How to Play Online Bingo

Traditional bingo is the most frequently played type of bingo, usually with 90 balls. One particular variation on traditional bingo is ‘simultaneous’ bingo in which numerous gaming halls are connected to a single networked distribution system itself connected to one designated mechanism responsible for randomly drawing numbers which all halls involved in the game will use at the same time. The rules of play are the same with the difference being in the incredible number of players that can participate in the same game simultaneously.

Together with all the playability of traditional bingo, online bingo offers the additional benefits:

• Players can play from the comfort of their own home with only a smartphone, tablet or computer

• Online bingo can be played for free, without deposit or registration

• The autoplay option allows players to relax and enjoy the game without manually marking off numbers and thereby eliminating the possibility of missing out on winnings because of a momentary lapse in concentration in marking off numbers, which also allows for the following advantage

• Players may concentrate more on online chats with fellow players whilst the autoplay function is engaged as well as paying attention to the chat monitor may even make possible some additional chances to win prizes

Types of Bingo

Other online bingo options include the possibility of playing with cards with 30, 75, 80 or 90 balls. Bingo with 75 balls follows the same rules as those generally associated with 90 ball bingo. The game is played with cards displaying five columns by five lines which permit the permit the appearance of new images to form winning combinations (not only a line or 90 ball bingo), therefore the possibilities of winning a prize are increased.

• Bingo flash, with 15 numbers, a maximum of 9 randomly selected numbers and 3 numbers per card. The price of each card can vary depending on the number of balls that are going to be played

• Bingo with 90 balls, originated in the United Kingdom and is today the most played type of bingo in Australia and Europe. 90 balls are played, the bingo card has 27 squares over 3 rows and 9 columns, each row has five numbered boxes and 4 blank boxes. In this way, each card has a total of 15 numbers. There are six cards with all 90 numbers present shared over the 6 bingo cards randomly

• Bingo with 80 balls, is the most popular form of bingo in online casinos. Each card is a 4x4 square, with a total of 16 numbers per card. Each column is a different colour to make finding numbers easier. The game has five individual cards which display a total of 80 numbers

• Bingo with 75 balls, each card has 25 squares shared over 5 rows and 5 columns, with all squares containing a number with the exception of the centre square which displays a star. This game has 3 individual cards

• Bingo with 30 balls, is a game known as fast bingo for its relative speedy gameplay. The game is played with cards with squares in 3x3 boxes, 3 columns and 3 rows

The ‘Bombo’ - Bingo’s Random Number Generator

Bingo principally needs a device, often a mechanism by which numbers can be randomly selected from all of the numbers that may be drawn in a particular game. It may take the form of a cage with a manual turning handle, a transparent ball with numbered balls inside which spins, or even a ball with air passed through it to jostle and mix the balls before, in whichever device is used, a numbered ball is produced at random. However, today this mechanism is typically formed by two spheres which when joined together form a complete sphere which then turns, jumbling up the the numbered balls within, which themselves are traditionally labeled 1-90, there being 90 balls (occasionally 75 in other versions of the traditional version of the game). In this way, balls can be mixed and produced randomly without the possibility of external interference or manipulation.

The random number generators used when playing bingo at home are often in the form of a cage with a turning handle, whereas professional bingo generally uses an electric motor which makes the sphere spin. One of the most indispensable characteristics of the random numbers generator is the ability to see inside the sphere while the balls are being randomly mixed together and thereby allowing players to trust both the mechanism and the process. The time between one ball being called and the next is brief and so players must pay attention while they are being drawn and not delay in searching through their bingo card, or cards, to mark off numbers that have been drawn before the next ball is drawn.

Bingo Balls

In professional establishments, all bingo balls must be proven and verified to ensure no tampering could have taken place before they are placed into the random numbers generator. When a ball is ejected from this device, it must immediately be displayed in full view of the game’s participants on a purpose made panel and/or screen. Bingo halls are obliged at all times to have a complete new game’s worth of balls, in case of any eventuality or problem with the balls currently in play, for example, if a number is missing, or there is some unexpected variation in weight, shape or size of the balls.

The numbers must have upon their face the number printed upon them, they must be clearly visible and legible. Bingo balls must have been approved by a competent authority. Generally, the game is played with 90 balls, numbered 1 to 90, but there is also the 75 ball variant on the game. Other security measures presented in order to generate transparency and trust include a recount of the balls before and after each game. Should, at any moment, there be a ball missing, or an additional ball, then the game is declared invalid.

There are also regulations regarding how many times a single set of bingo balls can be used, which avoids the use of balls which have been subject to wear and tear which might cause problems, after which the balls must be substituted for a new set.

Bingo Cards

Bingo cards, too, are a big part of Bingo, serving to direct the player and allow the player to directly interact with the game in progress. The bingo card consist of a grid with 9 columns and 3 rows although there are a number of variations of this according to the particular variation of bing.

The player must try to concentrate during the game and mark off each number drawn that also figures on their bingo card in such a way as cannot be rubbed out, and therefore marking off cannot be done with a pencil. There are 15 numbers on each bingo card for this version of bingo.