What we think

Chit Chat Bingo

In early 2006 a rather significant event took place in the world of online Bingo. Gala Bingo severed its partnership with St. Minver and closed its virtual doors in hopes of opening as a stand alone entity. While this is a bold move for Gala, in the interim there are quite a few players that were perfectly happy with the set up they had who now find themselves with out a hall. St. Minver came up with a brilliant plan. They quickly regrouped and reopened the site under partnership with Chit Chat Bingo. Here fans can find the games they know and love, simply listed under a different name. Players need to keep in mind that there is no association between Gala and Chit Chat. These are two entirely separate companies. But if you were one who took a liking to the old site, then you might be pleasantly surprised with what Chit Chat has to offer.

Now that we all have the whole Gala/Chit Chat thing out of the way lets move on to more important, and more fun, things. First impressions are always important and that is never truer than in an online Bingo hall. You want a site to invite you in, not leave you out in the cold. Well we are happy to report that in this category Chit Chat Bingo receives full marks. The site is pleasing to the eye, and easy to access. A wonderfully easy to maneuver registration process just puts the icing on the cake.

With registration behind you, the doors are open. Navigation is so easy to master here that you will find yourself a pro in a matter of minutes. You are now on your way to taking part in some fabulous 90-ball Bingo. While Chit Chat Bingo only has one hall on the site it's not a problem. The reason for this is that even with everyone in one room, each player gets to pick their own individual chat set up. This way your experience can change every time you change your chat window. And the chat rooms here are really top shelf. The CM's are always high energy and fun whether they are marshaling the talk or leading one of the regular chat games. In fact we would much rather interact with the CM's than the caller, who proved to be rather over enthusiastic. Thank goodness for the mute button. While you're here take the time to check out the selection of non-Bingo casino style games offered on the site. With all the options available to you, cramped is the last thing you will feel.

One nice feature we found in this site was the software that the games are offered on. It is non-downloading, easy to use and manipulate, and fast to respond to the user. Also in the days of Gala, the site was not open to Mac users. We are very happy to inform you that this is no longer the case. It is always much nicer when everyone can play and not be left out of the fun. And with everyone playing it has a direct effect on the size of the progressive jackpots. As the player pool grows, so do those totals!

If you are a site in the St. Minver network, then you share the same promotions offers as all the other sites. That's okay though because they don't forget about you. First there is the Welcome Bonus. This $1 bonus is automatically given to all players upon registration. It makes up for the site not offering free play by giving up access to up to 10 free games. Then if you happen to run Windows XP, you have the opportunity to download Chit Chat's Bingo Alert. This neat little guy lets you in on every little happening even when your not there, kind of like that nosy neighbor that lives down the street. And in addition to your new little friend you will receive an extra $2 just for trying out the new service.

We hate to rain on this parade but we do see a bit of a problem here. The promotions offered are nice but where are the rest? There was not a non-cash offer to be seen, nor did we find any incentive to long term players. This is definitely a weak spot in this virtual hall that needs a little revamping to be more alluring to the new and seasoned player alike. There is no maintenance necessary in the customer service arena though. Chit Chat had the good sense to take advantage of St. Minver's customer service set-up. These guys have it down, and the players are the ones who benefit from their experience.

At the end of the day this is a fun site that gives the player what they are after, Bingo. The games are always put together right and easy to take part in. It doesn't really bother us that we have seen the set up before, we enjoyed it then, and we enjoy it now. What's really important are the preferences of the individual players. If you are searching for an easy going site that still gives you the games you crave Chit Chat Bingo may just be the place for you.

Click here to play at Chit Chat Bingo now