The Best Place to Play Online Bingo

The game of bingo can be traced back to 1530s Italy where it originated from the local lottery known as ‘Il Gioco del Lotto d’Italia’. The game later migrated to France and the UK and subsequently soared in popularity. Fast forward to the 1990s and the birth of mainstream internet and to bingo’s digital incarnation. The first online bingo site launched in 1996 and the beloved game has never been easier to pick up and play. Here’s a look at some of the best online bingo games in the UK today, plus rules and popular variations.

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The premise of today’s online bingo is the same as it was in the 16th century – although the bingo balls have been replaced by a random number generator. Players choose a bingo card or set of numbers and race to complete game tickets as quick as possible. The game has evolved over its long life and can vary from country to country. The beauty of online bingo sites is accessibility. There have never before been more variations of bingo available to UK players.

Play Bingo Online for Free – Try Demo Play

If you’ve never played bingo before, or have only ever stamped a card in your local bingo hall, it’s never too late to step into the 21st century. The game is easy to pick up, but for those looking to get in some practice you can demo the games online for nothing. It’s worth messing around with a few different variants to find a game that’s the right fit for you. Once you’ve settled on a formula, snap up a welcome bonus and dive into the real thing.

Bingo Rules and The Best Variants

As bingo travelled around the world over the years several different variations of the game rose in popularity. The main difference is the number of balls and tickets used to play each game. The gameplay remains consistent across all versions though. As the caller announces randomly generated numbers, players mark off matches on their game tickets. A win is announced when a player completes a winning combination. Combinations typically include lines – either left to right or top to bottom across the whole card – or matching every number to achieve a Full House. In some variations of the game prizes are also awarded for matching numbers in all four corners of the game card.

90-Ball Bingo

The mostly commonly played version in the UK and widely recognised as the European standard. Tickets consist of 3 rows and 9 columns with 15 numbers in total. Columns are grouped into decades, 1-10 through to 81-90. There are three successive winning patterns in 90-ball bingo. A single line win is awarded for covering all the numbers in any single row. Covering any two rows grants a double line win, and a Full House top prize is up for grabs for those who can cover all 15 numbers on the game ticket. It is possible for a single player to collect all three prizes during the game, and prize money stacks.

A 90-ball bingo ticket90-Ball Ticket
A 75-ball bingo ticket75-Ball Ticket
An 80-ball bingo ticket80-Ball Ticket
A 30-ball bingo ticket30-Ball Ticket

The card above is your typical 90-ball bingo card. Each player receives one or more bingo cards at the beginning of a game. The cards are offered randomly, but there are also preferred numbers that many players aim to get. Each card has a three-by-nine grid. There are five numbers per line, which gives a total of fifteen numbers on each card.

The bingo caller mixes up a bag containing 90 balls, numbered one to 90. These are then pulled from the bag one-by-one. Each time a ball is pulled, the caller calls out its number. Some bingo sites don’t use live callers. In such cases, the draws are usually automated using certified random number generators (RNG). As the balls are called, you check your card. If the number appears, you mark it on your card.

In some cases, players have lucky charms they use to mark the numbers. However, in online bingo, the numbers are simply crossed off if and when they’re called.

75-Ball Bingo

The general rules in 75-ball bingo are similar to 90-ball bingo, but differ slightly. As well as using 75 balls, the card consists of a five-by-five grid containing numbers between one and 75. Most players generally prefer one or the other format. Although the most popular format remains the 90-ball version.

The dominant version of bingo played in The United States and Canada is 75-ball bingo. The tickets are slightly smaller. A 5 x 5 grid is filled with 24 numbers. The remaining, most central square is left free and does not need to be covered to create a winning line. The great thing about 75-ball bingo is the number of winning lines – there are loads. Online, I have seen up to 96 different winning combinations for these 5 x 5 cards. You don’t have to learn all the combinations to win when playing these online bingo games, the software will automatically dab for you and notify of any winning matches.

Winning at 70-Ball Bingo

A game of bingo is usually played in three steps:

Step 1: Mark off the numbers on one line on your bingo card. The aim is to call out first as soon as you get one line.

Step 2: The same as the first step, but involving a the second line. Again, the player must shout out to notify the room. If there are any ties between players, then the bingo caller must verify who was first to complete their lines.

Step 3: Once the full card is complete, the winning player gets the enviable right to shout out “BINGO!”

80-Ball Bingo

80-ball bingo was made for online. The game is played using a 4 x 4 bingo ticket as players look to cover all 16 numbers. Players can choose the number of balls to be pulled during a game session. Opting for a 35-ball selection will greatly increase the payouts, but reduces the odds of landing a full house. Alternatively, a 55-ball selection provides an excellent chance of a win, but the prizes will be smaller.

