If you have never played bingo online, we have the ultimate guide for you to get the best out of the experience. In this article, we will look at the history of the game and how it as evolved, and then check out the rules and how to play bingo, before giving you some top tips to get the most out of every game of bingo that you play.
History of Bingo
The game we know as bingo has a longer history than you probably think – the earliest roots of the game came from 16th Century Italy. The Italian Lottery first started being played back in 1530, and it wasn’t long before it spread elsewhere in Europe, including the UK.
When European settlers travelled to the Americas, they brought their favourite games with them – and early versions of bingo became popular sideshows at fairs and carnivals. This is where Edwin S Lowe, a travelling toy salesman from New Yor, first came across the game – at a fair in Jacksonville. He took the idea home and played some games with his friends in 1929. Realising that this was a game that had potential, he packaged it into a box and sold it as a game to play at home called Beano.
Meanwhile, around the same time in the UK, bingo games were being played – but they were called Housey Housey.
Where the name bingo came from is less transparent. Some say it was what one of Lowe’s friends exclaimed when he won in that initial game, while others state it was slang that came from tax collectors finding someone who was evading them.
In the UK, bingo really came to life following the Betting and Gaming Act of 1961, which effectively legalised large cash prizes to be won. Companies like Mecca Bingo and Gala Bingo saw the opportunities that this afforded and began creating bingo halls – offering cash and other prizes for players who could match their numbers to the balls.
While bingo halls might be on the decline, online bingo is only getting more and more popular as technology and innovation grows – now, you can play bingo from home on your computer, or even on the go using an app on your smartphone.
How to Play Bingo Online
In the UK, the most common type of bingo game is 90-ball. As the name suggests, there are 90 balls in play.
To win the game, you need to mark the numbers you have on your ticket off from the balls that are chosen at random. You can usually win if you get one line (all numbers in a horizontal row), two lines, or a full house.
The numbers you must get are on a card, usually 9×3, which has five numbers and four blank spaces per row. To get a line you need 5 numbers, two lines is 10 numbers, and a full house is 15.
Get a winning combination before anyone else that is playing the game and you could get the jackpot.
In online bingo, you can usually buy more than one card (ticket), and the numbers will be automatically marked off for you as you play – giving you more time to chat with other layers (and the opportunity to have multiple cards)
Top Tips
Choose the Right Time
Online bingo games are played throughout the day and night – so you need to choose the best time to play. Look for off peak games, as these are less likely to get busy, giving you a better chance of winning because there are less people to play against.
In most cases, this will be first thing in the morning, during the weekdays when other people are at work, or very late at night.
Choose the Right Game
Not all bingo games are the same, which means that the rules might vary. When you play something like 75-ball bingo, which is popular in the US, you win by creating the predetermined pattern on your game card when marking off your numbers, for example.
You’ll also want to know what the prizes are – some games might be eligible for a progressive jackpot or the daily Super Jackpot, for example.
How Many Tickets?
The more tickets you have for the game, the more chances you have to win – its all about probability. However, you don’t want to blow all your cash on one game, so balance the amount you buy against the amount you could win, and how long you want to play for.
Chat and Socialise
Bingo halls are all about fun with friends, and that has carried over into the online bingo world. You can make use of the chat function to talk to other players, make internet friends, and even chat to the host of the game if you want some help or clarification, for example.
Know Your Limits
Bingo is fun, and you need to know that when it stops being fun, you should stop playing. Know your limits, how long you want to play and how much you want to spend before you start so you can focus on the fun.