Gala Bingo
There are companies that dabble in Bingo and then there are companies that dedicate themselves to getting it right. Gala is one of those who are dedicated to running the best game that they possibly can. This makes sense as they are currently the biggest bingo company in the UK with their 166 land based halls up and running in that area. We think that the over 30 million they pay out in prize money each and every week may have a thing or two to do with their popularity status. If they can do all this within the limitations of the real world, then we can’t wait to see what they come up with for their online hall.
One thing that you have to say about Gala is that they know their business and are not about to make any rash moves. They launched an earlier site in partnership with the ever popular St. Minver. The site was great and very popular with players. Gala took their time learning this new business and then in 2006 cut ties with St. Minver to branch out on their own. They spent some time behind closed doors perfecting their new creation, and are now ready and open for business. Gala has always claimed to have “The Bingo that gets You Buzzing,” so lets go see if they can still live up to that claim.
While there may be a lot of questions as to how well Gala can deliver an online hall all on their own, there are no questions about the security of their site. Earning the title of the UK’s biggest bingo company did not come from offering second rate security to their players. This is one hall where you can leave all the worrying to them while you just concentrate on having a great time.
A good first impression is always very important and Gala does not disappoint. The overall design of the hall is right on par with what you would expect from this company. Everything is well laid out and presented in a very tasteful manner. We like that they didn’t let their looks go to their head, and still provide clear concise navigation for their hall.
Right on the main page you will see a large banner proclaiming “Play Online Now!” This is what you are after as it will take you straight to the games. Gala is using a non-downloading platform that worked flawlessly for us on both a PC and a Mac system. This is a huge improvement over the old Gala site where we were unable to access the games using a Mac system. If your computer already has Flash, and most of them do, then there is nothing left for you to install. All you have to do is jump the registration hurdle and you are ready to go.
Like we said, you do have to join if you want to play but this is really no different than any other hall we have been to. If you want to poke around a bit you do have the option of looking at the games, but there is no playing or chat until you have your own account. The one problem that we had in this area was that there is no new player bonus. In the old days Gala gave their players enough of a sigh-up bonus that if they played their cards right, they could get 10 free games. This is such a nice touch as it allows players to get a good feel for things before they drop their own cash. The Mac issue was a huge step forward for Gala, but this is a step back.
While we still say that Gala needs to step it up in the free game and bonus area, this is still not a bad hall. The quality of their Bingo might just make up for any shortcomings we have found thus far. The hall is open round the clock, and players can find high action bingo any time they show up. Like we said earlier, the delivery is flawless with the chat integrated right into the main screen and a super smooth game experience. Even though the software is Instant Play there are still several customization options for users to tailor their experience to their own preferences. For example, you can mute the annoying music and change your window size to suit your screen. We also wanted to point out that Gala showed some of the highest numbers in the chat rooms that we have ever seen. They were always full, even when we logged in for some early morning fun. The CMs were very pleasant to interact with. They are wonderful at their jobs, always doing their part to keep things moving and keep everyone happy.
Remember when we said that promotions were the area where we had the biggest problems? Well let us explain just why that is the case. There are no promotions or bonuses to be had at Gala bingo. If you tour around the site then you will see some intriguing promises of things to come, but there is nothing up and running today. We are hoping that Gala is currently working to develop this area as at this point it is a glaring problem in an otherwise wonderful hall.
Many of you have been sold on the Gala brand for years, long before the days of online bingo. If this is the case then this new form of the old favourite should be just as wonderful as you remembered. Gala took a huge risk by stepping out from under the St. Minver umbrella and going their own way, but they have preformed more than admirably. They have proven that once and for all they have “The Bingo that gets You Buzzing!”
