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Omar Johnson asked:


Anyone who has ever visited a bingo hall knows the importance of the Bingo Caller. The Bingo Caller is like the MC of the bingo game. But the duties of the bingo caller go much deeper than choosing and announcing bingo balls. There are certain qualities every bingo call must have, and these talents and skills and responsibilities are not to be taken lightly.

The Mystique of the Bingo Caller

Bingo Callers have a certain je-ne-sais-quoi. Although their role is “simply” to collect bingo balls and call them out so that people can daub the respective numbers on their bingo cards, their personalities always shine through the calls, whether they’re proclaiming a good old “B12″ or revealing the ball “N32″, you can tell straight away if they have a sense of humor, confidence, and sometimes you can even tell whether they’re having a good or bad day.

Power and Glory of Bingo

Bingo players have always had a love-hate relationship with their bingo caller. There are delicate trust issues, but mostly a kind of reverence for this person who ultimately decides which spots you may daub and whose bingo cards will fill up the fastest. The hardiest of bingo players have often shown outward signs of disrespect toward the bingo caller, but don’t believe what you hear or see. There is no love lost between the bingo player and the bingo caller, because after all, the bingo caller is one of the most powerful figures in the game of bingo, and if he plays his … * ahem * … cards right, the bingo caller can and will win the affections and respect of any bingo hall congregation. The following sections will illustrate how this is done, as well as shed some light on the sometimes stressful but always glamorous role of the bingo caller.

Bingo Calling: A Lifestyle, Not a Game

To bingo callers, bingo is not just a game. It’s a way of life, and it requires talent and skill. The art of bingo calling is can be very specific and challenging - it is a craft, after all, and requires a dedicated and talented person. So what types of qualities and skills does a prospective bingo caller need? Read on.

Don’t Rush.

Bingo is a fast-paced game, yes. But bingo calling doesn’t have to be. Take your time calling each number, don’t forget that most bingo rooms will only consider a bingo to be legitimate once the caller has called it out loud, not once shown on the screen. This is not to say you should call in slow motion, but take your cues from your audience, see how quickly they raise their heads and look expectantly for the next number. Just remember: going too fast will cause some verbal stumbling and errors - and nobody wants that.

Winning Trust

Believe it or not, there can sometimes be some trust issues involved when playing bingo - especially those bingo games that are worth a lot of money. Those high-stakes games and big jackpots can have people very much on edge, so winning your audience’s trust is key. For example, in the case that consecutive numbers come up, give a slight shake of your head and cluck your tongue - giving a little barely-audible tsk tsk. That way, you’ll be leaving your bingo players, like you, blaming luck or faulty equipment.

Is Using Nicknames A Bad Idea?

Oftentimes, bingo callers will use nicknames, or codenames, for bingo balls. We’ve all heard them before - B1, Kelly’s eye. 88, two fat ladies. Many bingo callers will find themselves wondering, are these names outdated? Is it better to be straight forward and clear, or fun and joking? It’s safe to say that it depends on your personal preference. Mandy Gorgan, UK’s first female to receive the Bingo Caller of the Year award, said this: “Bingo is big business these days and it’s important the audience can concentrate on your voice.” Mandy does not go in for “legs 11″ or any other bingo lingo. “You can’t mess around with silly lingo, not when there are such large sums of money at stake,” Mandy added.

Mark Wilson, assistant manager of the Beacon Bingo Club, feels that “people have still got this stereotype of people using ‘two fat ladies, 88′, but that has gone out of fashion a long time ago. It’s very cheesy.”

I believe that it’s a judgment call though; using nicknames can often be a fun part of the game, and if done correctly will often raise a smile or chuckle from your bingo crowd. Be spontaneous. If you can improvise some rhymes or a few gleefully offbeat but appropriate nicknames, do it! And it’s definitely worth being knowledgeable on bingo ball nicknames, in case you do decide to use them.

Let the Audience Guide You

Finally, take your cues from your audience. Are they relaxed? Would they prefer a soft, soothing bingo-calling voice? Are they energetic, or anxious - do they require a strong, confident voice? Melodic, or monotonous? These are all the things a bingo caller must consider before choosing a bingo calling strategy. A good piece of advice would be to take a look at your audience and adapt your calling to fit each unique group of people; make a judgment call. But the final word in this matter is always a personal preference. Do what you feel most comfortable with, and the less artificial and uncomfortable you sound, the more respect you will command and the more enjoyment you will create.

