Bingo’s a game with a long and interesting history. Way before the time that it became popular online, it was first played in the US having been invented in its modern form by a man called Edwin S. Lowe in the 1930s.
It had its heyday in the 1950s and 60s but by the late 80s had fallen out of fashion. But then along came the internet and the reinvention of the game in its online format.
Its simple rules and fast-paced action made it perfect to play on the PC. Then, as smartphones started to take off, it became fully mobile too. Its new-found popularity meant that a huge number of dedicated bingo sites started to spring up. It’s also present in most general casinos like Jackpotjoy which has very extensive range of online bingo games to enjoy.
Types of bingo game
The two main types of bingo game are defined by the number of balls that are used to play the. These are 90-ball and 75-ball bingo. In addition there are many other forms of the game some of which have as few as 30 balls and 30 numbers. As you might expect, these games are designed to be quicker to play than the ones with more numbers involved.
This makes them perfect for anyone wanting to enjoy a quick game that they can dip in and out of whenever they have a spare moment to play. Games also often have different themes to them as well as being placed in different online bingo “rooms”. These might each have a number of different individual games to play.
How to play online bingo
While the basic rules of bingo have never changed there are some obvious adaptations and special features for the online game.
So your first step is going to be to find a bingo site that you want to play on. There are plenty to choose from and, as we’ll se a little later on, most offer bonuses of some kind to encourage new players to sign up.
The signing up process is a simple one and the site in question will lead you through it step by step. You’ll also have the chance to set yourself up with the nickname that will appear on screen when you win or if you’re in one of the chat rooms – again, more about these later.
Most sites have something called a bingo lobby or similar. This is where you’ll find information about the games on offer and how to play them.
To actually play you simply need to buy as many bingo cards as you like, up to the limit for a particular game you’ve chosen and wait for the action to start.
When it does, the game caller will announce the numbers of the randomly-picked ballas which will be automatically marked off on your card
The objective is to be the first to fill in lines vertically or horizontally on your card or, best of all, to fill in the whole card. The size of the prize for doing this will depend on the number of players in a particular game or if it has a set jackpot.
Bonuses and offers
As we’ve already mentioned, there are bonuses aplenty to be claimed when you start playing on an online bingo site. These take several forms.
The most common is to match your initial player’s deposit up to a set level. This effectively doubles the amount that you have to play with. A few sites even give you what’s called a no-deposit bonus – and that means money for nothing.
Because most bingo sites also feature a wide choice of slots games they also give you a set number of free spins on selected ones.
So shop around for the best offers and you’ll be onto a winner already.
Keep it social
A lot of the fun of the old bingo halls came from the social aspect of the game, and this is recreated on online bingo sites too. Virtually all have chat rooms included where you can message fellow players with news, views and even to congratulate them on their wins.
It just adds an extra fun element to the online experience.
PC or mobile, it’s up to you
Although these days more people go online through mobile devices than via PCs it’s entirely up to you which one you choose. With a PC, the larger screen means it can be easier to keep track of things if you have a number of game cards in play. But mobile is more flexible letting you play wherever and whenever you want.
Plus most leading bingo sites also have very good apps that make it easy to enjoy a quick game or two on your phone or tablet.
Introducing Slingo
Go on many online bingo sites and it fairly likely that you’ll also come across a game called Slingo. This is one of the newest innovations in the world of online bingo and it’s a clever combination of a slots game and bingo. The card in this case is a 5×5 grid and the numbers are delivered by spinning reels. Slingo games are also usually themed just like slots which all adds to the fun.
So maybe now’s the time to start exploring some online bingo sites for yourself. Eyes down and get ready to play!
