iBingo

iBingo Review

iBingo is a slow loading and unreliable attempt at a “mobile bingo site”. Their site is amongst the slowest loading on all types of Internet browsers and getting the site to load on the mobile is nearly impossible. We have determined the website maintains an iPhone theme, but is not mobile friendly. Thus, we give iBingo at least two thumbs down. Due to this complication, we suggest you AVOID iBingo. We suggest you instead choose to play at a truly mobile friendly bingo site like Paddy Power, LadyLucks, William Hill, or Virgin Mobile Bingo, & Scrummy Bingo (by clicking below).

As circumstances change, our opinion and thus our grading system and suggestions are changed. In case iBingo gets their act together, we will leave the originally filed report mostly intact. This report will sit well below our updated commentary on iBingo, as well as references to Chelbis Company, the operator who runs iBingo and associated sites. Our hope is that they make themselves mobile friendly as they advertise as opposed to merely “faking the funk”. In the interim, to receive a similar free money bonus and an outstanding deposit bonus with an ethical bingo site using similar software, we suggest you play at Scrummy Bingo, which you can read about by clicking that link. Please keep reading to grasp an understanding of our concerns about iBingo and their directly and indirectly associated sites, operators, and associates.

iBingo Report – submitted 21 November 2012

When we first became suspicious of issues developing at the iBingo we cover here, we launched an investigation and found “smoke” leading to a “small fire” at Maltese operator Chelbis Company Limited. From experience, we expected to see such a “fire” at the source. However, we also found something unrelated to the Chelbis run iBingo website or to any other Chelbis owned or operated bingo site for that matter. To our surprise, there is a second website called “iBingo” that is based out of Costa Rica and is in fact a scam – also earning the appropriate “AVOID” rating. In the context of this report, I will discuss the issues at each site and will do my best to differentiate between the two outfits – first dealing with the Chelbis-run iBingo and then dealing with the Costa Rica-based iBingo.

iBingo by Chelbis Company Limited

iBingo resides on the Chelbis run Super Bingo Network, with a gambling licence through a “letter of intent” from Chelbis on file with the Lotteries & Gaming Authority of Malta (also known as the LGA). Chelbis has been in “letter of intent” status with the Maltese licensing agency since 2008. Despite their letter of intent, they have not completed their application for a formal, full-fledged operator’s licence with the LGA. In the interest of fair and full disclosure, we are in the process of reviewing our ratings on Malta’s gambling licence, as we have some concerns regarding the ACTUAL level of protection players receive from this licensing body. On paper, the LGA sounds like the one that provides players with the most protection. However, in practical application, it is beginning to sound as if they are merely talking about protections and doing little if anything to enforce their policies that protect player funds and player interests. When we complete our investigation, we will file a full report on our LGA Malta page here on this site.

There are several reports of Chelbis managed bingo sites that are slow paying or failing to pay their players. The slow pay and no pay issues are being reported at sites like Mira Bingo, Bingo Chimp, and iBingo and span across the Best Bingo Network, the Super Bingo Network, and the Fun Bingo Network. Ibingo resides on the Super Bingo Network, which boasts a central cashier and is fully managed by Chelbis Company Limited. In addition, support response times have been severely slow over the course of the past month.

When combining the substantial increase in slow-pays or no-pays, as well as rising concerns over the protections provided by LGA, we have no choice but to downgrade iBingo and all similar Chelbis managed properties until these issues are addressed and resolved. Specifically, we need to see Chelbis step in and “make right” with players, advertisers, and partners before we will consider iBingo or any Chelbis run/managed site for a re-evaluation. Until such times, we issue a grade of an “F” to iBingo, Chelbis Company, and any related sites on the BBN, SBN, and FBN.

iBingo based in Costa Rica

As mentioned above, there is a separate and distinct version of iBingo that is based out of Costa Rica and uses the .COM domain extension, as well as a .AG extension. When we were first investigating iBingo, we found it quite strange that there were two separate operators in the same niche that utilized such a similar brand name without getting into it over trademark infringement We investigated the ownership of the two sites and confirmed they are owned by separate parties.

Whilst the Chelbis run iBingo is, in our opinion, suffering due to cash flow issues related to Chelbis and their network of bingo sites, we believe the Costa Rican iBingo is nothing more than a scam bingo site that is set up to cheat players. This version of iBingo is set up on the completely rogue Parlay network and is full of rogue terms. They offer three withdrawal options and two of the three carry an unreasonable fee that they pass onto the players. The third cashout option (a seemingly free option) is tied directly to their in-house credit offering through Equinox. For more information on scams related to Equinox, simply conduct a Google search on “Equinox scams”, “Equinox credit scams” or pretty much any similar search and you will get a taste of exactly the type of company we are speaking of.

