New To Bingo ?
New to online bingo? If so, you’ve come to the perfect place to find out how to play, where to play and where you can get the best promotions. Read more below about how to play online bingo. However, if you just want to dive right into it then here are some of our recommended sites for beginners…
So, how is online bingo played?
Well, similar to other online casino games such as video poker or slot machines, Online Bingo operates within a ‘virtual room’ or ‘hall’. This allows players to enjoy another key feature of Online Bingo, and in general online gaming – live interaction between players and being part of a community.
Numbers selected in a game of Online Bingo are randomly generated, unlike the handpicked balls selected in Offline Bingo. Players have the option of selecting certain features which simplify the game. For example, you can use the ‘Auto-daub’ function which will automatically remove or cross out the numbers on your card if and when the numbers are called (although some people claim this takes the fun and skill out of the game). Other features include the ‘Best Card Highlighting and Sorting’ applications which rank the ‘closest to Bingo’ cards of all participating players and appear at the top of a player’s screen.
There are two types of Online Bingo games, 90 ball and 75 ball:
• 90 ball Bingo, played mostly in the UK and other parts of Europe, uses 90 balls and involves a 9×3 grid with 3 horizontal lines and 9 columns. Each of the lines contains 5 numbers meaning 15 grid numbers in total. Numbers 1-10 appear in the first column, 11-20 in the second column, 31-40 in the third column, and so on until the final column which contains numbers 81-90. Players use a ‘dauber’ to mark off numbers that have been called out. Prizes are dictated by the number of lines a player is able to mark off. The first player to mark off one line receives the lowest of all prizes. The player first to mark off two lines will receive the next best prize. And the first player to mark off all three lines (referred to as a ‘Full House’), will receive the top prize.
• 75 ball Bingo, predominantly played in the US, uses 75 balls and involves a 5×5 grid. All squares on the grid are marked with a number, but usually the central square is marked as ‘Free’ which means the player can use this as one of the numbers called out during the game if they don’t already have this amongst the other grid numbers. There is only one prize handed out in 75 ball Bingo, and the winning card is determined by the required grid pattern for that game. For example, if the pattern requires players to mark off numbers that form the letter ‘L’ (first column and bottom line), then the first player to achieve this will be awarded the prize. The required pattern can vary drastically from game to game from simple single line games to far more complicated patterns. Every Online Bingo game has a display board showing the called numbers and the required pattern. In 75 ball Bingo, if the entire grid is marked off, this is called ‘Blackout Bingo,’ with the player winning the progressive jackpot.
If there is more than one winner at any stage of 90 and 75 ball Bingo games, then the prizes are shared equally. Most Online Bingo games give players up to 4 cards/grids.
