New Bingo Sites 2018

A new online bingo site launches every 10 days in the UK, on average. Is it any wonder that deciding where to play is more difficult than ever?

While you may crave the familiarity of your favourite bingo platform, the curse of the overplayed song can quickly set in. That thing you once loved becomes the thing that now bores you.

Innovation in the bingo industry has stagnated in recent years with not one site launching on new proprietary software until the release of MrQ this summer. But things are changing.

Stricter regulations imposed by the Gambling Commission have forced brands to think harder about what makes their site unique. Here's how they've done it.

That’s all folks! Waving goodbye to childish imagery

From Fluffy Favourites to Toki Time, bingo sites have been awash with the cartoon imagery of slot games for what seems like forever. Until recently, you couldn’t scroll through a lobby without encountering animals grinning back at you or over-familiar characters inviting you to play.

However, restrictions imposed at the end of 2017 have since forced this cartoon cast either into the background or behind a paywall. Operators were required to move anything that might possibly appeal to those aged under 18 out of sight until proof of age can be established.

And it’s not just slot games, some famous bingo mascots faced early retirement. Special mentions include:

• Ted from Ted Bingo: The shadow of the bear he used to be, quite literally (he’s now a silhouette)
• Pablo from Circus Bingo: The personified peanut that bingo became allergic to
• The Sun from Costa Bingo: The sun finally set on everyone’s favourite smiling sun (except the Teletubbies')

Why are bingo bonuses getting smaller?

A change to Remote Gaming Duty, active from 31 July 2017, requires all gambling operators in the United Kingdom to pay tax on freeplays, including welcome bonuses and matched deposit offers.

The tax was only previously applicable to real money bets, but the change to include freeplays upon payouts has caused many companies to reconsider the bonuses they offer. No longer can a new bingo site launch with £500 free bonus and not potentially incur a direct financial cost in the process.

One loophole for companies is that if a game is completely free for everyone, the tax can be avoided on those stakes, hence the uplift in offers containing complimentary bingo tickets and time-limited access to free bingo rooms.

The rise of no wagering bingo

It shouldn’t really be news when a gambling site allows you to keep the money you win, but after navigating hundreds of convoluted welcome bonuses in the past, there are fresh reasons to be positive about fairness in future.

The increase of no wagering bingo sites is the result of two main factors coming together at once. The first being the freeplay tax and the second being a joint initiative between the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the Gambling Commission.

The sudden drive to tackle unfair terms and conditions has caused many sites to urgently reconsider the structure of bonuses and promotions. Confusing wagering requirements are being stripped, withdrawal limits reduced and players warned of restrictions well in advance of even signing up.

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The birth of a bingo brand

It’s impossible for so many new bingo sites to launch without suffering some casualties along the way. Without a unique and original offer, brands face an uphill battle to attract players from more established

Here’s how we refer to the different stages of a bingo site life cycle:

New - Launched for the first time within the last six months from today’s date.

Recent - Launched within the past five years.

Established - Launched over five years ago.

Closed - A site which has closed, either temporarily or permanently.

Relaunched - A previously closed/old site which has recently re-opened on different software.

The first six months from launch are critical for brands looking to build communities of loyal and regular players. So, while it might be tempting to try every bingo room on the internet, you might find yourself being more highly rewarded if you stay in one place.

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How we review new bingo sites

We spend around three hours reviewing each bingo site in our database, checking the quality and experience across nine different areas. We work hard to ensure that we join and play at every site we review to provide you with the most comprehensive, honest and accurate information before you play.

Unfortunately, our commitment to detail and accuracy can sometimes cause slight delays to reviews of new sites being published as soon as they are launched.

You may, therefore, notice that the newest bingo sites in our index pass through three review stages before being assigned a final score and star rating. You can find the full breakdown of our review process here and a shorter summary below. Note that we also use this same process when evaluating new slot sites.

1. No Review (Pre-launch): The very first page you will see on OnlineBingo for a new bingo site. We usually create a no review page for a site as soon as we hear the first rumours of its release. These pages contain all of the essential details about a site and feature the ability for you to leave your own comments.
2. Quick Review (within one week of launch): Quick reviews provide our first impressions of a bingo site and are usually written within the first week of its unveiling. These shorter reviews involve our experts visiting the new site and quickly testing various key components of the experience and software. Sites are then given a temporary blue star rating to reflect their quality.
3. Full Review (within one month of launch): Our final verdict on a new or relaunched bingo site, complete with a total percentage score and gold star rating. Our full reviews undergo a complex scoring process designed to deliver fair, balanced and consistent results every time. We occasionally update full reviews with details of new offers or revisions to our original scores - you can track these in the text and by viewing the ‘updated’ date beneath the title.

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Coming soon

Remember to check our news page for the latest launch stories as soon as they happen. Brand new bingo sites are usually very popular once released and attract thousands of players eager to make the most of generous sign-up offers. They can be a great place to begin friendships in bustling chat rooms and to take advantage of newbie rooms, allowing you to try before you buy.

Know of a site we’ve missed? We’re always looking for new sites to include in our database and would love to hear from you - whether you're a site owner or a player. Drop us a message now.

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Where are all the new bingo games?

Are you tired of finding the same old games, patterns and rooms on every site that opens? This is the result of hundreds of networked brands being powered by just a handful of software providers.

The most popular of these is 888's Dragonfish platform which powers over 180 sites in the UK alone, including player favourites, Costa Bingo and Wink Bingo. That's almost 200 versions of the same 75 ball and 95 ball bingo rooms, the same style of lobby and the same range of slot and casino games.

Most new variants of bingo are simple twists on the same theme and adhere to standard lottery principles. The most popular of these include mobile-focused Cash Cubes by PlayTech and playing card themed Flash Fives by 888.

If you’re looking for something truly unique, keep an eye out for new online bingo websites powered by proprietary software. These are admittedly few and far between, but we have made finding them easy - just select the filter options to the right of the site list above.

The biggest and best existing site running on its own platform is Tombola, complete with dedicated chat hosts, 13 bingo game variants (yes, thirteen) and affordable tickets to suit every budget.