many players might be skeptical about the credibility of online bingo games. However, for one online bingo winner there was nothing to worry about. One lucky player has just proven that not only is it possible to win big, but that that online bingo games are reliable and can be trusted – even on Friday 13th.

A representative of a very popular online bingo room said that it is amazing that new players are being rewarded with such incredible prizes, especially on Friday 13. He also added that it is encouraging to note the manner in which popular online bingo rooms are getting people to enjoy one another’s company.

What do Online Bingo Rooms have to Offer?

Online bingo rooms have become increasingly popular among the UK online bingo players. Virtual bingo rooms offer players a huge selection of online games such as Swedish Bingo, 90/75 Ball Rooms, and several different slot machines with 3 or more reels. This vast variety of games increases the probability of players winning great prizes with whopping payout percentages such as the one received by the Friday 13th lucky player.

And when it comes to real-money prizes, then wins like this only prove that online bingo halls have surpassed traditional venues with regards to prizes. Online bingo provides players with the possibility to win real money. And there are lots of other prizes – such as flights, fully-paid vacations and shopping coupons – up for grabs too. In addition, online bingo rooms have succeeded in creating the ideal atmosphere for players to enjoy an authentic casino experience. The beauty of playing online is that it can be enjoyed from the coziness of home, at any time of day or night.