Microgaming Launches Stand - Alone Bingo and NSW Calls For National Approach To Internet Wagering

Microgaming - online gaming software provider - announced the release of a new stand-alone bingo product that is set to be unveiled at the Online Bingo Summit in London which begins today. This move of Microgaming is to benefit from the growing popularity of bingo.

Microgaming's bingo software has been available to existing customers as an extension to its casino offering. It will now be available as a stand-alone offering, allowing online gaming operators to develop their product portfolio and enhance their current casino offering.

The launch of the product will be accompanied with a new marketing slogan of ‘It’s what’s inside that counts’ making reference to the fact that with the Microgaming bingo software, a range of online casino games are part of the proposition. 

The software utilises Microgaming's back-office management system, and supports multi-language and multi-currency games. Operators can also take advantage of a variety of side games, table games, scratchcards and mini games within the bingo software.

Operators can also exclusively apply their own unique branding to each bingo and casino room, with games run as fully networked or private bingo sessions, depending on player choice.

With bingo growing in popularity every month this will be a winning offer for all operators to consider.  The Microgaming Bingo offering also includes the market-leading Casino in Bingo portfolio – which will ultimately drive revenue for the operator and sets Microgaming apart from the competition.

Microgaming’s web-based software requires no download and the full 90-ball, 75-ball and 75-ball variant bingo products are available.

Calling for a national approach to the regulation of wagering as part of its response to the Productivity Commission’s Inquiry into Gambling in Australia, the NSW Government has said that it wants to see other Australian states follow its example and ban corporate bookmakers from offering tote odds since this diminishes the level of funding brought back to the racing industry.

NSW Gaming and Racing Minister Kevin Greene said the entry of corporate bookmakers and cross-border leaking of revenue makes it problematic for any state to operate independently, and said there were now major differences in gambling regulation on a state-by-state basis, citing as an example how betting exchanges are licensed in some Australian jurisdictions but not in others.

Mr Greene pointed out that employment opportunities, particularly in regional areas, was one area that was particularly affected by the current system.

Responsibility for Australian gambling laws is fragmented between traditional State and Territory legislation and the Commonwealth's Interactive Gambling Act 2001.

Mr Greene said the Rees Government welcomed the Productivity Commission’s inquiry because it would update the last gambling study which is a decade old.

A lot has changed since the Productivity Commission’s last gambling inquiry in 1999, like the introduction of many responsible gambling and harm minimisation measures in NSW.

The new inquiry commenced last November, with the Commission expected to provide a draft report in October and a final report to Government on February 26th 2010.

Written for Online Keno by Joy