30-Ball Bingo

This streamlined version of bingo is played with a mere 30 balls using 3 x 3, 9-number tickets. It’s the perfect game for players who want fast-paced action. Due to the fewer number of balls, games last only a couple of minutes. Modern 30-ball bingo continues to rise in popularity as a result, and more and more operators are getting in on the action.

Flash Fives Bingo

52-5 bingo, or Flash Fives as it’s more commonly known, is an exciting new twist on the classic bingo formula. Unlike traditional European and American bingo, Flash Fives is played with playing cards. Players purchase a ticket containing a hand of five cards. As the caller announces cards from a standard 52-card deck, winning matches are covered with casino chips. Players must match all five cards to win the game. Flash Fives serves up a nice, pacey gameplay option for players who don’t want to hang around and provides a nice aesthetical twist to bingo that will be welcome to seasoned bingo players.

There’s so much out for the bingo fans these days. The game has come a long way from the traditional bingo halls found throughout Europe and North America. For other top casino games, bonus offers and free play slots check out my list of the best online casinos.

The Bingo Caller

The bingo caller mixes up a bag containing 90 balls, numbered one to 90. These are then pulled from the bag one-by-one.

Each time a ball is pulled, the caller calls out its number. Some online bingo sites don’t use live callers. In such cases, the draws are usually automated using certified random number generators (RNG).

As the balls are called, you check your card. If the number appears, you mark it on your card. In some cases, players have lucky charms they use to mark the numbers. However, in online bingo, the numbers are simply crossed off if and when they’re called.

Why Online Bingo Sites Trump the Bingo Hall

The UK’s love affair with bingo is showing no signs of slowing down. Walk into any elderly residential community and you will no doubt find a session scheduled. But bingo is not just for pensioners. Modern bingo has become a big business. Gone are the teddy bears and porcelain vases for winners. Bingo fans today play for cold hard cash, and there’s plenty of it to be won.

The social side of bingo has stuck around too. The best online bingo sites integrate chat features and games to maintain the spirit of the game. It’s popular for groups of friends to gather online, play bingo online and catch up on the gossip. Fortunately, you’ll never miss a ball while engrossed in conversation as bingo online is all automated. Bingo is also a great gateway game into the wonderful world of online casinos. If you fancy getting into other popular table games such as roulette, stick around.

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Bingo Odds and Probabilities

Calculating the odds of winning at Bingo is no simple matter. There are multitude of factors to consider, such as the bingo game format that is being used.

Bingo Cards

There are millions of bingo cards in circulation. When we say this, we talk of cards that do not contain the same number twice. Yet the odds are not dependent on this. Instead, they are a function of the number of cards distributed in a single game. Indeed, in bingo numbers continue to be drawn until a player wins the game.

Number of Players in Bingo

One golden rule to bear in mind is that the fewer players there are taking part in a game of bingo, the fewer cards there are in play. As a result, your chances of winning are better. Although the downside is that the fewer players there are, the lower your potential earnings will be.

How to Win at Bingo

Bingo is a game of chance that is very similar to a game of lottery or Keno. Players have to predict the winning numbers previously checked on a card. Unlike the lottery, however, you don’t get to choose your numbers in bingo. Rather, they’re printed on the cards you purchase. Although bingo remains a pure game of chance, there are a few steps a bingo player can take in an attempt to improve the odds of winning:

Bingo Game Theory

Several researchers and scientists over the centuries have attempted to explain the secret behind bingo theory. Here are the two most popular theories:

Theory of Joseph Granville

According to Joseph Granville, a French mathematician, each bingo game obeys relatively easy mathematical models. It is only necessary to understand the relationship between the winning numbers and the numbers displayed on the panels. All you need do then is choose the right card.

So Granville’s theory goes, the distribution of numbers is uniform. This means that each ball has an equal chance of being called. Therefore in a game of 75-ball bingo, there is a probability of 1/75 that a given ball will be called. Do not forget that the cards have an equal number of odd and even numbers. and numbers ending in zero, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight and nine.

The Theory of Tippet

English statistician Tippet has also studied bingo odds and probabilities closely. He observed the 75 numbers in the table, individually at first and also as a whole.

On this basis, Tippet was able to discover a mathematical law. According to this law, the higher the sample chosen, the closer it will be to the total value. In bingo, the average number is 38. During the course of a bingo game, it is noted that the randomly chosen numbers converge around the average. Therefore it is important that players take this into account when they are choosing their bingo cards.

