Gala Bingo review
Review Score | |
Gameplay | |
Jackpots | |
Promotions | |
Graphics | |
Usability | |
Mini Games | |
Support | |
Overall |
Review by Sarah Taylor, Updated 8th August 2015
If you haven't heard of these guys then you either aren't from the UK or have been living on Mars since birth. Gala Bingo are the largest land based bingo operator in the UK and still operate many halls throughout the UK. They made one of the earliest transitions to the online gaming world and held number 1 position in market share for some time. Heavy competition by the likes of Foxy Bingo, Tombola and JackpotJoy have stolen their top spot recently but Gala Bingo is still a heavyweight player.
Unlike most of the other online bingo operators, Gala Bingo invested heavily into developing its own bingo software from the ground up. Gala Bingo hired people to play their game while being filmed so they could understand reactions to gameplay in order to improve it. The result was polished and professional. It was clear that they had put a lot of resource into every aspect of developing their online offering. At the time their game helped pioneer the online bingo scene at the time. However, this was now some years back and the dog eventually had its day and the original Gala software eventually became dated and could no longer compete with advances of the pure bingo software companies. So eventually it was ditched for the next generation Playtech/Virtue-Fusion software offering mid 2012. Now on a new platform with a site that has had a complete make over everything is new. They even relocated their remote gambling team to Gibraltar from their old offices in Woking. This combined effort has given Gala a new lease of life and from the stats we have seen the brand has been rekindled.
As you would expect from the large and mature operator their game integration is pretty flawless with great gameplay, a huge community and massive jackpots.
They have often used famous people to promote the game... Sharon Osbourne was affiliated with Gala Bingo for some time and more recently Peter Andre can be seen in loads of their ads, which highlights the size of the operaor we're speaking about.
Like the majority of big names Gala follows strict guidelines when it comes to verifying customers, game fairness and payouts. Therefore you can expect to get a fair deal and if something does go wrong there is the reassurance that with some certainty things will get sorted out.
Gala Coral Group have extensive locations that provide customer support services, who all play the game as part of their training.
The Windicate is offered by Gala allowing groups of individuals to play in an online syndicate. This can be a great charity donation generator by companies so we think this is good.
Overall, Gala Bingo are still the biggest company out there that offer the game both on and off-line, and according the figures available approximately 20% of UK players hold an account with them. If you want a trusted name with good games that are guaranteed fair, Gala is not a bad choice.
Review Details | |
Bingo Games | 90 Ball, 75 Ball |
Chat | Yes |
Caller Type | Classic English style |
Autodaub | Yes |
Mini Games | Loads of Slots, TV ports, Keno, Instant Wins, Blackjack, Bacarret, Top Trumps, Hi/Lo, Slots, Blackjack, Poker, Roulette, Lotto |
Jackpot | Varies |
Progressive Jackpot | Yes |
Minimum Deposit | £5 |
Initial Deposit Bonus | Spend £5 and get £15 free (£20 total) |
Promotions | Penny Bingo, Last Chance Saloon, Windicates and more |
Payment Options | Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, Solo, Visa Electron, Delta, Neteller, Moneybookers, Paypal |
Currencies | £GBP, €EUR, $USD |
Support Options | Direct message, Email, Phone (including call back option) |
Freephone Support | Yes; UK Freephone, International Toll Pay |