Bingo has seen an explosion in the UK in the past few years.

From the popularity of new-style bingo halls to the huge success of bingo in its online form, it seems as though the nation has gone mad for the excitement of the numbers game. BingoPort.co.uk has brought together reviews and rankings of the major players in the bingo world, making it easier to see at a glance which sites are the best. The website is now seeking votes for its 2011 BingoPort.co.uk Player's Choice Awards.

The voting is open until December 31st and the awards ceremony will take place on Friday, January 28th in London. Held in conjunction with the popular iGamingBusiness London Affiliate Conference, the ceremony is set to be incredibly popular with all involved in the industry; this is the third year this awards ceremony has been held and it is likely to be the best yet.

With more bingo websites entering the market every month, gaining a slice of the market has been a challenge for some and setting themselves apart from the competition is even more important. Winning an award at the BingoPort Awards is one way for newcomers to the market to cement their place among the top players. The best new bingo site nominations include Gossip Bingo, Tea and Bingo and Red Bus Bingo.

The votes are placed by the most important people in the sector, the players.

Such awards ceremonies certainly raise the profile of an industry in which gaining new customers can sometimes be difficult, even for those sites which have huge advertising budgets. To that end, bingo sites are now increasingly offering more to their customers by both improving the amounts which can be won and by giving players the opportunity to enter additional competitions. Online bingo sites such as Mecca Bingo and William Hill Bingo are being judged for bingo promotions, which are an important pull for many regular bingo players.

The importance of the social side of bingo is also being rewarded at the ceremony with bingo sites being judged on their social media innovations and their chat and forum options. Innovations such as the Gone Bingo iPhone Bingo option and the 888 Ladies Viral Game are two of the contenders in the social media category.

Other bingo sites are also being praised for their advertising campaigns with the popular Jackpot Joy being nominated for its Barbara Windsor ads and Tombola for its sponsorship of Emmerdale. Furthermore, the number and types of side games available to players is also one of the important draws for players and a number of bingo sites are being judged in this category.

While the importance of all of these categories cannot be underestimated, perhaps the most important award is the Best Overall Bingo Operator prize. With 25 nominees coming from all parts of the online bingo spectrum, the competition is likely to be close. With the votes coming from online bingo players, receiving this award has to be seen as the pinnacle of success for an online bingo site.

To place votes, players are being asked to go to BingoPort.co.uk. While there, those keen on Bingo can take advantage of the range of games on offer and read reviews of their favourite sites.