Bingo was once described to me as "Community Lotto" which is a pretty good way to sum it up.

The game of Bingo itself is a very simple lottery but with a strong community built around it which makes it one of the most fun and addictive gambling pass-times for people of all ages.

Once seen as a game limited to seniors, Bingo has really hit the mainstream in recent times and with the advent of online bingo gaming, it's appeal can only continue to grow.

Firstly, it is important to note that bingo rules, payout and play can vary from site to site and therefore it's always best to familiarizes yourself with the rules of play on each site before playing.

These are usually easy to find on each respective site and under the heading Bingo Rules or How to Play.

On the whole, there are two main versions of bingo: The American version uses 75 balls and a 5x5 card. The UK version (used on sites which we recommend) uses 90 balls and a 9x3 card.

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This bingo rules section will concentrate on the UK rules of bingo only.

So, at the start of each game every player is given a card with a grid of numbers printed on it.

Players 'tick off' each number as it's called by placing a large dot over that number and try to win by being the first person to 'tick off' all their numbers on one card.

In 90 ball bingo a card consists of three rows and nine columns with five squares in each row containing numbers 1 to 90 while the rest
are blank.

It is normally possible to buy a maximum of 48 cards at once (but this varies depending on the site). On each card there are three winning patterns.

These patterns are: One line, two lines and full house.

Random numbers between one and ninety are chosen and shown on screen. Players cross off each number as it appears and the first player to 'tick off' all the numbers in one horizontal line wins a prize.

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Winning One Line Bingo Card

 

Play then carries on until one player has 'ticked off' all the numbers on two lines of their card.

Winning Two Line Bingo Card

Play continues again until a player has 'ticked off' all the numbers contained on one of their cards. They then win the prize for full house.

Winning Full House Bingo Card

The prizes for one line, two lines and full house increase in value consecutively.

Winning a line at bingo usually means you have won the money which you paid for your tickets back whereas winning a full house will normally mean a nice tidy profit!

Please note it is best to play at least six tickets at once. This is known as a "dab all" and means that your set of six tickets contains every possible
number from one to ninety.

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