The growing popularity of online gaming especially bingo was once again shown to the greater public last night when a new online gaming company secured £200,000 of investment on the BBC’s Dragon’s Den programme.

The site ‘gaming alerts’ founded by Emmie and Ed Stevens supplies members with up to date news/alerts on sports betting, online casino offers etc. to their pcs and the partners estimate it will gross millions over the coming years. In fact so sure are the couple that their company will succeed they say it will bring in £3 million net in three years time.

Though four of the five dragons believed the company would play second fiddle to another existing business being successfully run by the Stevens, millionaire Theo Paphitis decided to negotiate and ended up with a holding of 30% for £200,000.

Initially the Stevens wanted to part with just 10 % for £200,000.

Interestingly Paphitis’ declared that his wife plays online bingo daily and was not surprised to hear that annually 2 million Britons play on sites such as foxybingo.com

The former Millwall football club Chairman has made his personal fortune (estimated to be somewhere in the region of £150 million) from insurance, property sales and business turnarounds.

After flippantly scorning the business idea fellow Dragon Duncan Bannatyne, who ironically owns casinos, was brought down to earth when Emmie Stevens informed him that the amount of people actively taking part in online bingo chat rooms in the UK is massive.

Already other online sites have been questioning the potential of gaming alerts however with many stating that it’s projected financial targets are simply unrealistic.

Those in the industry believe the service is replicated elsewhere and is therefore not unique.

But now with a massive profile from appearing on the Dragon’s Den, £200,000 in backing in the bank and the expertise of Theo Paphitis on hand who could bet against Emmie and Ed Stevens expanding and developing their company so it becomes the great success they say it will be?

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