What we think

Gala Bingo review (new site)

Have you every heard of a little company called Gala? Yeah, chances are that you have. Gala is probably the biggest name in Bingo that the UK has to offer. It just has a massive scope that covers 166 land based clubs, pulling in hundreds of thousands of players each week. Now Gala has decided to try their luck in a virtual version of their real life clubs. If anyone deserves a chance at this, it should definitely be Gala.

They have done their homework to get ready for this new challenge. You see, Gala has had an online hall in the past. In their first attempt, they chose to go with a partner, St. Minver. After getting their feet wet and learning the ropes a bit, they dissolved the partnership to try things their own way. This is a bold move that could come with some hefty rewards if done properly. If Gala can leverage their real time success in an online world, then we just might find that they are still, "The Bingo that gets you Buzzing."

When we play Bingo we don't like to think about anything but the game. This is supposed to be for fun, not work. So we are very impressed with the reputation and security that Gala has to offer. This lets us play and leave all the work to them.

When you first log on, you will probably be struck with how nice everything looks. From the color scheme to the tastefully appropriate animation the site is very pretty to look at. And even better, it is so much more than a pretty shell.

Practically the first words you see are, "Play Online Now!" We were tempted, we admit we are weak, and took their advice. It was lovely to see that that was all we needed to do. The games are offered using the very prevalent Macromedia Flash platform. Most of your personal computers today already have this software onboard, so there is nothing for you to worry about. Remember this is supposed to be fun, let them do all the work.

With every step being so easy up to this point it should come as no surprise that the registration process is a breeze. It should be, given the fact that you must complete registration in order to gain full access to the site. However, one gaping hole stood out to us as we went through our registration process. It seems as though the "Welcome Bonus," we came to know and love in the old days is now a thing of the past. This just feels like a huge step in the wrong direction. We hope that Gala will change their policy here and offer more to their new arrivals.

We find it very sad that our new player offer has gone the way of the dodo bird, but we still do not feel that the hall as a whole is at all shabby. In fact, many of you may choose to make this your online Bingo home. Games are played all the time, and with the sharp layouts and high octane chat facilities integrated right in, there is not a downside here. Your game experience is designed completely around your specific tastes. The site also boasts a very dynamic selection of instant win and casino games for those moments when you just crave something a little different. If chat is what you crave, here is where you will find some of the most high volume rooms we have seen yet. The CMs are cheery and sharp, striking a nice balance between being pleasant while still keep things moving.

We touched lightly on promotions, or more importantly the lack there of, earlier in the review. Gala really needs to play catch up here. Promotions are a big part of what draws players in to a site, and right now there are quite simply none to be had. We can see that the non-cash side of the puzzle is under construction but we would really like to see the whole picture.

So now for the big question, do we recommend that you make Gala Bingo your online home? Yeah, we think we do. For those of you who have enjoyed playing with this company in the past we see no reason why that should change now. Gala offers players some of the best Bingo for their buck and in the end, the promotions will come.

Click here to play at Gala Bingo now