Bingo Strategies

Bingo is fundamentally a game of chance. To win or to lose depends more on luck than any other factor. But this does not mean that there aren’t methods you can employ to improve your chances of winning. On this page you’ll find explanations of the most common bingo strategies. These that can boost your chances of success, and help you enjoy the game even more. More experienced players will likely know these strategies already, but there’s no harm in a timely reminder! Newcomers to the game of bingo will certainly find the information below very useful.

Some of the advice suggested may appear to be common sense and obvious, but it is nevertheless worth including them in this list.

Here are few strategies that you might find helpful

Use the “Auto-Daub” Function

We know that this option removes much of the fun and talent of playing the game, but using it when it is available in bingo online is the best strategic decision to make. This may adversely affect the pleasure that you will get out of playing, but at least you can be sure of not missing a call.

Play with More Than One Bingo Card at a Time

Playing with several cards at once may seem wasteful, but it is one of the one best way of increasing your chances of winning. Deciding how many bingo cards to play at once depends on three factors:

Experts recommend using four cards per round, but this can change depending on the number of opponents and the total value of the jackpot that you are playing for.

Cards with Different Numbers

When you play with more than one bingo card, we recommend you select bingo cards that offer different numbers. It is logical that if you have the same number on two different cards and it is not called, you are effectively compromising the value of two cards instead of one. A spread of numbers you reduce the risk, keeping you in the game for longer!

Cards with Similar Numbers

Alternatively, you can choose bingo cards that are as close to each other as possible. This tactic is also known as the tactic of number concentration. The idea is that if you choose bingo cards with similar numbers – which is easily achievable when playing bingo – you can double or triple your earnings whenever you have a number!

Choose Bingo Games with Fewer Players

Even if a game with fewer players means smaller prize funds, you have a better chance of winning. It seems obvious, but you will increase your chances of winning if you follow this rule. In order to do so try to play outside of peak hours (such as evening and weekends), when fewer people are online.

Find the Bingo Games with the Largest Jackpot

This strategy is the opposite of the previous one. It is true that by searching for the biggest jackpot and the largest prizes you will end up competing with more players and therefore reduce your overall odds of winning. However it is also true that when you do win, you’ll scoop a larger jackpot!

The ‘Granville’ Technique

There are also a few mathematical techniques that can help you beat the odds. The French mathematician Joseph Granville studied bingo odds using number probability, and developed real strategies that can give a player a small advantage over one that plays solely by luck and based on chance.

The principles of the strategy of Granville are based on an intrinsic link between the winning bingo numbers and the display panel. In a classic game of 75-ball bingo, the likelihood of a given number being drawn is 1/75. Since balls are called at random, it is necessary to take into account the three following aspects:

The ‘Tippet’ Technique

In addition to the Granville technique, a strategy was developed by British mathematician Tippet. This consists of taking the average of the numbers that are called out. For a grid in 75-ball bingo, that number is 38. As the bingo balls are called out, the average of the numbers gets closer each time to this figure. This is another useful strategy to bear in mind when choosing your bingo cards.

History of Bingo

Bingo is one of the world’s oldest games. In this guide, you’ll find a comprehensive overview of this much-loved game’s rich history, covering the following areas:

The Evolution of Bingo Through History

Bingo is regarded as a game with many social benefits. There is no limit to the number of players that can play at once, and it is synonymous with spending an enjoyable moment while playing in the company of other people. Though its precise origins are shrouded in mystery, it is most certainly a very ancient game that has been in existence in one form or another for many centuries.

History of Bingo Games

Roman Origins

It is easily possible that the Romans may have enjoyed a game similar to modern bingo when they weren’t busy racing chariots. Although history shows us that bingo – in its modern form, at least – first originated in Italy during the Sixteenth Century.

Bingo in Italy

Modern bingo evolved from the Italian game ‘lo giuco de lotto’, which later simply became known as ‘beano’. The game was mostly played in villages and marketplaces across Italy. In terms of rules, structure and workings, beano is very similar to modern bingo.

Expansion into the Rest of Europe, and Beyond

Bingo as we know it today was developed in France during the Seventeenth Century. It was a game played by the upper classes and aristocrats. In Germany it also enjoyed considerable popularity. The game was also promoted in Mexico, where the winnings went towards financing the Church.

Bingo in the United States

The game of bingo was finally perfected in 1929 in New York. Toy salesman Edwin S. Lowe is the man credited with perfecting the formula. It’s also at this time that the name ‘bingo’ was used for the game.

The tweaked formula was the result of a collaboration between Lowe and Dr. Carl Leffler, a Professor of Mathematics at Columbia University. Dr Leffler created more than 6,000 bingo grids, based on his extensive knowledge of probability and statistics. Legend has it that this took its toll on Leffler, driving him to the brink of insanity.

