How to play | Bingo

Why wait for your retirement to play this great game? Brush of those prejudicies and enjoy the fun that is bingo! Young or old, everyone has played bingo at one time or another. It is a favourite pastime activity during camping and it is often organised for older people, as well as at youth clubs. It is a game that excels in simplicity, as the task is to fill up a card with numbers using the numbered balls that come rolling out of the wheel. However, this also lends itself perfectly to the online casino and so bingo is offered in several variants online, where you can play for real money.

Bingo! You just won yourself a good time!

With our Bingo games you are enjoying the excitement of playing this classic game on your phone, ipad, pc or laptop! And thanks to our many bonuses, winning is almost a sure thing!

The basics of bingo

The basics of bingo are actually quite simple. You are given a digital card with a series of numbers on it, randomly generated. This is within the range of numbered balls that are in the system. Time after time, a new number pops up.

Offline, this is done with a spinning hamster ball. Online, it is digitally automated. Although, you also have variants in the live casino, a good example being Mega Ball, which combines bingo and the Lotto concept.

Random numbers pop up sequentially and that is matched with your card. Thus, your card also has numbers on it and every time a number appears that is on your card, it is crossed off. The goal: be the first to get the card full for the top prize.

You play bingo in the game on an individual basis, but there are many more participants in the game. A first prize is obviously not paid out 100 times, but goes to the first one to come. The prize pool may also be divided among several winners. The rules are variable in this respect, so it is wise to always check each game carefully to see how things work.

Different prizes than your childhood

No you probably won’t be winning a new doll, a new hairdryer or tickets to the amusement park, but you will be winning cold cash! Maybe that is what makes it different than when you are your or old after all: the prizes are no joke.

Bingo can be serious business! And you can make it as crazy as you want, playing with a single card, or two or even ten. Just make sure you do not get lost in the numbers!

How traditional bingo works

What is important to know is that bingo is usually played in several rounds. The first thing is to get one row full, then another row and finally the full card.

In that perspective, it works as follows: the card says ‘Bingo’ at the top and under each letter there are random numbers. Below the B, that starts at number 1 and that goes up to a certain number.

This varies, because for a 75-ball bingo game, the highest number under the B is 15. For a game of bingo with more balls, this increases and for a game with fewer balls, it decreases.

Then, under the I, you see another set of numbers, which again is presented randomly according to the game. In the case of bingo with 75 balls, it starts at 16 to a maximum of 30, and so on up to the letter O at the end of ‘Bingo’.

If it is played in rounds, it is indicated in advance which row must be the first to be full. If you succeed, you will receive the prize linked to that row.

The next round you need to fill two rows and finally you need to fill the whole card. Therefore, it’s a matter of waiting to see how the game plays out and hoping that the numbers turn out in your favour, so you get one row, two rows or a full playing card. This also basically means that you can potentially grab three prizes on one bingo card.

Automated process

In offline bingo, you have to constantly keep your attention, because if you miss a number, there could be consequences. For instance, you could miss out on a prize and that’s a shame.

Online, this is one less worry, as the computer will keep track of this for you. This means your bingo card is always filled in one-to-one according to the numbered balls, so you don’t risk missing out on prizes. Equally important, you also don’t risk a fake bingo.

Low stakes bingo

Playing bingo should be very accessible, as the game is by nature far from complicated. Especially since the game is relatively smooth, especially if you play the ‘Speed Bingo’ variant. Thanks to the automated process, the chance of mistakes on the player’s side is virtually nil. This greatly promotes the pace of play.

What it essentially boils down to is that bingo online is set up to be played quickly, making it ideal for a quick in-between game. To keep the entry threshold low, online players often offer bingo cards for the mere sum of €0.05. Incidentally, this can go up to a few euros and the rule is: the higher the price of a bingo card, the higher the potential profit.

An additional advantage is that the process is automated and therefore you are not limited to playing along with one bingo card. You can often purchase many more bingo cards at once and play along on them in one game.

