Gala Bingo review by InternetBingo.co.uk

Do you play real-world Bingo in a UK high street club? Then it’s a fair bet that you’re already well aware that Gala and Bingo go together like Posh and Becks. Gala has the rightful claim to be the UK’s biggest Bingo company with a network of over 175 clubs across Great Britain and a membership that tops 5 million! Considered with the fact that this Bingo colossus doles out close to £30 million a week in prize money, it probably doesn’t take much imagination to think this is probably one company that’s got the clout and experience to bring some of the best Bingo to the UK online Bingo game.

Interestingly, when Gala first ventured onto the Net to do its online Bingo thing, it did so in partnership with St. Minver, a network that powers a number of successful rivals like Virgin Bingo and Littlewoods Bingo. However that relationship was short lived and in early 2006 Gala relaunched its online Bingo with a brand new site and its very own, custom game software. This gave it a far more distinctive look and feel, with gaming software that’s exclusive to it. Its continued success since that relaunch has clearly vindicated what, at the time, seemed a brave decision to pull out of a very successful network to ‘do its own Bingo thing’. Clearly Gala Bingo’s doing something right, but does it deliver an online Bingo vibe that matches the thrills that have made its clubs such a hit on the high-street? Is it, as Gala claim, “The Bingo That Gets You Buzzing”?

If we are to stick with the ‘buzzing’ metaphor, Gala’s history of providing popular, dependable Bingo entertainment on the UK’s high streets means even the most timid online Bingo novice can be assured that they’re not going to be ‘stung’ playing here. Safe and secure service is a given with Gala, so we can move swiftly to the important business of the buzziness of the Bingo promised!

Gala has excelled in welcoming its new players with a bright, attractive website that’s simple to navigate for first-timers looking to check out Gala’s wares before committing to a long-term relationship. It’s certainly got enough ‘X-Factor’ to attract the patronage of Sharon Osborne (we love the mental image of Ozzy shouting “Sharon, are you on that !*?*ing Bingo site again?”), and we’d even venture that it’s one of the best looking sites we’ve reviewed so far. So it’s fair of face, but is it full of grace? Eyes down…

A quick click of the prominent ‘Play Bingo Now!’ button gets you straight to the onscreen console used to play Gala’s games, and the happy news is that we had no trouble getting into the fun whether we used a Windows or Mac PC. To play Gala’s online Bingo you will need to log in as a member, and joining for the first time is a pretty quick, online process that threw up no issues to report. Previously Gala used to stuff a free quid into new players accounts, without requiring any deposit from the player, which was a handy way to play a few cards to get a feel for the place, but that has been abandoned now – there is however a ‘play for fun’ option to compensate which will let you ‘test drive’ the Gala experience before you commit to buying into some real-money fun.

Fixed up with a free membership, you have full access to Gala’s round-the-clock Bingo entertainment, with both classic 90 and 75 ball sessions to dive into, and a novel 80 ball game if you fancy something a little out of the ordinary. The quality of the Gala games is truly top-notch, with its onscreen console having a lovely look and feel to make play intuitive and fun. The all-important ‘chat’ facilities (without which online Bingo just ain’t happening in our opinion!) are neatly integrated into the main playing screen, and players have a number of user options to fiddle with to make the playing experience just so. This ability to tailor certain settings is a godsend if, like us, you get quickly driven to distraction by the godawful cheesy disco loop Gala spins in between games – a ‘mute’ button quickly killed it, and it was a mercy killing we can tell you!

Should you need further digital distractions than its online Bingo, Gala has added a fine suite of Instant Play and casino-style games to its smorgasbord of fun, so if chatting with other online members is not your thing, there’s plenty to stop you twiddling your thumbs in the short intervals between Bingo sessions! If chat is your thing, you won’t be disappointed with the potential to gas at Gala. It has got some of the busiest chat rooms we’ve visited – some already very, very lively even in early morning sessions – and Gala Bingo’s ever present Chat Managers keep the various rooms buzzy, hosting events with a light and friendly touch.

We’re pleased to report that, since we last formally reviewed Gala Bingo, it’s remedied its lack of Welcome Bonus to offer new players a free £10 when they make a first deposit of £5 or more. OK, this is not nearly as generous as some of its rivals that will match their new players’ first deposits pound for pound up to limits topping £100, but it’s a distinct improvement on having nowt and ticket prices at Gala are keen so an extra tenner to play with can buy a lot of online Bingo fun here.

Even if you’re not already a convert to the Gala Bingo experience from playing its UK clubs, you owe it to yourself to explore its buzzing online Bingo incarnation. Gala was good before, but now it’s fixed the few niggles we previously had, it has raised its game again – this is buzzing online Bingo, and it’s no surprise UK players swarm to its charms!

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