Inside SkillOnNet’s New Bingo Strategy

Following PlayOJO’s high-profile migration to the Playtech network, SkillOnNet’s Head of Bingo, Malcolm Farrimond, sits down with Comparasino to discuss massive jackpots, the future of room communities and protecting player value in 2026. 

The UK online bingo landscape is shifting fast. Between tighter UKGC wagering caps and the introduction of the 40% Remote Gaming Duty, players are hyper-focused on value, transparency and finding rooms that actually feel alive. 

SkillOnNet recently made waves by migrating its flagship “Fair Play” giant, PlayOJO, over to the powerhouse Playtech network, while simultaneously launching its fresh Zingo Bingo brand. 

We caught up with Malcolm Farrimond, Head of Bingo at SkillOnNet, to find out exactly what this platform shift means for your bankroll, how they are keeping the vital social side of bingo alive and why simpler promotions are the future of the game.

SkillOnNet has moved PlayOJO from Pragmatic Play to the Playtech bingo network. From a player’s perspective, what are the three biggest changes they’ll notice when they open a bingo room today compared to last year?

SkillOnNet recently migrated PlayOJO from Pragmatic Play to Playtech, and also launched our new Zingo Bingo brand on the Playtech network. In total, we currently operate three bingo sites on Playtech, while fourteen of our SkillOnNet sites continue to run on Pragmatic Play.

PlayOJO Bingo is now powered by Playtech.

Our strategy is not about replacing one experience with another but about offering players a wider choice of bingo styles across the SkillOnNet network. Both providers offer different experiences for players, which allows us to create a broader range of bingo products across our network of bingo and casino sites.

Playtech offers a highly connected shared liquidity model, creating active rooms and strong network participation throughout the day, while Pragmatic Play offers a different style of bingo experience, with a strong focus on innovation, feature variety and modern approaches to traditional bingo mechanics.

For PlayOJO players specifically, the biggest difference they will notice is the shared network experience available through Playtech. Players will also see a broader mix of bingo content, including branded rooms, feature-led games and linked network promotions, creating more variety across the schedule and a stronger sense of community within the rooms.

Playtech is famous for massive, networked bingo games like Deal or No Deal and Age of the Gods. Will SkillOnNet players now have access to these life-changing prize pools across all your brands?

Yes, Playtech’s networked jackpot ecosystem is a major part of the appeal for players, and our bingo sites are now integrated into many of those shared network experiences.

That includes linked bingo jackpots and branded content such as Deal or No Deal bingo and Age of the Gods Bingo, which gives players access to networked prize experiences across the wider Playtech network.

What’s important for us is that these features sit alongside strong day-to-day bingo value, not instead of it. Players still want entertaining sessions, engaging promotions and consistent value across all stake levels

You have very different brands, from the “Fair Play” giant PlayOJO to the quirky PlayJango. How does the bingo experience change between them? Are we looking at different exclusive rooms, or is the “vibe” created through unique promotions?

The underlying network may be shared, but the player experience absolutely differs across our bingo sites.

PlayOJO focuses heavily on transparency, simplicity and fair-value entertainment, while sites like PlayJango lean much more into personality, themed promotions and a more playful tone.

We tailor the experience through CRM, promotional structure, feature campaigns, room schedules and exclusive events. So while players may recognise some familiar network rooms, the overall experience and community feel can still be very different depending on the site.

Bingo is social. In an era of increasing automation, how is SkillOnNet investing in the “human” side of the game, like chat hosts and community prizes, to keep the rooms feeling like a night out?

Bingo has always been about more than just the games themselves – the community aspect is incredibly important.

We continue to invest in chat-led promotions, hosted events, community competitions and interactive feature games that encourage participation beyond simply buying tickets.

At the same time, player behaviour is evolving, especially on mobile, so our approach is about balancing traditional chat engagement with newer forms of interaction, including gamification, live-hosted events and reward-based experiences that work across different player types.

The new UKGC rules have capped bingo wagering at 10x. This is a huge win for players – how is SkillOnNet leaning into this? Are you aiming to go even lower (or to zero) to stay competitive?

Lower wagering requirements are definitely a positive step for transparency and player understanding. In fact, our PlayOJO brand has always operated with a no wagering policy, so the direction of travel from the UKGC aligns closely with the type of player experience we already believe in.

As an operator, our focus is on making promotions feel clear, fair and easy to engage with. Simpler mechanics generally create a better overall experience for players and help build long-term trust with customers.

The market is naturally moving towards more straightforward promotional models, and we expect that trend to continue across both bingo and casino products.

With the 40% Remote Gaming Duty now in effect, many players are worried about “tight” games. Can you reassure bingo players that their Return to Player and payout frequencies remain a priority for SkillOnNet?

Player value remains absolutely critical for us.

Bingo is a highly community-driven product, and long-term retention depends on players feeling they are getting a good entertainment experience, fair prize structures and consistent promotional value.

The reality is that operators across the industry are balancing increased costs, but our strategy remains focused on sustainable player value, strong content and competitive bingo experiences rather than short-term reductions in quality.

Which SkillOnNet brand should a bingo enthusiast sign up for right now to get the best of the new Playtech features, and which brands are next on the list?

PlayOJO is probably the strongest place to experience the new Playtech environment right now, particularly for players looking for a broad mix of network games, promotions and branded content.

That said, we are continuing to expand our bingo offering across additional SkillOnNet bingo sites, with each one tailored slightly differently depending on market and audience.

Our goal is not simply to duplicate the same bingo product everywhere, but to create experiences that suit each site’s identity and player audience.

If I’m a new player joining a SkillOnNet site today, what makes your bingo welcome bundles stand out in a crowded market? Is it about the free tickets, the slot spins or something entirely new?

The bingo market is extremely competitive, so simply offering “more free tickets” is no longer enough on its own. We focus on creating balanced welcome experiences that combine bingo value, cross-product entertainment and ongoing engagement rather than a single one-off bonus.

For example, PlayOJO players can currently receive 50 free spins on their first deposit, alongside 500 bingo ticket rewards when they spend £10 on bingo tickets.

We also continue to evolve our onboarding experience with new player rooms, feature promotions, rewards, missions and personalised offers depending on the site and market.

The aim is to give players variety and flexibility from day one.

Beyond the platform move, what’s one “game-changing” feature SkillOnNet is working on for the second half of 2026 that will make our readers want to keep playing with you?

One area we are particularly excited about is expanding more feature-led and entertainment-driven bingo experiences.

That includes deeper gamification, more integrated promotional journeys and enhanced live bingo events that bring together bingo, rewards and social interaction in a much more connected way.

We see bingo evolving beyond the traditional room format into a broader entertainment product, while still keeping the core community feel that players enjoy.

For a Comparasino reader who is currently undecided on where to play their next game, why is a SkillOnNet-powered site the smartest choice for their bankroll right now?

Choice and variety are probably the biggest strengths of the SkillOnNet bingo network.

We operate a wide range of bingo and casino sites with different personalities and player experiences, all supported by strong platform technology, established promotional capability and access to both Playtech’s highly connected network experience and Pragmatic Play’s innovative and feature-led bingo content.

For players, that means access to large shared communities, competitive promotions, recognised game content and a wide choice of bingo environments depending on the type of experience they enjoy.