Online Bingo

Bingo has made it online and has been making quite a splash in the online gaming industry ever since. Fans from all over the world have begun logging on to any one of the numerous ‘Online Bingo halls‘ popping up on the web and are now enjoying the virtual variety of this traditionally land-based game. Similar to Online Poker and, more recently, Online Backgammon, it’s still unclear just how popular Online Bingo (Know more about online bingo rooms in our upcoming section) may become and if/when it might hit a peak, but initial signs indicate that a major reserve of interest has definitely been tapped!

There are 2 types of bingo that players from around the world can generally choose from: 75-ball and 90-ball games. North America plays 75-ball (5×5 card w/ free space) while the UK and other parts of the world play 90-ball (9×3 card). Both varieties are very popular. Regardless of the pattern to be achieved, the aim of 75-ball always remains the same: mark off the numbers to get the needed pattern. In 90-ball, each card has 3 horizontal lines and nine vertical. Each line has 5 numbers, which means each card then has 15. The 1st column contains numbers 1-10; the 2nd, 11-20; 3rd, 21-30; and so on and so forth up until 81-90 in the 9th column.

A typical game of 90-ball bingo is played in 3 stages: one line, two lines, and Full House. In a one line game, players need to complete a full horizontal line across one card (= 5 numbers marked) whereas a two line game requires, you guessed it: completing any two marked lines horizontally across one card (= 10 numbers). Finally, the “Full House” requires that all of the numbers be marked off (= all 15) just like in a normal 75-ball ‘Cover-all’ game. The prizes increase with each phase so the Full House is, obviously, always the largest prize.

When it comes to choosing an online bingo room, players should consider a few things. Besides ensuring the bingo room is properly licensed and regulated, it is wise to verify that the bingo room guarantees minimum monthly payouts, offers multiple deposit and withdrawal options (along with 24/7 customer service), offers live chat and moderated chat rooms, has a substantial player base providing for a larger selection of tournaments, payouts and a diverse selection of games, and offers real-money betting incentives, such as free cash bonuses and comp points.