This way you increase your chances of winning. Each card has its own individual cost that you need to take into account however. Last but not least, know that you can play bingo both on desktop and mobile, as it is designed to work on any platform.

How to play bingo?

We can’t imagine there are people that do not know the rules of bingo, but for those rare exemptions we will explain this game so that you have to go through the shame of admitting that you don’ t know bingo.

When playing bingo, you will receive a card with numbers. These go usually from 1 to 99. Now there will be someone, a machine or person, that will spin a wheel with numbers until one falls out. The person calls out that number and if it is on your card, you stamp or scratch it away.

When all the numbers on the card are called and no one in the room has not shouted ‘BINGO’ yet, you win! And if you have a false bingo, you need to sing a song. But don’t worry, that is not on our online bingo games 😉

Online bingo numbers and variants

For each common bingo game – which works purely by numbers – we will briefly go through a number of variants, so that you have more clarity in the distinctions that apply between them. Starting with the smallest variant, which is also called ‘speed bingo’ because of its speed.

Variations on paylines

Nice thing is that bingo is also not limited to a fixed pattern of win lines or a game design. For instance, you can choose to play on a specific payline that deviates from the numbers directly below the letters ‘Bingo’.

Think of a diagonal line or a cross, for example. It can go either way. In its simplicity, this still makes bingo very diverse and the game concept does not change in any other way. It is only hoped that you can fill in the desired pattern as quickly as possible to win a prize.

30 Ball Bingo

The 30-ball bingo game, also known as turbo bingo or speed bingo, is especially interesting for people with little time. This bingo game is played with up to 30 balls.

The bingo card contains 3 rows with 3 columns, a matrix of 9 boxes. In the first row, numbers between 1 and 10 are placed, in the second row numbers between 11 and 20, and finally in the third row numbers between 21 and 30.

You then naturally mark off the total of 9 numbers drawn. Usually, you only win when the card is full, which makes the game nice and fast. Bet you’ve never played bingo so quickly!

50 Ball Bingo

The somewhat larger variant that is logically played with 50 balls. Instead of playing with one bingo card, in many cases you now get several tickets and the numbers are divided between them. Initially, the aim is mostly to get one row complete to claim bingo. Once that is claimed, you play for ‘full house’ and aim for full tickets.

Bingo 75

Originally the standard variant of bingo, where you have 75 balls in play. Bingo 75 is played on a 5-row, 5-column bingo card with 24 numbers. In fact, the middle box on the card is empty. The columns are marked with the letters of BINGO, i.e. B1-15, I16-30 et cetera.

While ticking off the 24 numbers ranging from 1 to 75, the aim is to fill up one row for bingo as quickly as possible. After this, any second row and finally full house. So you win if you tick off one row of numbers in its entirety, if you get two rows full and if you tick off the whole card.

Bingo 75 often follows the traditional concept, or in other words, you play on the numbers that appear under the letters ‘BINGO’.

Bingo 90

This is by far the most popular form of bingo, considering you can find it at almost every provider that has bingo in its range.

You play 90-ball bingo on a card of 3 rows and 9 columns on which you have to tick a total of 15 numbers ranging from 1 to 90 – a maximum of 5 numbers per row. The 90-ball bingo card therefore contains a number of empty boxes.

When playing, you receive several tickets with 15 numbers on them and initially play for a full row of numbers ticked off on one payline. Afterwards for two full rows or win lines and only in the third stage is play for full house again, of course.

In Bingo 90, the tension is built up further, as it can take longer to get bingo.

80-ball bingo game

80-ball bingo game is a mix of the original variants (75 and 90-ball bingo) with a playing card on which 16 numbers must be ticked on a 4 by 4 grid. The nice thing about 80-ball bingo is that this variant is not about ticking off horizontal lines or a full-house (full card).

No, it’s about diagonal, vertical and horizontal lines, the corner numbers, or the middle square of 4 numbers. Because of the many ways you can win, this game still offers a new element – especially for players looking for something different from the traditional variants.

Bingo jackpot

To make the game even more exciting, providers often work with jackpots in the larger bingo variants. This is an extra prize hanging on top of the regular prizes, where you have to deal with an additional target.

