Tombola
Tombola is a UK-based direct-to-consumer online bingo operator founded in 2006, running Britain's biggest bingo site with the largest online bingo community in the UK. Operating under FTSE100 parent Flutter Entertainment since 2022, it serves UK players through an in-house developed gaming platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersSunderland, United Kingdom
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Tombola does
Tombola is a UK-based direct-to-consumer online bingo operator founded in 2006 in Sunderland. The company operates Britain's self-described biggest bingo site and maintains the largest online bingo community in the UK, serving UK-based players seeking online bingo entertainment, exclusive in-house games, and community-led gaming experiences. Tombola differentiates through a commitment to in-house product development, with all bingo games and exclusive titles built internally rather than licensed from third-party providers, and a deliberate focus on low-stake play underpinned by an industry-leading safer gambling ethos.
The core technology is a proprietary, in-house developed gaming platform covering classic bingo formats alongside exclusive games unavailable elsewhere. The company's organizational structure includes dedicated technology functions spanning game engine development, platform engineering, infrastructure, infosec, and product, supported by customer experience and marketing/commercial teams. The company operates from three offices: Sunderland (headquarters, with on-site café and primary operational hub), Gibraltar, and Dublin (international offices supporting marketing and commercial operations). Tombola reaches customers primarily through its tombola.co.uk platform, supplemented by mass-market TV show sponsorships and participation in industry events such as Safer Gambling Week.
Tombola's business model is transaction-based, generating revenue from online bingo stakes and gameplay across its consumer platform. The company is privately held following its acquisition by Flutter Entertainment (Flutter UK & Ireland), a FTSE100 company, in early 2022. Tombola continues to operate independently under the Flutter umbrella alongside sibling brands Paddy Power, Betfair, and Sky Betting & Gaming, benefiting from group-level scale while retaining a distinct brand identity. The company employs 501-1,000 people and serves millions of players weekly under the Flutter portfolio.
Tombola firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tombola
- Legal name
- Tombola
- Website
- https://careers.tombola.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Tombola is a UK-based direct-to-consumer online bingo operator founded in 2006, running Britain's biggest bingo site with the largest online bingo community in the UK. Operating under FTSE100 parent Flutter Entertainment since 2022, it serves UK players through an in-house developed gaming platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tombola industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Bingo Gaming
- NAICS
- Gambling Industries (7132), Other Gambling Industries (713290)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online Bingo Operators (MPAEAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Bingo Content & Game Suppliers (Themes, RNG, Chat/Community Features) (MPAEAGAF), Bingo Network Operators & Aggregators (MPAEAGAD)
Keywords
Where Tombola is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sunderland
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Tombola business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Online Bingo and Gaming: Tombola operates as Britain's biggest bingo site generating revenue through online bingo games and exclusive gaming products. The company serves the largest online bingo community in the UK with a focus on low stake play and safer gambling.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Tombola product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tombola operates Britain's biggest online bingo site, offering classic bingo games and exclusive in-house developed titles to UK players. All products are made in-house under a unique business model, ranging from classic bingo to exclusive games that players cannot find anywhere else. The platform serves the largest online bingo community in the UK with a focus on low stake play and an industry-leading Safer Gambling ethos.
Product overview
Tombola operates as a unified online bingo platform with all products developed in-house. The core offering consists of their online bingo platform, which includes classic bingo games alongside exclusive games that players cannot find elsewhere. The company positions itself as Britain's biggest bingo site with the largest online bingo community in the UK, operating across Europe with a focus on low stake play and responsible gambling.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Online Bingo Platform
Companies that use Tombola
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Tombola technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Tombola partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Tombola competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Bet365: Bet365 is one of the largest UK-licensed online gaming operators with a broad sportsbook, casino, and gaming portfolio. It competes for the same UK recreational player wallet that Tombola targets, with materially larger scale.
- Entain (Ladbrokes/Coral): Entain operates Ladbrokes and Coral, two of the UK's most recognized betting and gaming brands with online bingo and gaming verticals that compete for Tombola's target players.
- Betfair: Betfair is another Flutter UK&I sister brand to Tombola. While primarily a betting exchange, it offers gaming verticals that overlap with Tombola's UK player base through cross-brand promotion.
- William Hill: William Hill, owned by 888 Holdings, is a major UK betting and gaming brand with online gaming offerings that overlap with Tombola's UK online bingo market.
- Paddy Power Bingo: Paddy Power, another Flutter UK&I sister brand, operates an online bingo product. It is an internal portfolio peer with shared group-level resources but competing for UK bingo players.
- Sky Bingo: Sky Bingo is part of Flutter UK&I, Tombola's parent. It operates an online bingo product under the Sky brand, making it an internal portfolio peer with overlapping customer acquisition channels.
Direct peers
- Mecca Bingo: Mecca Bingo, owned by Rank Group, operates online and land-based bingo halls across the UK. It competes head-to-head with Tombola in the UK online bingo category.
- 888 Bingo: 888 Bingo is the bingo vertical of 888 Holdings, offering online bingo to UK and international players. It is a direct competitor in the same product category and shares Tombola's reliance on digital-only distribution.
- Gala Bingo: Gala Bingo is one of the UK's leading online and retail bingo operators, directly competing with Tombola for the same UK online bingo player base with comparable classic bingo and side-game offerings.
- Gamesys (Bally's): Gamesys, acquired by Bally's, operates multiple UK-licensed online bingo and casino brands (Jackpotjoy, Virgin Games). It is a direct competitor in online bingo with comparable product mechanics and player demographics.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Tombola financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tombola leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Tombola funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tombola M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Tombola
What does Tombola do?
Tombola operates Britain's biggest online bingo site, offering classic bingo games and exclusive in-house developed titles to UK players. All products are made in-house under a unique business model, ranging from classic bingo to exclusive games that players cannot find anywhere else. The platform serves the largest online bingo community in the UK with a focus on low stake play and an industry-leading Safer Gambling ethos.
Is Tombola a public or private company?
Tombola is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Tombola founded?
Tombola was founded in 2006. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Tombola based?
Tombola is headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Tombola make money?
One revenue line is on record: online Bingo and Gaming.
Who are Tombola's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Bet365, Entain (Ladbrokes/Coral), Betfair, William Hill, Paddy Power Bingo and Sky Bingo. Direct peers are Mecca Bingo, 888 Bingo, Gala Bingo and Gamesys (Bally's).
Does Tombola have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tombola.
What industry is Tombola in?
Tombola's product category is Online Bingo Gaming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAEAGAB, Online Bingo Operators, with a secondary code of MPAEAGAF, Bingo Content & Game Suppliers (Themes, RNG, Chat/Community Features). Its NAICS code is 7132 and its SIC code is 7990.