There’s a reason why online bingo is one of the most popular forms of online gaming. It’s easy to play, but it’s an intense game! With the promise of fun, excitement, and a strong sense of community, online bingo is a great way to spend an evening.
From free play to real money bingo, we’ll introduce you to the best games, the best bingo sites, and everything else you need to know about online bingo.
Online bingo is the next evolution of the game that started bingo halls. But with brick-and-mortar bingo halls still being popular, how do they compare? Let’s take a look at the 5 Cs: Cost, Convenience, Community, Choice, and Cashing out.
We are very picky with the sites we recommend. In order to be one of our favourites, a bingo site must provide the following:
Bingo sites that make our shortlist need to use state-of-the-art encryption technology and firewalls. That way you know you and your money are kept safe.
We expect a wide range of payment methods from bingo sites. All the sites we recommend offer eWallet, credit card, and numerous other banking methods.
Competition is high, and bonuses often make all the difference. Our favourite bingo sites are those offering a wide range of bonuses. This includes welcome bonuses, and regular promotions for existing customers.
It’s nice to have choice, and we only recommend sites that offer it. Free bingo, tournaments, and multiple variations of bingo games feature at all our recommended sites.
The best sites offer a range of other games for when you take a break from bingo. Slots, scratchcards, and casino games are some of the other games you can play at our favourite bingo sites.
Whether you prefer playing from your desktop, or on the go from your phone, we believe bingo sites should accommodate you. We only recommend sites with excellent mobile platforms.
The social aspect of bingo is important. The best sites offer high quality chat rooms that allow you to make friends and enjoy social bingo play.
Just like free online slots, free bingo is an excellent way to get used to the game before risking any money. But how do free bingo games match up to the real thing?
Playing bingo online is a simple and swift process. Here’s a handy step-by-step guide to get you started:
Pick an online bingo site from our recommended list.
Sign up and make your first deposit using your chosen banking method.
Check out the selection of available bingo rooms. Pick the bingo variation, theme, and ticket price that best suits what you’re looking for.
Buy tickets for your chosen bingo room. Wait for the game to start.
Play the game as you would at a bingo hall. The rules are the same as regular bingo: mark all the numbers on your card that come up in the game. Your aim is to win by hitting a line, a pattern, or a full house.
TIP: For online bingo, we recommend that you set the game to auto. Auto will mark your numbers off for you, so you don’t miss anything.
If you win, celebrate. Your winnings will be credited to your account. Return to step 3 and go again.
There’s no shortage of choice when it comes to bingo games. The most popular, and therefore most common variations at bingo sites, are 75-ball, 80-ball, and 90-ball bingo.
There are two main differences between these variations: the number of balls, and the grid shape. 75-ball is played on a 5x5 grid with the middle square free, whereas 80-ball is played on a full 4x4 grid and 90-ball on a 3x9 with five numbers per row.
Wins are made by filling lines, with the highest prize awarded for a full house (filling the grid).
Less common versions of bingo include 30-ball, 50-ball, pattern bingo, and various themed games, often based on popular TV shows.
Bonuses are available at most, if not all online bingo sites. Bonuses come in a variety of forms, but claiming them follows the same pattern. To claim your bonus, simply click on the bonus or input the relevant code.
The most common form of bingo bonus, welcome bonuses are usually deposit matches. For example, a 100% deposit bonus would see you deposit a certain amount, for example ￡20, and receive an additional ￡20 (or the amount of your deposit) in bonus money.
No deposit bonuses are less common, offering you bonus money before you sign up to a bingo site. This is usually a small amount of bonus money or a few free tickets that allow you to try out the available bingo games before making your first deposit.
These bonuses see an online bingo site returning a percentage of your losses in bonus funds. The percentage changes between sites, but it is normally a small amount of your losses over a set period.
Simply put: refer a friend, get a bonus. These bonuses are normally for around ￡20 in bonus funds.
Social Media Bonuses are amongst the smallest, yet easiest to claim bonuses. You just need to follow the bingo site on certain social media pages, and you will be given some bonus funds to play with.
Many sites will offer special promotions around Christmas and Easter, and some may also provide some bonus funds for your birthday.
The social aspect of bingo is important in bingo halls, and online bingo sites maintain this too. Chat rooms give you a chance to talk to other players. This adds an extra dimension to the bingo, offering a sense of community between players.
Using chat rooms is easy. Each bingo room will have a chat option attached, simply open the chat box and get chatting! But what’s worth noting is that features offered at top online bingo sites may vary. Some chat rooms will let you change the colours of your chat box, while others may even allow you to send virtual gifts to people. This makes the experience a lot more fun and personalised.
But one thing you’ll find common to all chat rooms is the emphasis on etiquette and respect toward other bingo players. Bingo chat rooms are always moderated, either by a chat host or somebody behind the scenes. You are always asked to be courteous and a good sport. After all, everyone in the chat room is there for the same reason: to have fun!
Now we’ve got through the basics, you’re almost ready to take your first foray into the exciting world of online bingo. But before you do, here are a few tips to take with you to make your bingo experience that little bit better.
Be sure that the bingo site you’re using is safe, secure, and licensed by a trusted regulator. All our recommended bingo sites and online casinos tick these boxes and more.
Bingo is probably the politest form of online gambling. It is a friendly game where players chat with each other and lifelong friendships are made. Be aware that etiquette is expected in chat rooms. Be nice to everyone, and they’ll be nice to you.
The more cards you play with, the higher your chance of winning. However, this also means you will lose more money if none of your cards pay off. Pick a sensible amount of cards for your budget.
There is a balance to be found when playing online bingo. While the community aspect is great, the more players in a room, the lower your chances of winning. Pick times where fewer people are playing, and check rooms to see which have the smallest number. Simply put, the fewer people that are playing, the higher your odds.
Even the smallest ticket prices can build up if you buy multiple cards and play multiple games. Always be aware of your budget, and never bet money you can’t afford to lose.
Now you have the knowledge necessary to start your online bingo journey, you’re ready to go. Take this information and check out the best bingo sites. We’ve done the research for you, so you just have to pick your favourite from our list and get playing!
You can find the best bingo sites online on our guide to playing bingo online. These are the sites that offer the best games and bonuses and are 100% safe for you. Not only have we listed the best bingo sites for you, we’ve also included useful hints and tips to follow on your bingo journey.
Yes you can! We offer free play bingo games as well as slots to allow you the chance to practice before you start spending real money. Our selection of online bingo games includes some of the major bingo varieties so you can get used to the options available at bingo sites and figure out what games you’d want to play beforehand.
Online bingo is as safe as the bingo site or casino you are playing at. Check out our list of trusted and reliable casino and bingo sites to make sure you stay safe while playing bingo. We look out for licensed, audited sites with games that are independently tested for fairness. We also make sure that the payments on offer are reputable and safe to use.
Absolutely! Just like with any other gambling game online, if you choose to play bingo for real money, then you can win cash. Real money prizes are awarded in bingo for lines, patterns, and full houses. Sign up with a trustworthy bingo site that offers fast withdrawals so you can get your winnings out quickly.
Though we would happily spend the night at a bingo hall, we think that online bingo is by far the better way to play nowadays. Of course, there are perks to both online and land-based bingo. However, the lower cost, multiple variations, accessibility, and community of online bingo gives it the edge.
Some of the best bingo sites provide no deposit bonuses to get a taste of the games before you deposit any money of your own. With a no deposit bonus, you can play online bingo games and keep any money that you may win. See our list of the best no deposit online casinos for more information.
