The overcrowded, rowdy bingo halls are somewhat ancient relics and are seldom seen these days. Whether it’s bingo on your mobile phone or on a desktop computer, the popularity of online bingo is showing no sign of waning.
Does the convenience of online bingo appeal to you but you’re not sure where to begin? Then reading this beginners guide to online bingo will be a good place for you to start.
This comprehensive guide covers everything from how to choose the bingo besties games, to how to deposit into your first bingo account.
Let’s start by diving into a brief history of bingo, and how it became one of the fastest-growing areas of the UK gambling sector.
Bingo Through the Ages
There has been much debate over the years about the true origin of the game of bingo. Probably the most commonly believed theory is that the game started as an Italian lottery named ‘Lo Giuoco del Lotto D'Italia’.
This Italian lottery looked a lot like the bingo we know today. The game was played using 90 numbers, and players would be given numbered cards. The winning numbers were drawn by the dealer from a big sack.
From Italy, it is believed to have been adopted as ‘le lotto’ by French aristocrats in the late 1770s. It is believed that a young man invented an alternative version of the Italian game soon after.
This Frenchman also used 90 random numbers, but instead had printed numbers on cards and arranged them as 9 vertical rows and 3 horizontal. As the dealer pulled the numbers from the sack, the first player to successfully match a horizontal row won the game and the ‘pot’.
Bingo Halls
Fast forward nearly 440 years and bingo had become so popular that the Gambling Act was introduced. This meant that for the first time in hundreds of years bingo was regulated for players. As a result of this new regulation, bingo halls started appearing all over the country. This was much to the delight of bingo fans, who came in their droves to join in on the fun.
Bingo started out as very much a social event. British bingo players from all over the country would meet with family and friends at the local hall to play 90 ball bingo. Food and drinks were often delivered directly to players’ tables and it was considered very much a typical night out at the time.
Online Bingo Basics
There is a vast amount of bingo variations available to play online. With the traditional 90-ball version remaining one of the most commonly played.
Whilst on the subject of online bingo variants, we have listed the most common terms used in bingo today.
90-Ball Bingo
As we at BingoSites.net noted earlier, 90-ball bingo is still the most popular version of the game. You will see 90 balls in total, each with a number between 1 and 90. All 90 balls are then put in a bingo machine and will be drawn one by one at random.
Just like in a bingo hall, but all virtual - the aim is to match the numbers from your card to the numbers randomly drawn.
Generally speaking, the three ways in which you are able to win 90-ball bingo are ‘full house’, one-line and two-line bingo.
- One Line: All 5 numbers are marked in a column.
- Two Line: All 5 numbers are marked across 2 columns.
- Full House: All 15 numbers are marked on your bingo card.
Bingo Card
An essential element when you’re playing bingo is going to be your ‘bingo card’.
This will be a card with 9 rows and 3 columns. In each column you will see 4 empty squares and 5 numbers. Your bingo card will have specific numbers on each row. You get the idea, each of the 9 rows will have a particular group of numbers from the 90.
Bingo Pots
Ultimately, the money from each bingo ticket sold goes into a bingo pot. So, if 20 players each buy a £1 bingo ticket, the pot for that particular game stands at £20.
However, much like in the old land-based casino space - business is business. As such, the online bingo operator will take a small percentage to cover the costs of the running of the site.
Truly Random Cards
Each bingo card given to players contains random numbers between 1 and 90. You will never see the same number more than once on the same card.
As we said above, each card has 15 numbers, and each number will only ever be shown once.
Drawing the Balls
After being assigned your bingo cards, the game officially begins when the first number is drawn at random.
If the number drawn matches a number on any of your bingo cards, you would normally need to cross it off on your card. When playing online bingo, however - this is usually done for you automatically when they match.
Matching a Line
We explained briefly above that one of the ways in which you can win at bingo is to match a line. By matching up the numbers drawn with a full row of numbers on your bingo card, you win and can enthusiastically shout ‘LINE’!
In a land-based casino, you would be crossing these off with a bingo dabber (or bingo marker). In the case of playing bingo online, your win will be recognised automatically by the bingo platform. At this point, you win what’s referred to as the ‘line pot’. This is a small chunk of the main pot.
Full House
When someone wins the ‘line pot’ mentioned above, the game will continue. The main target now is going to be the big pot.
The pot we are referring to - or the main prize - is the ‘house’. In order to win this, you must first match all of the numbers on your bingo card with those numbers drawn. Once your card is filled and all 15 numbers are matched, then you win whatever is left in the prize pot.
Winners
When the big bingo prize pot has been won, the prize funds are going to be allocated to the house winner and the line winners.
After this course of action has been completed, then the game is over, and another game can begin!
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