This could be, for instance, that you have to have full house before a certain number of balls are dropped. You then grab not only the full house prize, but also the jackpot.

Of course, it is difficult to pull this off and the result is that the jackpot keeps rising in the meantime. Proportionally, the jackpot is also many times more lucrative than full house. But as the chances of hitting it are very slim, it is not advisable to play specifically for the jackpot.

In principle, you don’t have to do anything special to play for the various prizes. Of course, you need to make sure that you play at the time when a particular jackpot is up for grabs. The fixed and the progressive jackpot are always in play, but the escalator jackpots are often linked to certain dates.

Other forms of Bingo

Besides the regular Bingo forms, variations of the game of Bingo have emerged over time. These variants use one or more elements of the bingo game and sometimes add elements of other games.

An example of such a happy game combination is Mega Ball. It is a mix between bingo and Lotto. The game sequence is like bingo but with the difference that a Mega Ball is drawn once every twenty balls. Read more about it on our How to play Mega Ball page .

Different bingo games

Now that we have explained the basics of bingo in a general sense, it is time to go a step deeper. This is because online you can find several bingo variants, which vary in the number of balls.

This is – regardless of the number of balls – a traditional form of bingo. However, the possibilities do not stop there, as all sorts of things are possible online. There are also variants where you play bingo with pictures, for instance. What about HexaBingo, which, like Deal or No Deal Bingo, plays a little differently.

5 Line Bingo – This game is also known as Swedish bingo. Whereas in most bingo games you play in the order of one row, two rows and then full house, in this game you play longer.

This is because it does not automatically switch to full house after two rows, as you also play for three and four rows. So with a grid of 5 by 5, there are plenty of opportunities to reach the five rows and they all pay a prize. At five rows, it’s full house and the game is over.

Picture Bingo – The name actually says it all. Instead of working with numbers, these have now given way to all sorts of pictures.

So, based on the pictures that pop up, it is a matter of getting the bingo row or a full card together as quickly as possible for a chance to win the prizes. Many times, when playing Picture Bingo, you still have a choice of some themes regarding the images you play for.

Flash Fives Bingo – This game combines the bingo concept with a set of playing cards, resulting in one of the more unique bingo games.

This is because the game has all the cards from a deck present, minus the jokers, and you then play for the playing cards on your bingo card. These can of course be the numbered cards, but also a jack, queen and king.

Instead of playing for specific numbers, you now play to fill up your bingo card as quickly as possible based on the playing cards drawn.

Bingo Roulette – This game also via its title somewhat tells you what to expect, and it is available at Tombola, among others.

In this game, bingo is combined with roulette, so the numbers on your bingo card correspond to the numbers on the wheel. Each time, the ball rolls on the wheel and the number where it ends can be crossed off your bingo card. So you depend on where the ball lands per throw and whether you score a quick bingo yes or no based on that.

Hex Bingo – A variant that is very popular and particularly played at Tombola. A fun variant, where when you buy your bingo card, you also choose a colour. With that, you are placed in a team of players of the same colour.

On the one hand, you play for the full house yourself, but also for the colour of your team. The moment the last number falls and it is the colour of your team, you win your bet back. However, if you play all the numbers away, then you win with a full house.

All this in a completely different presentation to regular bingo, as all numbers are presented with hexagons. This makes for a soothing but fun bingo game.

This is obviously a sample of the total range of bingo games on offer. They are all similar, yet each one brings something slightly different, so there is plenty of choice. Ideal if you enjoy playing bingo but are looking for some variety.

Bingo bonuses

Bingo bonuses come in different forms. Some sites first let you get acquainted with playing without paying, while allowing you to keep any winnings.

The welcome bonus is the most effective of all, especially if you also grab a nice bonus at bingo. Another one you often come across is the cashback bonus where you get part of your deposit back. There is also the free spins bonus, which gets you free spins with every deposit. And finally, the no deposit bonus, which lets you play without having to make a deposit.