Jim Hale asked:


Legal minds turned to Internet gambling laws as a specialty when the industry went beyond growth and exploded into the public mind. “The law surrounding Internet gambling in the United States has been murky, to say the least,” according to Lawrence G. Walters, one of the attorneys working with www.gameattorneys.com.

In contrast, Internet gambling laws in the U.K. have made the lives of providers and players a bit easier. The passage of the Gambling Act of 2005 has basically legalized and regulated online play in the U.K.

With the objectives of keeping gambling from promoting “crime or disorder” the U.K. act attempts to keep gambling fair, in addition to protecting younger citizens and others who may be victimized by gambling operation. Unlike the United States, which still clings to the 1961 Wire Wager Act, the U.K. significantly relaxed regulations that are decades old. A gambling commission was established to enforce the code and license operators.

A Whole Other Country

According to Walters and many other observers of the Internet gambling laws scene, the United States Department of Justice continues to view all gambling on the Internet as illegal under the Wire Act. But there are details in the federal law that defy attempts to throw a blanket over all online gambling.

The Wire Wager Act forms the basis for federal action on Internet gambling laws in the United States. The law was meant to complement and support laws in the various states, focusing primarily on “being engaged in the business of betting or wagering” using wire communication to place bets or wagers on sporting events or similar contests. The law also comments on receiving money or credit that results from such a wager. The keys are “business,” “money or credit” and “wire communication facility.”

But as many attorneys and proponents of fair Internet gambling laws emphasize, the federal law does not specifically address other forms of gambling. This has left the law open to interpretation when it comes to online casinos specifically and using the World Wide Web to play online games.

October 13, 2006 is a crucial date in the controversy surrounding the legalization of gambling. For anyone wishing to understand Internet gambling laws, the federal law passed on that day is essential knowledge. President George W. Bush signed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), which is intended to limit some “financial transactions” used for online gambling.

But even if current federal gambling laws can clearly define something as simple as a legal gambling age, the newer UIGEA has not settled all the dust raised around the issue of online gambling. Attorneys such as Walters (and many others) have pointed out that the UIGEA seems to refer only to financial transactions and wagers that are illegal where the wager or transaction is made. Some wagers may be legal while others may not be legal. It’s as simple as that.

The UIGEA had some effect on Internet gambling, in that many successful companies got out of the business, at least in the United States. In fact, with the passage of the law in 2006, most U.S. online players found they could not play at an online casino or poker room, for a short time. Many of the gambling providers found ways to establish offices and servers outside of the U.S. so that could invite United States players back in.

Break Time

It’s now time to stop, take a deep breath and turn to Internet gambling laws in the various states. Some have passed their own rules and regulations (before and after UIGEA). In a few states, companies cannot operate an online gambling business. In other states it is illegal for an individual to place a bet using the Web. Some legal experts argue that these individual-state rules are unconstitutional since commerce across state lines should only be regulated by federal law, not state law. Commercial online gambling businesses don’t operate in the United States, however. If you want to visit their “home offices” you may have to travel to Malta, Gibraltar or Curacoa.

The 2005 U.K. law generally allows remote sites such as these. The rules are not so relaxed in the U.S. However, a recent appellate court ruling in the U.S. states that, in at least one case, an Web-based gambling site did not violate states laws. Most legal minds urge gamblers and others interested in the issue to stay tuned.

Some have given their attention to finding benefits of legalized gambling, noting that this huge industry might be a key to economic recovery in the United States. At the heart of their argument are examples such as established lotteries run by various states, in addition to the government revenues that flow in to state coffers from riverboats and land-based casinos.

Part of this effort rests on the shoulders of more than 100 legal representatives working for common sense in Internet gambling laws. This hoard of attorneys has the task of trying to keep the World Wide Web/Internet free from government intervention.