How Bingo Has Developed Since

It might not have the profile of such casino games as roulette, poker or blackjack, but bingo is still proving to be a success online. Utilizing the ever-improving interactive technologies the internet offers, bingo operators are able to bring the social experience bingo is renowned for into players’ living room.

It is important to point out that bingo is not a casino game as such, but a game in its own right. For this reason, bingo is offered on separate specialized and dedicated websites.

Modern Bingo

In the modern game of bingo, players are equipped with one or several bingo cards with a certain amount of numbers (15 numbers for the 90-ball bingo game; 24 numbers for the 75-ball variant). The players then pencil out the numbers on their cards as they are called out by the bingo caller, who draws them at random. The main novelty of modern bingo is that more and more players are now playing bingo online rather than in traditional bingo halls.

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The Success of Bingo Online

Bingo is one of the simplest and the most popular games of chance. Now, thanks to the internet, it has experienced a new surge in popularity. Bingo has brought the game to a whole new generation of players. Nowadays, millions of players around the world play bingo online regularly.

The Attraction of Bingo

Bingo is an entertaining game of chance that is easy to pick up, user-friendly and has been played for centuries. One of its main attractions is that it is a very social game to play, both offline and online.

The continued rise of the internet has resulted in a resurgence of this game all over the world. The main online casinos now all offer online bingo to their customers through dedicated websites, as it is not a traditional casino game in itself.

Similarities Between Online and Land-Based Bingo

The friendly, social aspect that is such a core part of the bingo hall experience can also be found online. Live chat facilities – increasingly including video chat – makes it possible to strike up friendships with likeminded people online.

Bingo: A Game for All

The simplicity of bingo’s rules means it’s a very accessible game. This means that the game of bingo can be enjoyed by young and old players alike, and can breakdown the generation gap. Which isn’t something you can say of many games.

Success of Bingo

Despite the economic crisis, bingo remains one of the most dynamic and popular online games around. Although the current crisis we are experiencing has slowed the expansion of the bingo market, as with land-based casinos and online casinos alike, the bingo market is still growing by more than 10% per year, and this is set to continue in the years to come.

Benefits and Advantages

Have you ever played bingo before? If you have, you will you know just how exciting a good game of bingo can be. There are many benefits and advantages to playing bingo as an individual. But there are also benefits for society as well.

Bingo has a huge following in many countries. In the United Kingdom, it first became popular in the Sixties, following on from the success of bingo clubs and halls in the United States. Bingo’s profile has been given a further boost in the last ten years by the rise of bingo.

The Individual Advantages

As many players in the United Kingdom have found, there are plenty of ways for the individual to benefit from playing bingo. There are the obvious ones, such as being able to win money. But there are other benefits as well: amusement, enjoyment, and sociable hobby.

The Benefits for Society

As bingo’s popularity grew, it soon became clear that society as a whole could benefit from it. As well as helping to boost the economy, people were quick to see that it had other benefits it could offer society:

Economic Value

As interest in bingo increased, so it became clear that existing bingo halls could not cope with demands. Cinemas and theatres that had been build after the Second World War but had fallen into disuse were converted into bingo halls. This gave the buildings a new lease of life, which in turn helped boost local economies through regeneration and new job creation. Indeed, it proved to be a source of income for thousands of workers.

Benefits for Certain Social Groups

Online and Land-Based Bingo Community

Even today, bingo halls still play a vital role in their local communities. For the elderly especially, regular trips to the bingo hall are an important part of everyday life:

The stimulation and excitement of winning can also help to rejuvenate and stimulate bingo players, regardless of their age. Studies conducted over many years have helped to prove that bingo is beneficial for the elderly.

Bingo Benefits

As with many forms of gambling, the rise of the internet has had a profound effect on the popularity of bingo. Thanks to bingo games, a whole new generation of players have been introduced to this game’s unique charms.

Online bingo has been at the very forefront of technical innovation. Bingo is now one of the most socially connected forms of online gambling. Thanks to chat rooms and even webcam support, players can communicate with each other, sharing the excitement of playing from the comfort of their own homes. This social aspect of online bingo is something that’s heavily featured in its marketing.

The Difference Between Bingo and Lotto

There are many similarities between them. These similarities are:

The differences are that in the game of lotto, players select the numbers they want to play. In bingo, the cards and the numbers are not chosen by the player. Cards are purchased with existing numbers written on them. The players then select the numbers as they appear, or are called out by the bingo caller.

Conclusion

Although bingo has not necessarily been considered as one of the main online games over the past decade, it has historically been very popular in the UK. It is further gaining in popularity and customer base as more and more online bingo operators enter the market to take advantage of the growing interest among online players.

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Last Updated on 2 Feb 2022 by Mark Podd