Bingo can trace its roots all the way back to the sixteenth century. Its journey started in Italy, as one of the games in Il Gioco del Lotto d’Italia (the Italian Lottery), and it wasn’t until the eighteenth century that it migrated to other European countries and, eventually, to the UK. Nowadays, bingo is one of the greatest gaming passions in the UK, and bingo sites are constantly popping up and getting better every day.
Let’s go through some basics to help you learn how to play bingo online. We will review the rules of this exciting game and share some valuable tips, as you shouldn’t go out there unprepared. Here’s what online bingo is all about:
The Essentials
To start the adventure and enjoy online bingo games, you need to create an account on at least one of the bingo sites available. As practically all of them feature different versions of bingo, you should decide which one to try out. The most popular bingo variants are 90-ball, 80-ball, and 75-ball bingo.
So how does online bingo work? The game type determines how many numbers you will have on your bingo ticket. Players check off the numbers on their tickets as they are being drawn or called out, and the goal is to be the first one to check off all the numbers. You can choose how many tickets you want to play in each game. The more tickets you have, the bigger your chances of winning.
As bingo involves multiple players, games have to start at a scheduled time. On the other hand, don’t worry about missing out – the greatest thing about playing bingo online is that the games are frequent, and you never have to wait long to join. Online bingo is at your fingertips seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Once you create an account on a site you like, head straight to the bingo lobby, where you can gather helpful information about game rules, banking procedures, and more. The best online bingo sites have dozens of bingo rooms; for example, sites like Buzz Bingo even offer free online bingo games! Of course, there will be many more options that require you to stake some real money.
How to Play Online Bingo
The rules of online bingo are pretty straightforward. When you decide what your preferred game is, you will be given a corresponding virtual card. The cards contain a grid, with rows and lines filled with a series of numbers. The online bingo game starts once the caller begins to draw numbers. Players then check off the numbers of their bingo tickets to get to the prize first.
Depending on the game you choose, you can win the prize by marking off a line or multiple lines on your ticket. If you manage to cross off all the numbers, that is called a full house, and this ends the game. To learn how to win at bingo, you will need some knowledge, a bit of luck, and a few strategy tips we are about to share with you.
As previously mentioned, there are several types of bingo games, and the main ones are:
- 90-ball bingo
- 80-ball bingo
- 75-ball bingo
Ninety-ball bingo is the most popular variant in the UK, while 75-ball bingo takes that title in the US and Canada. Of course, playing online means you can choose whichever form you want, wherever you’re playing from. Online bingo sites also host more “obscure” options, such as 30- or 52-ball games, which you might not be able to find in a brick-and-mortar venue.
90-ball bingo
The best online bingo in the UK is most definitely played in 90-ball rooms. We’ll explain how to play 90-ball bingo, starting from the basics:
- The 90-ball bingo ticket contains three rows and nine columns.
- Each ticket has fifteen numbers marked – five on each line.
- Column one contains numbers from one to nine, column two contains numbers from ten to nineteen, and so forth for the whole ticket.
A game of 90-ball bingo is played in three parts:
1. Players opt for a line, competing to be the first one to complete a horizontal line on their ticket.
2. Phase two is trying to complete two horizontal lines.
3. The final part is what the game is all about and essentially the reason you’re learning how to play bingo online: In this phase, players aim to cross off all the numbers on their ticket and complete a full house.
75-ball bingo
This is the US and Canadian bingo favourite. The rules are similar to the ones 90-ball bingo has, so that shouldn’t be an issue for anyone familiar with that version of the game.
The main difference between 90-ball bingo and 75-ball bingo is the ticket layout. Let’s start learning how to play 75-ball bingo by looking at its ticket:
- The 75-ball ticket is a five-row, five-column matrix.
- Each column is headed by a letter of the word BINGO.
- The B column contains numbers from one to fifteen, the I column follows with numbers from sixteen to thirty, and so on.
- The centre cell of the ticket has no number.
There are three main ways to score in this game and potentially join the biggest bingo winners. You need to do one of the following:
- Get 24 numbers.
- Complete a line (vertical, diagonal, or horizontal).
- Complete a specific pattern. These patterns come in various shapes, and they can be circles, letters, crosses, etc.