Bob Ciaffone is considered one of the experts on the subject of gambling and poker in general, and on the transition to online gambling. He suggests that any regulation of Web-based gambling should reduce competition from outside the U.S., so that the citizens of the U.S. would benefit in legal gambling states. His detailed plan would parallel the U.K. situation since that country passed its 2005 rules. Ciaffone also strongly urges U.S. lawmakers to keep Internet gambling laws separate from the 40-year-old Wire Act, which was passed to control illegal gambling over the telephone.

In essence, Ciaffone writes that the UIGEA attempted to do the right thing, but does it in all the wrong ways. The restrictions have severely handicapped what could be a great revenue source with proper regulation, according to Ciaffone.

Consider a statement on the UIGEA from the most-recognizable poker player in the world, Doyle Brunson. Though is comments apply to his favorite game of poker, they can easily relate to all Internet gambling laws. He said, in essence, that his company received good legal advice that indicates Internet poker is not “expressly” illegal. He encourages U.S. players to learn the laws of their own state.

While this brief summary touches only the high points of a huge and complex subject, there are sources that have already compiled details for the various states. Check these sites:

www.gambling-law-us.com/

http://www.gambling-law-us.com/State-Law-Summary/

http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/

Cindy Leggett asked:


As a popular form of entertainment, gambling has a rich history, and every player has the potential to become a winner in the blink of an eye. There is nothing else quite like the rush of adrenaline that can accompany the gambling experience! The gaming industry has grown exponentially for the past two decades, and the lure of gambling has drawn more and more people to the casinos as well as racetracks and Internet gambling web sites. Gambling is a fascinating pastime in many respects, and the list below will introduce you to some of the historical, statistical, and humorous tips and trivia that make this pastime special.

Did You Know?

1. At least 65,000,000 people in the United States play poker on a regular basis.

2. Playing cards as we know them today are still greatly influenced by the French, even though playing cards were invented in China. According to French lore, the cards with Spades represent royalty. Diamonds represent Merchants, Clubs represent Peasants, and Hearts represent the Clergy.

3. Former United States President Richard M. Nixon used money he had won playing poker in the Navy during World War 2 to finance his run for Congress in 1946. He must have been a good player, for it is never inexpensive to get involved in politics!

4. 87% of the people who visited Las Vegas during the year 1996 gambled.

5. Surveys reveal that 38% of the people who live in the United States have visited Las Vegas, typically to gamble.

6. The game called craps usually has some of the best bets in the casino.

7. Poker tournaments that take place on the Internet and on television have caused the Texas Hold’em variation of poker to have an enormous surge in popularity.

8. There is one slot machine in Las Vegas, Nevada, for every 8 people who live there. In 2005, the estimated population for the Las Vegas Valley is 2 million people. That’s a LOT of slot machines!

Gambling Bits and Pieces

9. Blackjack, or 21 as some people call it, continues to be the most popular table game in both online and offline casinos. It is also the game with the best odds.

10. You will see many versions of video poker in a casino, but every one of them is based upon the game of Five Card Draw.

11. In the English gambling dens during the 18th century, one employee had the unfortunate job of dice swallower. That’s right - dice swallower! He was to swallow the dice if and when a police officer raided the den.

12. If played correctly, video poker can offer some of the best odds in the casino.

13. The first slot machine in the world was invented by a Mr. Charles Fey in the year 1899. He was an automobile mechanic who wanted his customers to have something to amuse them while they waited for their cars.

14. Groucho Marx, one of the Marx Brothers, loved to play poker. He kept his poker money on him at all times, carrying it in a ‘grouch bag”. This is how he got the nickname of Groucho.

15. There are only two states in the United States that do not offer legalized gambling. These are Hawaii and Utah.

16. 57% of people in the United States bought a lottery ticket in the last 12 months. This fact, which was discovered by a Gallup Poll audit on gambling, proves that the lottery is the most popular form of gambling in the United States.

17. 68% of the folks in Las Vegas who gamble play the slot machines.

Fun and Interesting Facts

18. 24% of those living in the USA admit that they have participated in illegal gambling.

19. When studying the percentages of people who visit Las Vegas, it was discovered that the largest percentage group, 22%, was made up of senior citizens, those who are 65 and older.

20. One of the largest slot machine payouts ever recorded took place in Las Vegas back in 1998. A woman who had spent around $300 at a casino that day hit a $27.6 million dollar jackpot! No wonder slot machines are so popular!

