Many list the sociable atmosphere found in bingo chat communities as one of the main draws of online bingo. Most bingo sites have at least one chat room in which registered members can chat with others while they are playing, helping to recreate yet enhance the social experience of traditional offline bingo.
Chat communities tend to be incredibly friendly and all chat rooms are overseen by CMs (or chat monitors) who are available to welcome new players to the site, answer any questions players may have, monitor the chat and initiate frequent chat room games. CMs help to ensure that the atmosphere in a chat room is a fun, positive one and so can ban players from a chat room if they are behaving inappropriately.
Most bingo sites automatically display the chat room dialogue box on your screen when you sign in, however when a site offers multiple chat rooms, you may have to select one. To participate in a public chat room you simply have to type your message into the white box under the chat log then press ‘enter’ or select the ‘send’ button. Your message will then be displayed for all members to see and respond to.
It is possible to engage other members in private chat. To do this they must be listed in your player contacts and you in theirs, then you then simply invite them to chat. During a private chat, your messages will be displayed in a box which only participating chat members have access to.
Those who participate in bingo chat rooms must adhere to a set of rules of conduct. Although these differ from site to site (see individual terms and conditions), they essentially ban the use of offensive or inappropriate language in the chat room, as well as the use of capital letters in text as these are seen to signify angry shouting and can only be used by CMs to make announcements.
It is also good chat room etiquette to introduce yourself when you enter the chat and correspondingly welcome new players onto the site, as well as notifying the room if you leave your computer, even for just a few minutes. Although it is good chat room manners to congratulate a winning player, it is seen as inappropriate to discuss money, winnings or balances in community chat rooms. Additionally as a safety precaution, you should avoid giving out any of your personal details to other players regardless of how friendly they may seem.
To speed up speech in chat rooms, bingo chat language is often used, this comprises a series of abbreviations and acronyms – see ‘bingo lingo’ for a list of commonly used phrases and their meanings. By familiarising yourself with chat room lingo and adhering to the chat rules of each site, you should be able to contribute to the positive, supportive atmosphere of a bingo chat community, enhancing both your own and other players online bingo experience.