This third cashout option calls on you to apply for credit. Thus, win or lose, you are responsible for paying off the balance. In the event that you win, you must cashout to repay your debt. If you lose, you have to send them money to close your loan. Contact information for this credit house is not easily available on the online credit house’s website. However, the company that owns this online gambling credit service is registered as follows:

Equinox Credit Services Inc.
750 High Point Road
Port Perry, ON L9L1B3
CA

You may note that we have claimed iBingo is a Costa Rican operation and yet this credit house is situated in Canada. The parent company to iBingo resides in Canada (Ontario to be exact) and they operate through a shell company in Costa Rica. This is a further measure they have taken to protect their identities and to insulate themselves further from being held accountable for any scams they run.

250 Consumers Road
Suite 206
Toronto, ON M2J4V6
CA

However, this parent company also has companies over their heads. Speaking of heads, you may be scratching your own head right now if you are thinking about the exact corporate structure. Rest assured, you are not alone. To simplify, this iBingo site is associated with other scam bingo sites (all of which you can do a search on Google to find out more about the various scams they are or have been involved in). Alternatively, you can look at our unsafe bingo sites section to learn a bit more about the various scams that bingo sites have pulled off in the past or are trying to pull off now. The other unethical “front companies” related to iBingo are as follows:

• Bingo Communications Network
• Bingo Worldwide Limited
• Savinet Enterprises Limited
• BingoVille

Finally, in addition to the unfriendly banking terms already listed above, iBingo has yet another term buried in their deposit and withdrawal terms that let them take your money without cause. The term allows them to refuse a cashout request if you have not deposited in the past thirty days. Additionally, they are allowed to close your account and take your money if you have not played and deposited in the previous 90 days.

Closing iPhone Bingo Scam Remarks

For any one of the above issues, a site would receive an avoid rating from us – let alone a combination of such ridiculous terms. If you see a site like this – it is best to X out of your browser and start over. Do not give them your business.

Scams aside, neither iBingo UK or iBingo Costa Rica are “smart phone friendly”, let alone iPhone friendly. Neither of the two sites offer a bingo app for the iPhone and the UK version of iBingo simply loads too slow to be friendly to mobile play.

To learn more on how to spot and avoid a scam when playing online bingo, read our tips on how to avoid a identify and avoid scamming bingo sites.

iBingo Archived Review

iBingo is an innovative mobile bingo site that was launched in 2011 using the Cozy Games “Super Bingo Network”. Whether playing by mobile phone or by Mac or PC, iBingo has a game for everyone. New players get £15 free to sign up and try iBingo & a 200% bonus for making your very first deposit.

iBingo was only launched in September 2011, so they are one of the newest online bingo sites around. Whilst iBingo was designed for iPhone play, anyone can play at this bingo site whether playing by mobile or via PC.

iBingo are licenced by the Lotteries & Gaming Authority in Malta and operated by Chelbis Co. Limited, who proudly claim they are one of the fastest growing gaming operations companies. They run on the Super Bingo Network via the Cozy Games software platform.

iBingo is quite a functional bingo site and they offer 75 ball, 80 ball and 90 ball bingo games. If you want to play a different type of game, you can also play their scratch card games, take a spin or two on their slots games, or sit down at one of their casino tables. The iBingo casino games include games like blackjack and three card poker.

As well as offering new players a £15 no deposit bingo bonus they also give a 200% welcome deposit bonus and bonuses on each deposit you make after your first one, up to 400% depending on how much you deposit.

Whilst comparing iBingo to the universe of bingo sites, numerous sites rank higher. However, when compared with its proper “peer group” of mobile bingo sites, iBingo is amongst the elite mobile bingo sites on the market today.

Bonuses at iBingo.co.uk

Bonuses are a big deal at iBingo.co.uk. When you first visit the iBingo website, you get a chance to try them with a bunch of free credits. This is smartly followed up by a first deposit bonus that we love, as it is quite sizable and allows for both smaller depositing players and high rollers to benefit greatly. Speaking of benefits, iBingo follows their first bonus up with an unlimited supply of reload bonuses. Their deposit bonuses come in both sticky and real money forms.

