Privacy Policy

Last Updated: January 2025

Welcome to Instant Bingo. Your privacy is important to us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use our service.

1. Information We Collect

Guest Users (No Account)

If you use Instant Bingo without creating an account, we collect minimal temporary data necessary to operate the game:

• Player Name: The display name you enter when joining a game (stored temporarily in our database or in-memory, removed after 21 days of inactivity)
• Game State: Your bingo board configuration and marked squares (deleted automatically after game removal)
• IP Address & Browser Data: Standard web server logs for security and performance monitoring

We do not collect email addresses, phone numbers, or any other personally identifiable information from guest users.

Registered Users (Optional Account Feature)

If you create an account or subscribe to a premium plan, we collect:

• Email Address: Used for login, account recovery, and subscription management
• Password: Stored securely using industry-standard hashing (bcrypt)
• Payment Information: Processed securely by Stripe (we do not store credit card numbers)
• Subscription Status: Whether you have an active premium subscription

2. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Essential Cookies

We use session cookies and local browser storage (localStorage/sessionStorage) to:

• Remember your player name and game code during active sessions
• Maintain login state for registered users
• Preserve game board state so you can refresh the page without losing progress

These cookies are strictly necessary for the service to function and do not track you across websites.

Third-Party Advertising (Google AdSense)

Important: We use Google AdSense to display advertisements on our site. Google and its partners may use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this site or other websites.

You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting:

• Digital Advertising Alliance Opt-Out Page
• Google Ad Settings
• Google's Advertising Policies

For more information on how Google uses data, please review Google's Privacy Policy.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Operate the Instant Bingo game service (create games, manage players, track winners)
• Process subscriptions and payments (via Stripe)
• Send account-related emails (login confirmations, subscription updates) — no marketing emails
• Monitor and improve site performance and security
• Comply with legal obligations

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We share data only in the following limited circumstances:

• Payment Processing: Your payment details are shared with Stripe to process subscriptions
• Advertising Partners: Google AdSense may collect data via cookies (see Section 2)
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law or to protect our rights
• Service Providers: Hosting, database, and infrastructure partners (Microsoft Azure) — all bound by confidentiality agreements

5. Data Retention

• Guest Game Data: Automatically deleted 21 days after a game becomes inactive
• Account Data: Retained until you request account deletion or 12 months after subscription cancellation
• Server Logs: Retained for 90 days for security and diagnostics

6. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Correction: Update or correct inaccurate information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated data
• Opt-Out: Disable personalized advertising via the links in Section 2

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the form on our About/Contact page.

7. Children's Privacy

Instant Bingo is designed for general audiences and classrooms. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us immediately so we can delete it.

8. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures including:

• HTTPS encryption for all traffic
• Password hashing with bcrypt
• Rate limiting to prevent abuse
• Regular security audits of our Azure-hosted infrastructure

However, no system is 100% secure. Use strong, unique passwords and protect your login credentials.

9. International Users

Instant Bingo is hosted on Microsoft Azure servers in the United States. If you access our service from outside the U.S., your data may be transferred to and stored in the United States. By using our service, you consent to this transfer.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. Continued use of the service after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us via the About/Contact page.