Play Bingo While High In The Sky!
19th November, 2007
Ever wish you could play some bingo while that tray table was down and your were sipping your tomato juice and eating those tiny pretzels? For some, it may have never crossed your mind simply because it wasn’t plausible. Well guess what? Now you CAN play bingo cruising at an altitude of 3,000 feet!
In the coming months, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, and Virgin Airlines will start to offer their passengers a variety of mid-air games, including online bingo. Virgin of course already has their own games portal, Virgin Bingo, so if you are a member, you can play before your flight and then continue once on board. Virgin has allowed air-play for the past two years, but never allowing bets. The other three airlines will use 888.com as their betting provider.
The online gambling trend started a year ago with Delta Airlines introduction of onboard Texas Hold ‘Em, for US domestic flights only (due to UIGEA laws). The game, which became a hit amongst passangers proved that online, in-flight gambling is an expandable market.
The introduction of the gaming is expected to sway seasoned online gamblers to fly BA, Cathay or Singapore over other airlines, as well as introduce new-players to online gambling while they sit bored on those long-haul flights.
In-flight gambling will not be offered on those international flights to and from the US due to those notorious UIGEA laws that have caused so much controversy over the past few months. It is estimated that US Airlines would have the opportunity to rake in over $300 million a year in online in-flight gambling if those laws weren’t in place.
Some concerns on the new tray-table gambling system have been expressed by the Flight Attendants Union, whose members are a bit nervous about the effect of online gambling to their passengers. Unruly behaviour is a primary concern, but overall discontent is enough to worry any flight attendant. In response, the airlines are planning to set low betting limits to prevent those high-rolling first class passengers from losing more than a couple hundred pounds, and then demanding the flight attendant appease their recent profit loss. Even lower limits will apply to the economy class passengers.
What do you think about the new in-flight online gambling? Fun entertainment, or dangerous air-walking? Tell us what you think in our Bingo Forum!
