New Online Bingo Initiative Launched to Offer Players The Chance to Play for Charity

23-March-2009 - Bingo fans are being given the chance to play for major prize money - and at the same time raise funds for a worthy cause, following the launch of Hope Charity Bingo today. Hope Charity Bingo is a new online gaming initiative that will provide bingo fans with the chance to support and raise much-needed money for charity as they play - as well as enjoying exciting games and competing for major prizes and big guaranteed jackpots. www.hopecharitybingo.co.uk has launched in partnership with seven UK charities - Action Medical Research, Amber, DebRA, Jubilee Sailing Trust, PDSA, Rainbow Trust and St John Ambulance - who will receive 25% of revenue generated from players who have chosen to support them. Each charity has its own specially-created charity bingo site, themed in their brand colours. Upon registering, each player will receive a 100% cash-match bonus on their first deposit - available from as little as £10 or as much as £250. The bonus can be played on bingo and instant win lottery games are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Bingo fans will be able to play some of their favourite games for just 5p, 10p and 25p - including 90 ball bingo with PJP and jumping jackpots, reel and chat games, along with instant win digital lottery games - with new and exciting games and promotions available every month. Prizes on offer include a VW Beetle or £12,000 in prize money and £5,000 guaranteed jackpots, as well as iPod shuffles, Nintendo Wii consoles and weekly cash promotions. Players are also able to interact with the bingo community and fellow charity supporters through online community chat rooms. Bingo will be powered by the Parlay 5 online bingo software. Craig Freeman, CEO of Hope Partnership, the company working with the charities on the development and operation of the initiative, said while charity bingo is not a new concept, no other site offers the chance to play for a such a wide range of worthy charities and have the chance to win such great prizes. “Charity bingo is certainly not ‘bingo on a budget’, particularly given the progressive jackpots available to players. What sets Hope Charity Bingo apart is the fact that so many charities benefit - and players can walk away with some fantastic prizes at the same time. Hope Charity Bingo is proud to be taking a leading role and embarking on such an initiative - not only raising awareness of important issues but at the same time vital funds for some very worthwhile causes.” John Cole, head of marketing, PDSA said: “Charities are realising they cannot rely solely on traditional fundraising techniques in such difficult times and are looking to new ways to reach wider audiences and raise much-needed funds. Hope Charity Bingo offers a new route to reach a far greater audience, and the fact we’ll receive funds from players helping us to continue supporting those in need is a great reason to get involved.” The site will offer a selection of instant win digital lottery games from Rehab Lotteries games, available via technology provider New Media Lottery Services Ltd. Players can sign up via the website www.hopecharitybingo.co.uk or alternatively access the games via the partner charities’ websites. About Hope Charity Bingo Hope Charity Bingo is a new online gaming initiative designed to raise funds for partner charities. The new site gives bingo players the opportunity to support and raise much-needed funds for charity, while at the same time offering easy, fun and exciting games with some amazing prizes. Players will have the opportunity to interact with the bingo community and fellow charity supporters in the form of online community chat rooms, manned by chatroom moderators. The initiative raises money for Hope Charity Bingo by white-labelling a selection of games offered for sale by Republic of Ireland-based Rehab Lotteries. Twenty five per cent of revenue will be donated to players’ chosen charities. Bingo on the site costs as little as 25p per ticket with 5p and 10p games also available. The minimum deposit on Hope Charity Bingo is just £10, with each player receiving a 100% cash-match bonus of up to £250 on their first deposit. Games are made available via technology provider New Media Lottery Services Ltd and the bingo is powered by the Parlay 5 online bingo software. Charity partners Action Medical Research is an independent national charity, relying totally on voluntary support, dedicated to building a healthier future for everyone. www.actionbingo.org The Amber Foundation helps unemployed young people aged 18 to 30 gain the skills, motivation, self-esteem and confidence they need to get into employment or full time education. www.amberbingo.org DebRA is the national charity working on behalf of people in the UK with the genetic skin blistering condition Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). www.debrabingo.co.uk The Jubilee Sailing Trust is a registered charity whose mission is to promote the integration of people of all physical abilities through the challenge and adventure of sailing tall ships on the open sea. www.jstbingo.org.uk PDSA is the UK's leading veterinary charity, caring for more than 350,000 pet patients belonging to people in need. It provides free veterinary treatment to sick and injured animals and promotes responsible pet ownership www.pdsabingo.org.uk Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity provides practical and emotional support to families who have a very sick child. Family Support Workers provide non-medical care in the home, by helping with practical chores and offering an extra pair of hands. Families can also spend quality time together at one of the charity’s respite houses in Surrey and Northumberland, enjoying a much needed break where all the daily practicalities are taken care of. www.rainbowbingo.org St John Ambulance is the nation's leading first aid charity. It believes that everyone who needs it should receive first aid from those around them and that no one should suffer for the lack of trained first aiders. 43,000 volunteers are committed to training, caring and saving lives, helping around 130,000 casualties annually. www.sjabingo.com