Guide to bingo chat room etiquette
In recent years, bingo chat rooms have become one of the most popular features of a bingo site, because these helped to bring back the social element that a lot of players associated with the game and often part of why they played traditional bingo.
Chat rooms mean that players from anywhere can interact with each other and build bonds over their mutual love of online bingo. They are also great for players who are new to the game because they can ask advice from other players who are usually open to sharing their ideas, as well as explaining the rules.
Usually, bingo sites will have a strict policy in place for their chat rooms, which details the kind of behaviour that is unacceptable from players. This is often highlighted in their terms and conditions which can be found on the bingo site. Let’s take a closer look at what kind of etiquette is acceptable in a bingo chat room.
How to interact in a bingo chat room
While for some players (especially new players) interacting with a complete stranger online can seem daunting, for others this comes naturally. There is a lot of fun that you can have in bing chat rooms, especially if there is a group of like-minded people who all have similar views and opinions, while also of course, a passion for playing bingo. Below are some tips to help you engage with people effectively in a bingo chat room.
Be polite
As the saying goes “manners cost nothing”, this should be the basic tip that you apply in a bingo chat room as an absolute minimum. However, trolling people online can happen, however bingo sites have a chat moderator (CM) who monitors all of the conversations that goes on in a bingo chat room. If you do get trolled, the best thing to do is just ignore it and do not let them know that they have affected you. Rest assured that the chat moderator will be dealing with that person within seconds, either by issuing them a warning or disabling their bingo account. Being polite first to another player in the chat room can be a good way to get a conversation going, however, it is always best to avoid talking about controversial topics such as politics or religion. Perhaps ask them how their day is going, how long they have been playing bingo, what they like about it and their favourite games. This would be a great way to establish some common ground quickly.
Avoid shouting
In a bingo chat room, one of the mistakes that beginners in particular, or less tech-savvy players can make is leaving their caps lock on while typing. Most of the time this is not intentional, however, it can be perceived as shouting and can annoy more experienced players. While some might do it on purpose to annoy others, they are dealt with by the chat moderator, however, one of the best things to do is politely ask a person if they can turn off their caps lock when typing and maybe explain the reason why.
Have respect for other players
Essentially, treat other players as you would want to be treated. While this means being kind and polite to people, there are also other things that you can do to endear others as well. In a bingo chat room, humility is a great trait in others that players appreciate which could be demonstrated by congratulating other players when they have won a game.
If you find that you are getting frustrated because you are on a losing streak, the best thing to do is leave the game and have a break, as this could result in you saying something that you do not mean. If you do this even out of frustration, a quick apology might work, however, your future on the site could be at the discretion of the chat moderator.
The use of offensive language, such as swearing, for example, is a big ‘no’ as this is not acceptable in a civilised conversation. Also, there are words that even though perhaps you might not perceive as insulting, other players may do. It is often the case that any use of swear words results in the immediate removal from the site for that player.
Choose the right chat name
While some players think they are clever by choosing a chat name, sometimes these can be construed as childish or even offensive by other people. Often a potentially discriminatory or lewd chat name can result in removal from the site by the chat moderator or at least a request to change the name depending on how distasteful that it is. Some players can be quite creative when it comes to choosing their bingo chat name (even finding some link with the game itself) and as a result, it can attract other players to engage with them.
The Importance of the Bingo Chat Moderator
Without a bingo chat moderator being present, bingo games would be unlikely to function as they should and it could mean that fewer players are attracted to playing, especially if they were being abused or insulted by others all of the time.
A bingo chat moderator helps to give players peace of mind that they are constantly monitoring the conversation to make sure that it stays polite and above board and that they are there to take action if there is any unpleasant behaviour from a player.
They are also important to players because the chat moderator knows all of the rules to the game, which means that they are on hand to receive questions from players who are not sure how to play, or what the rules are. Furthermore, having a chat moderator means that if something goes wrong with the site or during the game, they are on hand to report the problem and keep players informed of what is happening.
What happens if you break the rules in a bingo chat room?
If the breach is an innocent mistake such as that you have accidentally left caps lock on in order to type and you did not realise this, then usually an explanation to other players stating that you didn’t realise followed by an apology will often appease other players and they will usually accept. Because the chat moderator will have been following this conversation, if other players have accepted that this was a mistake, then they will often not take the matter further, unless they reach out to the person to explain what having caps lock on actually means.
Should the matter be more serious, however, such as you have breached the rules in a major way by offending another player and even the chat moderator, then you can expect action to be taken against you. Sometimes, a ban from the site might not be enough depending on what had been said in the chat room. Any kind of discrimination, for example, could lead to legal proceedings against you depending on the seriousness of the language.
What to do if someone else breaches the rules
If you notice that someone else in a bingo chat room has broken the rules the best thing to do is not try and deal with this yourself, regardless of whether you have the best intentions or not. The chances are that it is already being handled by the chat moderator because they are usually fast to respond to any kind of misbehaviour. Should a player offend you, also do not respond to them, as there is a chance that the chat moderator has seen it. They may in some cases even reach out to you to make sure that you are okay and let you know that the player has been removed from the site.
If you do see someone else breaking the rules though, there is nothing to stop you from letting the chat moderator know, however, the chances are that they have already noticed this.
It could be the case though that you might have major concerns about the breach of the rules and what has been said and as a result, you may want to take the matter further. If this is so, then you can get in contact with the bingo site’s customer support team who will look into your complaint. Most bingo site’s have a live chat option, so you can often get in touch quickly.
Take the most from your experience in a bingo chat room
At the end of the day, most players in a bingo room are just there to have fun, meet new people and even maybe to win some money. One of the best things to do though is to try and make the most of building new relationships because for all you know some of the players might have the same things in common as you. Or if you are new to the game, it can be a great opportunity to learn some tips about the game from what could well be some really successful players.