Tombola Add Game Freeze To Safe Play Tools
Published On 16th February 2021
Keeping players safe and responsible play is at the fore of online gambling. In part this is because of the intervention of The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) who have been working hard to improve online gambling. Rules such as not being able to wager using credit cards and withdrawals once locked in can't be played are now part and parcel of every UK operator's terms. More recently changes have been introduced to remove autoplay from slots and show win/loss amounts during slots sessions.
Tombola, who in our view have always a leader when it comes to responsible gambing, have gone a step further than just the guidelines. Joining a raft of useful tools such as setting deposit limits, stake limits, cooling off and self exclusion is game freeze. This new tool applies to both Tombola and Tombola Arcade and allows you to opt-out of seeing games you don't want to when visiting the site. For example if you enjoy playing Bingo 90 but less keen on Cinco then you could game freeze it. Similarly if you enjoy Bubble at Arcade but don't want to ever play Spin you could opt to freeze the slots.
How To Game Freeze At Tombola
To freeze any game on Tombola or Tombola Arcade you need to choose 'Safe Play' which is linked at the foot of the sites. From there select 'Game Freeze' to locate a list of all the game available. To freeze a game you simply tick the box next to the name of the game and submit. Once you've chosen to freeze a game you will have to wait at least 24 hours before you can unfreeze it. The game will remain frozen - or at least hidden from view - until you return to 'Safe Play' and update your options. Reload the home of either Bingo or Arcade and your chosen game or games should be hidden.
We decided to test Game Freeze by blocking Cinco on the Tombola site. Sure enough after selecting the game the Cinco link disappeared from the homepage. However interestingly if you know the link/url for Cinco - or your browser remembers it - then you can still head to the game lobby. From there you can then enter a Cinco room despite the 'Game Freeze' being chosen. Initially we thouught that this was a glitch in the system but after trying to join a round of Cinco we were unable to purchase tickets for the game. A simple message saying 'Purchase Failed. You Have Frozen This Game" appears at the foot of the screen.
Is It A Good Option?
Whilst this is OK we do wonder why Tombola allow players to reach the purchase ticket sale stage before being notified that they've opted out of the game. In our view it'd be easier to either place notices on lobby pages and/or prevent access to games rather than wait until the player tries to get a ticket. We presume that Tombola don't expect most players who choose the option to know the direct link or to try to access frozen games once that game has been frozen. Even so so we think it makes more sense to keep the door locked rather than let people into games where they may be more tempted to change their options.
Is Game Freeze a good safe play option? Yes and no is our answer. Initially it seems like a good tool which players can utilise so as to avoid certain games. But if you're using the tool to avoid a game that tempts you to wager then you may just end up seeking an alternative to replace it once it's out of view. In many respects Game Freeze is simply a way to create your own Tombola or Tombola Arcade lobby - a 'favourites' page if you like. All tools to encourage responsible play should be welcomed but in our view Tombola have better ones. We think players should consider using cooling off or self exclusion if wagering on a specific game has become an issue.
Related & Recent Articles
- Play The Machine Bingo - 40 Ball Bingo
- Tombola Create A Britain's Biggest Bingo Winner
- Tombola Arcade Launch Super Spins
- New Free Vibes Game Launches At Tombola
- Britain's Biggest Bingo To Take A Summer Break
- Tombola Bingo Review
- Latest News
