Bingo in Online Casinos

The days when Bingo was a pastime of old people gathered in Bingo halls are gone. With the advent of online casinos, bingo has become one of the most-popular lottery-type games. It is played by 20% of Americans. It comes in a few versions (30-ball Bingo, 75-ball American Bingo, 80-ball Bingo, 90-ball U.K. bingo, etc.) and just as many in-game types: multiple-row Bingo, letter Bingo, full-house Bingo, frame Bingo, and four corners Bingo. With all that flexibility, you are all set to pick the type of game that favors you, and if you hesitate, you can try it in the demo mode with no strings attached.

How to Pick the Best Bingo Casinos Online

There’s a no shorter and safer path to your casino with a bingo online game than the path we’ve paved for you, but we understand that you might want to do your own research. If so, here are the three most important criteria for selecting your online free Bingo casino:

• Licenses & security certificates. You want your gaming to be safe first, don’t you? If so, pick a casino licensed by the U.K. Gaming Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, and credible licensers. Then, make sure that the fairness of the outcomes of the gaming sessions can be verified (Provably Fair casinos), or at least that the casino’s RNGs (random number generators) were tested by eCOGRA.
• Gaming library. Even if you’re looking for a specific Bingo game, over time, you might get interested in trying other Bingo variations or other games, which is why it’s only wise to make sure your casino provides enough room for choice.
• Bonuses. Most casinos offer bonuses, but what makes a difference is the wagering requirements (the lower, the better) and other limitations applied to the offered bonus. Peruse your casino’s bonus terms & conditions page to ensure the bonus is worth it.

Online Bingo Rules

Luckily for new players, even though there are about a dozen Bingo variations, they all are subject to the core rules of the game, which are quite simple. First, you purchase a bingo card or a few cards if you want higher winning odds (you can even buy a full strip if you have to have all 80 numbers in play). A typical bingo card is a 5×5 card with 24 numbers and an empty cell in the center (the cell is empty so that no number can be higher than the other numbers). Most bingo cards have numbers 1 to 15 written under the ‘B’ letter, 16 to 30 under me, 31 to 45 under N, and so on, but there are also other layouts depending on the game version.

Once you’ve got your bingo card, the game starts. In land-based bingo, the bingo caller calls out numbers one by one, and you have to mark off your card to cross the vertical, horizontal, or diagonal line first among all the participants and thus win the game. In electronic bingo, the numbers are drawn automatically based on the work of the RNG, and you can choose the matched numbers to be marked automatically, but the game’s goal is the same. A detailed bingo guide here.

Types of Online Bingo

• 30-ball Bingo. Also known as a ‘speed Bingo,’ 30-ball Bingo has the smallest 3×3 card of 9 squares. As the title suggests, only 30 balls are drawn, and most casinos call it a win if you mark off each and every square of yours (that is, score 9 out of 9).
• 75-ball Bingo. Classic Bingo is popular at online bingo casinos in the U.S. It is played with a standard 5×5 card with an empty center cell. The winner is the first to mark off a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line, or it may be a predetermined pattern (letters, four corners, full house, etc.).
• 80-ball Bingo. An 80-ball Bingo ticket contains 4 rows, 4 columns, and 16 numbers. Depending on the game type, the winner is the one to mark off a line, a column, or a full house.
• 90-ball Bingo. Most popular in Europe, New Zealand, and Australia, 90-ball Bingo is also known as the U.K. Bingo, and it has a different 3×9 (three rows and nine columns) card layout. Each row has four black spaces and five numbers, and the winner is the player that scored one line, two lines, or a full house, depending on the rules of the particular 90-ball Bingo game.

Online Bingo Glossary

It’s quite a challenge to master all the lingo, but you only need a few key terms to start playing, and then you can grasp the rest.

• Any way – a bingo game that can be won by completing a pattern in any direction.
• Admission pack – the minimum number of cards (usually from three to six) that you must purchase to be allowed to play.
• Auto Daub – a feature in an electronic bingo, which marks off your numbers automatically.
• Blackout (Coverall, Full House) – a bingo game in which all the numbers on the card must be matched to win.
• Cash ball – a progressive jackpot in Bingo.
• CH (chat host) – many online casinos allow Bingo players to interact via chats, which are moderated by chat hosts.
• Dauber – a marker used to cross off numbers in Bingo.
• Fair and Square – a Bingo game with all participants having an equal number of tickets.
• Free space – an empty middle square of the Bingo card; usually has to do with 75-ball Bingo.
• Wrap-up – the last game before the end of the Bingo session.

