Bingo Rules

Bingo rules might not sound very interesting, but unless you are familiar with bingo rules you won’t find the game as easy to play as it really is. Fortunately, bingo rules aren’t at all complicated, and by the time you have finished reading this page, you’ll understand all you need to know to get started.

Traditionally, in a face-to-face UK Bingo Hall, you would buy six Bingo cards per game, and – as bingo rules specify – all the 90 numbers available would occur at least once on a card. This would help you when marking your cards, as you’d know each number must be on one card. But, you would also have to be quick to check your numbers and tick them off before the next number was called.

Online bingo sites offer the same 90 ball game and/or the American 75 ball pattern bingo game. This uses 75 numbers and a card that has five rows and five columns, giving 25 numbers. The bingo rules at some sites allow the central square to be given as a free square, which means it is already considered as having been marked. The columns are labelled B-I-N-G-O, and the B row has a column of five numbers in the range 1-15, I uses the range 16-30, N uses 31-45, G uses 46-60 and O uses 61-75.

One big advantage of online sites is that they automatically mark your card for you according to standard bingo rules, so you do not need to worry about missing a number or ticking the wrong number. The bingo rules online are much the same as they are for the game played offline:

Bingo rules dictate that you win if your card has the numbers that have been called, arranged in a pre-set pattern (as displayed on the site). This could be a line, full line or house in 90 ball bingo, or a more elaborate pattern such as the letter A in 75 ball games. According to bingo rules, the first player to achieve the pattern is declared the winner, and if two or more players win at the same time, the prize is shared equally between them.

A progressive jackpot is one that is awarded for fulfilling certain criteria in a game. For example, some jackpots pay out if you manage to make a full house in 38 balls or less. If no one wins the progressive in one game, the bingo rules dictate that the jackpot must be carried forward to the next, and so on, until it is won. This allows progressive jackpots to reach staggering levels.

Your account with a site is important and the bingo rules at most sites state that you will not be allowed to play if you are not in credit. Many sites use another site to handle the payment transactions, in fact, the credit card companies make them do this because it ensures that only a few reputable companies get to handle your credit card. The payment company’s name will be displayed on the Bingo site, and when you go to make a deposit. Most of these payment-handlers will make a small fee for the service. If you do not recognise the payment-handling company, choose a different Bingo site.

Bingo is a game of luck, and you can’t change the bingo rules, but you can help yourself by looking at a selection of sites and their jackpot amounts and how much a card costs to play. This enables you to only play games that offer the best value. Jackpots tend to be higher at weekends, for the same initial card price. Bingo rules may also differ slightly from site to site, so look for a bingo rules page at your chosen site before playing.

Many sites have bingo rules that insist you observe proper chat room etiquette when interacting with other players. By all means cry over no wins, but do not gloat over winnings - See Bingo Etiquette.