Free no deposit bonus

iBingo knows that with so many online bingo sites available for players to choose from they need to do something to entice players to try them, and so offer a £15 free no deposit bonus. This is great as it means players can try out the site without depositing any of their money. To get this sign up bonus, just register an account with iBingo. As part of the registration process, you will receive an email. When you verify your email address, you will receive £10 free. To get the other £5 free bonus, fill in your personal details in the player account area. Activating the bonus is very straightforward process. The bonus money is shipped automatically from iBingo to your player account. Thus, you do not have to contact them and ask for the bonus to be credited to you. With this bonus, you can have a good look around the site and enjoy many games of bingo. This is bonus money so cannot be withdrawn but the offer is designed to let you play bingo and see what you think of their site. If you have not made a cash deposit at iBingo you cannot win any money from promotional bonus credits such as the free no deposit bonus.

First deposit bonus

When you are ready to make a deposit, iBingo will give you a generous 200% first deposit bonus giving you extra money to play with. If you get a nice big win with this money and want to withdraw some of it there are certain conditions you need to fulfil first. You need to wager twice the amount of bonus you received as well as the deposit amount. For example, if you deposited £50 you would receive a first deposit bonus of £100. If you then had a win and wanted to withdraw some or all of your money, you would need to wager a total of £250. This is made up of £50, which is the amount you deposited plus £200, which is your deposit bonus of £100 x 2. To make life easier for you if you’re not sure how much you have wagered and want to check how much of the play through requirements you’ve met you can go to the main lobby, click on the reports tab and then click on the reconcile tab. You just then need to enter the date and time of your deposit. You can also contact the customer support and ask them, either by using the live chat feature or by email.

When it comes to depositing at iBingo you’ll find it a very simple process as they allow you to use Visa, MasterCard, debit cards, EcoCard, UKash, paysafecard, Moneybookers, NETeller, Click2Pay and UseMyBank.

the iBingo Software – Cozy Games

There have been many innovations in the online bingo market over the years. If you played in the early days, you will remember what was available then and how the sites looked compared to the gaming experience you can enjoy today. Mobile gaming is one of the things that has been introduced to satisfy the needs of players who want to play bingo but are often on the move and so not necessarily able to play on a computer. Luckily, with the developments made in mobile phones players are now able to play bingo on their phones. Some sites cater to this and some sites, such as iBingo, were set up with mobile phone players in mind.

Although iBingo was designed to be a bingo site for mobile phone users, you will be pleased to hear that it can be used by anyone, so computer users do not miss out. They use the Cozy Games platform, which offers customized services for online, mobile, and social sites. You can play 90 ball bingo, which is available around the clock with cards from 10p. There is 75 ball bingo available from 5pm – 1am (GMT) with cards available at a very purse friendly 5p and 80 ball bingo available 9am – 1am with cards costing 15p. iBingo understands that even hardened bingo players sometimes want to try their luck on something different. Thus, they host other games on their site that players can choose from, such as scratch cards starting at just 10p, casino games from 1p and slots from 1p. They are licenced by the Lotteries and Gaming Authority in Malta.

Cozy Games was founded in 2005 by a group of people who all had different experience gained from the world of online gaming. They are based in Malta and their vision is to set new standards in gaming and be the standard of gaming excellence. As well as bingo games they have a range of slots, table games, network jackpot games, scratch cards and casino games, making sure that all players who play on their platform have a great variety of games from which to choose. They offer companies a variety of services so sites can choose which package suits them best. They can choose just to have games from Cozy Games, either their own games or branded games from various blue chip gaming content providers, consultancy and project management solutions, application services – which can include the testing and monitoring of gaming applications, and managed services – which can include gaming solutions, business continuity planning, system integration and disaster recovery. They have more than 40 games available on the mobile gaming platform and they have an integrated mobile billing solution, which simply means that players can deposit using their phone billing system, making life even easier for busy players on the move.

Final thoughts on iBingo

iBingo is an incredible bingo site in that there is really something for everyone here. If freebies are your thing, then their no deposit bonus will tickle your fancy. If looking to play online or via mobile, their software is optimised for both mobile & online bingo players. Bonus money is extremely plentiful and the terms regarding the bonuses are amongst the best in the industry. Whilst the bingo games at iBingo do not come at an intense pace, there is still enough bingo & casino games to give even the most serious player their proper fix. We love iBingo and think you will too.