At first glance, there’s nothing special about playing Bingo – just buy your cards, be fast with daubing your numbers, and be lucky enough to win. And though there’s some truth to that – after all, you cannot affect the game’s outcome once you’ve bought your tickets – a lot can change at the stage of choosing the game. In addition to the different versions of bingo (90-ball bingo, 80-ball Bingo, 75-ball Bingo, 30-ball Bingo), there are at least a few other conditions that may or not apply. You may need to cross a few rows, a letter, or daub four corners of your Bingo ticket to win – it’s all about the imagination of your bingo online casino and your desires.

How to Play Bingo Online for Real Cash

The answer to the ‘how to play bingo’ type of question may seem simple, but there are a few nuances to pay attention to:

1. Choose your online casino. Whether you like it or not, you cannot proceed further until you’ve chosen a reliable casino. You may not want to do your own research, so we’ve prepared a list of top-notch Bingo casinos for you. Scroll up the page to see what we’ve got.
2. Choose your Bingo game. Among numerous free bingo games online and ticket types, choose the one you’re good at, especially if you’re going to play for real money. The selection of games is vast, so it may take a few tries (make sure to play for free at this stage) to realize what you really want.
3. Join the queue. Now that you know the game you want to play, join the queue, and wait for the game to start. Depending on your position in the queue, you may be invited instantly for the next Bingo game or may need to wait your turn.
4. Buy tickets. Once you’re in the game, purchase as many tickets as you want (there are limitations, though).
5. Daub the numbers and call out ‘Bingo’ the very instant you’ve formed the winning pattern!

Bingo Betting Options

The game of Bingo is different from most other games in that. Usually, you cannot increase the bet itself (like in slots and most table games) but can only purchase more tickets, thereby increasing your winning odds. There are countless combinations in Bingo, and, of course, you cannot buy all tickets with all possible combinations, but you can buy a full strip of cards and thus get all numbers on them, making sure every called number will be marked off in at least one of your cards.

Another betting advice is to vary the winning odds by joining less and more crowded bingo rooms. If you compete with only a few other players, your winning odds will be boosted, though the prize pool will be smaller. And vice versa: if you’re looking for the most significant ROI (return on investment), look for the most crowded bingo hall and enter the game with only a single ticket.

Last but not least, consider that the more balls are used in Bingo, the longer the game goes. While some players are good at speed Bingo (30-ball Bingo), others find themselves comfortable with the slowest 90-ball Bingo, and some punters love classic 75-ball Bingo. Also, remember that different Bingo variations use different card layouts: 30-ball Bingo uses 3×3 cards; 75-ball Bingo – uses 5×5 cards; 80-ball Bingo – uses 4×4 cards; 90-ball Bingo – uses 3×9 cards.

Online Bingo Strategies

You can find some unproven theories on the web, the most popular among which was put forward by L. H. C. Tippett. According to the British statistician, in 75-ball Bingo, the more numbers are called, the greater the chance for them to be close to the median number of 38. Therefore, if you were to act according to this theory, you would want to select cards with numbers close to 38 for a long bingo game and numbers close to 1 and 75 for short plays. And now, you might think it’s impossible to determine a game’s longitude, but it depends on the winning pattern: the more complex the way, the greater the chance the game will take longer. For example, a winning condition of forming a W letter will likely grant a longer game than the one where you should mark off horizontal or vertical lines.

Other than that, no proven strategies can guarantee a win at Bingo or at least give you an edge over other players. But that, of course, applies to all games of chance. However, choosing between different games, patterns, and gaming rooms can still affect your Bingo odds. And it goes without saying that you can play as many Bingo games for free as you want and for as long as you want until you find out which one works best for you.

Tips for Playing Bingo

• Choose a reliable casino. We can’t reiterate that enough: you must choose a trustworthy online casino with bingo unless you want to have problems down the road. At the very least, the casino should be licensed in a credible jurisdiction (U.K. Gaming Commission, Malta Gaming Authority, etc.) and verified by reputable testing and player protection agency like eCOGRA.
• Look for bonuses. If you’re going to play for real money, then it’s only wise to make the most out of every cent deposited. Most welcome bonuses require a real-money deposit(s), but it may also happen that your casino offers a no-deposit bonus. If so, grab it immediately and try to turn it into cash.
• Try out different Bingo games to find out what you like. Try at least a few different versions of the game before you’ve settled in. Remember, you have unlimited virtual credits to play with, so you can try out literally all existing Bingo games without spending a dime. You might also be interested in Live Bingo games, which offer you the same experience as if you’re playing in a land-based bingo hall.
• Choose between crowded and less crowded bingo rooms. Both options are fine, but you can jump from one to another to change your winning odds and the potential prize’s size.