The new site opened to primarily UK and Irish players this week.

The new site offers 90 ball bingo along with chat rooms and an excellent selection of side games and great customer service facilities.

The founder of Butler’s Bingo, David Butler said, “We are delighted with the reaction we have had following the opening of Butlers Bingo and the number of exciting bonus and launch promotions we have been able to offer new players. Partnering with Microgaming and the quality of software it offers, means we are able to offer a unique level of service for our players.

“We have plans for global expansion, and the flexibility of Microgaming’s software and bespoke game development, means we look forward to developing the partnership as Butlers Bingo.” he added

Currently online bingo sites in Ireland such as Bingo.ie, Paddy Power Bingo and Bingo Ireland operate in a grey area because legislation on gambling in Ireland was written well before the advent of the Internet. Most gaming companies taking bingo bets from Irish citizens have gaming licences in places such as Alderney, Isle of Man and Gibraltar.

In a statement the Irish Minister for Justice and Law Reform said he expected legislaton to be brought forward shortly following consultation with gambling industry groups about reform of Ireland’s antiquated gambling laws.

He told the Irish Parliament: “The Deputy will be aware from my replies to previous Questions that the consultation phase of the major review of gambling, initiated by me, has drawn to a close. I was pleased that over 70 organisations and groups considered the topic important enough to submit written submissions, and that many followed up those submissions with face-to-face meetings with the review team.

“I have also indicated that I hope to be in a position to seek Government approval of policy proposals for a new gambling architecture in the State, following an evaluation of the material received. The policy proposals, which I would intend to publish, will be based on an examination of the submissions received, as well as the recommendations contained in the Report of the Casino Committee, Regulating Gaming in Ireland, and, of course, consideration of modern gambling regulation. The review team is currently engaged in developing the appropriate proposals for consideration.

“Any new policy aimed at modernising our gambling code must take account of the challenges and threats, but also opportunities, presented by new technologies, particularly the internet. In addition, policy must also be premised on the three important considerations which are the hallmark of most well-regulated gambling codes.

“These are that young people and the vulnerable are protected; that gambling should in all respects be fairly and openly conducted and that gambling is kept free of crime.

“Following the settling of policy in relation to a new gambling architecture for the State, the House can expect the publication of legislative proposals in the normal course. As this will be the first comprehensive review of our gambling law, effectively since the enactment of the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956, it would be reasonable to expect that any new legislation would be complex and comprehensive.”

Many Irish players have had to put up with playing on British sites and playing in pounds, which is fine until it comes to cashing out your winnings.

Bingo.ie claims to have more players than any other Irish bingo site and by the look of it this morning, that claim seems fair. At noon today they had 288 players in their main room.

Next week will see their new Chat Moderation team starting and every CM is actually Irish. So they’ll be able to gossip about all things Irish rather than finding that people haven’t got a clue when they mention who Ronan Collins is.

They are also running a Back to School promotion throughout Setpember in which bingo players can win vouchers for a relaxing Leisure Experience or a Spa near to you. Anyone who deposits at least 25 euros in September and then email support@bingo.ie with the code SEPTBTS01 will be entered into the draw.

Bingo.ie also offers a free euro for players to try out the site and a 100% cash match bonus on their first deposit.

Bingo.ie runs on Virtue Fusion software and is the only Irish-facing site using that award-winning software.

The bingo hall will open at the North Link Retail Park in Dundalk, County Louth.

The bingo club will be owned by Mike Futter and Sean Kelly. Mike Futter is well know in Ireland for operating bingo halls both north and south of the Irish border, mainly under the Star Bingo brand.

Planning permission for a Dundalk bingo hall was applied for in March and the decision came through this week.

Mike Futter is also a well know horse owner and gambler. He reputedly won more than a million backing his Monty’s Pass when it won the Grand National.

Plans have been submitted for a bingo hall at the North Link Business Park by Sean Kelly and Mark Futter. Dundalk Town Council will now consider whether to allow the bingo developers to amalgamate units 3 and 4, Block C, to create one single unit.

Mark Futter is from one of Ireland’s most famous bingo hall families; his father, Mike, is well known in the bingo industry and also once owned the winner of the Grand National.

For those in Dundalk who don’t want to wait until a bingo hall is built, it is possible to play Irish online bingo at Bingo.ie.

Chief executive Patrick Kennedy, who was delivering the company’s 2008 final results, said: “There remain many opportunities which we intend to progress over the next number of years in the UK, Ireland and further afield. Many of these will have the UK as one of, if not the, major market, as has been the case with recent initiatives such as online bingo, financial spread betting and sports risk management. In addition, successful expansion of our existing online, shop and telephone businesses in the UK will be a key driver of future success for Paddy Power.”

It was the only mention of bingo in the final results, which were largely dedicated to the state of the Irish economy and the Irish government’s decision to double taxation on Irish bookmakers, which has hit Paddy Power hard.

Online operations provided the bulk of Paddy Power’s profits, although Paddy Power Bingo’s contribution was not separated out. Online operating profit in 2008 grew 34% to €42.8 million and in the second half of 2008 70% of the group’s operating profit came from the online division.

Paddy Power Bingo is one of the three leading online bingo operators in the Irish market, along with Rehab Bingo and Bingo.ie.

Dublin City Council recently gave permission for the Star Bingo Hall to be knocked down, even though it has been a local landmark for more than 25 years.

Developers plan to turn the site into shops and up to 49 apartments, with the planned buildings up to five stories high. The site is on the corner of Crumlin Road, Kildare Road and St Mary’s Road.

Three separate appeals have been lodged with An Bord Pleanala, by the Crumlin Historical and Preservation Society, Mary Upton TD and local resident Patrick Whelan.

Developers claim that the area will be improved by the new buildings and that locals can turn to online bingo sites like bingo.ie rather than playing in a local bingo hall.

Free play is available from 9am to 4pm every day and 10pm until 9am the next day. All play is in euros and players can buy up to a maximum of six tickets per free game.

There’s not many players on the Bingo.ie site at the moment but the ones who are there seem really friendly and apparently their will be some Chat Moderators joining the site shortly.

Bingo.ie is aimed at Irish online bingo players but anyone in Europe can sign up and play.