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Bingola Verdict
Bingola is a strong bingo site with a lot to offer, but the circus show falls flat in a few key places. Though it looks great and is a fun site to visit, you may find that it’s fairly standard underneath, fit to a certain template. Having said that, we’re talking about a high standard here- you’re in good hands and there’s plenty to find. Bingola is certainly worth checking out if you’re looking for jackpots and free bingo.
Percentage score
Design & Usability
The theme of a funfair or carnival is big and bold at Bingola, covering the whole background. The artwork is good and pretty detailed, plus there’s a fun clown mascot… though he’s a little odd looking, so don’t come here if you’re scared of clowns! Page to page, the design uses big blocks of colour and plenty of information.
Getting around is easy thanks to the usual top bar navigation, with dropdowns for sub-sections. The home page focuses on promotions and the latest bingo jackpots. You can’t really go wrong here, with everything pretty much in its place. You’ll recognise the template under the design.
Software & Gameplay
With Dragonfish software cracking the whip, this bingo circus loads quickly and the quality is high. You’ll find the lobby and bingo console attractive, but pretty standard, especially if you’ve used other Cassava sites before. The design is nice, featuring the funfair logo and colour scheme. Banking and preferences are easily found at the top.
The bingo is introduced with a quick tutorial and has a user-friendly layout. You should have no problem finding a chat host, though there just appears to be the one chat room shared among the games.
Safety & Security
Bingola is a proven safe site, licensed by the UK Gambling Commission and Government of Gibraltar. A fully regulated site, it has the eCOGRA seal for fair play and safety, which is a valued certificate from an independent third party.
The site has a privacy policy page to explain how they use your information, plus it uses encryption to protect your details and transactions. Some more details on the systems used would be good, for more reassurance, but the systems are in place either way. You’ll also find a responsible gaming section to help fight against problem gambling.
Payments & Withdrawals
Depositing and withdrawing is done with a pop-up cashier window at Bingola, with a simple icon-based system that’s very easy to follow. You can deposit by phone or wire transfer, or register a credit or debit card.
Unfortunately, this site won’t be attracting e-wallet users. The only electronic option is PaySafeCard, so this is bound to put some players off. Nevertheless, if you’re happy to use those methods, the process is quick and easy. Withdrawal times seem to be a little over average.
Customer Support
Bingola has a clear help section which you can find from any page. They have some welcoming text and a getting started guide, which is great for new players. There are also FAQs which are pretty detailed, so you won’t always need the support team.
When you do need them, you have a choice of email, phone line and chat. This is not, however, a full live chat experience but rather you’re invited to ask questions of hosts in the chat rooms. This is fine, but not the same thing. Hosts are often too busy to deal with support issues (understandably so).
Bonuses & Promotions
For new players, there’s a good welcome bonus here of 200%. This is heavily capped however, at £20. On the plus side, you can deposit a low £5 to get it, so the site seems to lean towards casual play. You must wager four times the bonus and deposit in order to withdraw, a fairly standard condition.
Otherwise, the promotion situation here is very limited. Despite the funfair theme, only two attractions were on display when we visited, excepting extra deposit bonuses and various daily jackpots (which are good and go up to £2500, it’s worth saying). One promotion was another kind of bingo jackpot, the 5k Big Dipper on Sunday nights, which is free to enter- admittedly very appealing. The other is guaranteed jackpots in certain rooms. All the promotions have on-theme artwork, which is good to see.
Device Compatibility
You won’t find a mobile information page at Bingola, or a dedicated app on any of the main app stores. This is a shame, as like most Dragonfish brands, you can access the games on a mobile and the software is actually very good. You just need to go to the same site address on your phone or tablet browser.
The mobile site is very straightforward, with quick access to all the games and more of the circus theme. The bingo is well designed for smaller screens, with sliding trays for ticket buying and chat, which gives you plenty of room.
Variety & Originality
The variety of bingo at Bingola is pretty good with 90 ball, 75 ball and 5-line on offer. There’s also free bingo for those times when you’re out of funds or just want an extra chance. You’ll find four 90 ball rooms and four 75 ball, plus a host of 1p games. This is a great mix, but note that some are only open on certain days. There are also daily jackpot bingo rooms.
All of these have the funfair theme and clown artwork, which is great to see. Finally, the slot selection is pretty varied, including some famous faces like Starburst and Rainbow Riches. For the most part there’s plenty to find here.
Loyalty & Rewards
The VIP system at Bingola is the Diamond Club, which is a fiver tier system, starting at Bronze for all funded members. The amounts needed to advance up each tier are clearly stated and are pretty fair, as you get a lot of extras with each level. These include free slot spins, bingo cards, deposit bonuses and some exclusive products.
Though there doesn’t appear to be a full VIP experience, there is a good mix of rewards for players of various levels here. There are also four VIP bingo rooms locked to the different tiers, plus all members can earn and convert loyalty points as they play.