21. Most historians have come to the conclusion that the legendary and colorful figure of the Wild West known as Wild Bill Hickock was not a very good poker player.

22. In the United States, it is not possible to take out a patent on any kind of gambling machine.

23. The card game of Texas Hold ‘Em was played for the very first time in a Texas city known as Robstown. This happened in the early 1900s. Texas Hold ‘Em was brought to Texas from Las Vegas by a small group of Texas gamblers.

24. Back in the 1970s, the average age of the people who enjoyed casino gambling ranged from 30 to 55. Nowadays, that age ranges from 17 all the way up to 70.

25. 80% of a survey group said that all gambling should be legal, and that casinos are perfectly okay.

26. A word of warning - You are not allowed to use your cell phone at a gaming table. This is generally true in all casinos. Of course, if you are playing at an online gaming table, you can do what you wish.

27. The largest casino in the world is located on the outskirts of Hartford, Connecticut in the United States. It is called the Foxwoods Casino.

28. Las Vegas has two nicknames - Las Vegas and Lost Wages.

29. Slot machines range from penny slots all the way up to those that range from $50 to $500 for each spin! These high-priced slots are usually located in what is called the ‘High Roller’ room or rooms of a casino. As a general rule, you will not see too many of these machines.

Gambling Facts and History

30. In 2007, more than $170 billion dollars was placed in bets in Las Vegas by gamblers. ‘The House’, or the casinos, won about $7 billion dollars of that money.

31. Online gaming is cool. Where else can you play video poker in your pajamas?

32. Casinos in Las Vegas are under no legal obligation to pay off any of their gambling debts

33. The state of Nevada in the USA, home of Las Vegas, made gambling legal in the year 1931.

• During that same year, the Hoover Dam was being built by the US government.

• They didn’t want the men who were working on the dam to get involved with gambling, so an entire town, Boulder City, was built as a place for the dam workers to live.

• It was made illegal to gamble in Boulder City in the hopes that these workers would not squander the 50 cents an hour they were being paid.

• Today, Boulder City is the only city in the state of Nevada where it is illegal to gamble.

Fascinating Gambling Facts

34. To this day, the Italians and the French will still argue over who invented the game of Blackjack.

35. Millions of people are using the Internet to gamble 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

36. Those who play the slots online as well as offline will find that a majority of the time, they will win more often playing online.

37. In horseracing or any type of sports gambling, you need to win a percentage of about 52.4% of the bets you make in order to break even. This is because a commission is charged by the house on every bet.

38. There is no rhyme, rhythm, or pattern to playing the slots. It is almost impossible to predict when you are going to win.

39. When playing poker, the Dead Man’s Hand is Aces and Eights.

40. Most people who take a vacation to Las Vegas gamble for 4 hours a day, each day they are there.

41. Some say that the game of roulette was invented by a man called Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician and inventor. Others say he merely decided what order the numbers would go in.

42. And still others claim that the game of roulette came from China. Another group swears that roulette was invented by a group of Venetian monks! It appears that no one knows the real truth.

43. Even though a line of slot machines may look identical, every one of them looks different on the inside.

44. Dice are the oldest gaming tool available to use today.

45. Blackjack was banned in America back at the turn of the 19th century. Already a hugely popular game, it went underground as folks continued to play it illegally. The ban was lifted in 1939 as Nevada prepared to introduce Las Vegas to the world.

46. Craps is an American game, but was devised as a variation of a European game played in the 17th and 18th century that was known as ‘hazard’.

47. Legend has it that a fellow by the name of Francois Blanc made a bargain with Satan in order to find out the supposed ’secrets’ of the roulette wheel. The basis of this legend is that when you add up all of the numbers on the wheel, you end up with the number 666, a number that has always represented the devil.

48. Slot machines are capable of revealing millions of possible combinations for every minute the game is played. This is because of the random number generator, or RNG, that is inside the machine.

49. Craps got its odd name from a nickname given to the French Creoles of New Orleans, Johnny Crapauds.

50. There are two types of dice, casino dice and ‘drugstore’ dice. Casino dice are precisely made by hand to insure that they are balanced and are a perfect cube. Drugstore dice are smaller than casino dice, and are made by machinery.