How to Play Bingo Online – An Educational Step by Step Guide

The Basics of Playing Bingo 

At bingo halls around the world, bingo is usually played competitively and this can be done online as well. This basic form of the game is all about getting winning lines on a bingo card faster than your fellow competitors. If you fill part of the card fast enough, a big jackpot prize is often handed out as well.  

In every game round, numbers will be randomly called out and those that match your bingo card will be crossed off. As mentioned, your goal is to score winning lines and cross an entire square. In the above image, such a square consists of 5×5 numbers.

To illustrate how competitive bingo is played in more detail, check out the below step-by-step guide.

Step 1. Choose Your Type of Bingo

Competitive bingo often comes in a few different variations, which are similar but with slight modifications. Things that can vary between games include the price of a card, numbers on a card and conditions required to win a prize.

The most common bingo cards either come with numbers ranging from 1 – 75, 1 – 80, or 1 – 90. In some games, all of the numbers within that range are included on the card you purchase, and in some, only a few, randomly selected ones.

You can win prizes by scoring 1 line, 2 lines, 3 lines, 4 lines, and by filling an entire square (also known as a full house). There are also games that pay out a consolation prize for being close to hitting a full house. Sometimes only horizontal lines count for winning, while vertical and diagonal ones also qualify in other games.

Step 2. Purchase Your Bingo Card

Most bingo games allow you to purchase multiple bingo tickets for a higher chance of winning. As you’re playing against other players, the combined ticket price of all purchased tickets is normally what creates the prize pot that can be won. If the game offers a progressive jackpot, part of each purchase will also go to fund it.

Step 3. Enjoy the Game

Once a desired number of bingo cards have been purchased, sit back, relax and enjoy the game play out. If you want to socialise with your competitors, you can do so via a live chat. Here, a game host is always present. All numbers are called out automatically and during the game round you can see how close your fiercest competitors are to grabbing the prizes you’re competing for.

For instance, when someone is close to getting 2 winning lines, this will show. The game goes on until all prizes have been handed out, which normally takes a couple of minutes. A game round usually lasts until an entire square has been crossed out by a player. There are, however, game types where prizes are paid out to several additional full houses as well. Whenever a game ends, this is followed by a summary of it.

Important to note: If two or more players get a winning line at the same time, they will split the prize for that particular line.

Variations of Bingo and How They’re Played

The online gambling industry has given birth to several bingo variations which include: 

• Hexabingo (win up to 1,000 times the stake).
• Virtual bingo (win up to 5,000 times the stake).
• Mega Ball bingo (win up to 1 million times the stake).

How to Play Hexabingo

This game, unique to Unibet, is based on traditional and competitive bingo but works a little bit differently. Each game round only consists of three players and the prizes that can be won are randomly decided. They can be anything from 2 times the entry stake, up to 1,000 times. 

There are only 27 numbers available in Hexabingo and to win, all you have to do is to score a single horizontal line. It’s quite an exciting and fast-paced game.

How to Play Virtual Bingo

Virtual bingo, also known as video bingo, is a type of bingo that is only played virtually against the computer. The experience is quite similar to spinning on a slot machine as game rounds tend to be incredibly fast (within seconds). While different types of virtual bingos exist, most are the same and look like the image below.

Unlike competitive bingo, the bingo cards are small, while the number of ways you can win is greater. You’re not necessarily looking for lines, but to match a certain pattern. It’s not unusual to find over 12 different patterns that can pay out various prizes. Up to 5,000 times the stake can be won.    

Since you’re only competing against the computer, a limited amount of numbers are called out on each game round. In some virtual bingo types, you can purchase extra numbers though, which might be a good idea if you’re close to hitting a huge win.

How to Play Mega Ball Bingo

As a unique bingo variation created by Evolution Gaming, Mega Ball is played in a real studio with a talkative game host over a live stream. It’s a multiplayer game where hundreds of players are participating simultaneously and can talk with each other and the game host through a chat. Everyone is, however, playing for themselves.

You can purchase up to 200 bingo cards, each consisting of 25 numbers. The goal is simple; make as many horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines as possible out of twenty randomly drawn numbers. The more lines, the more you win.  

At the end of each game round, a special Mega Ball is randomly selected. If this ball is part of a winning bingo card, it will multiply your winnings by anything from x5 to x100. This makes it possible to win up to R4 million with just a R4 bet. 

Bingo Terminology

Playing bingo over the internet, there are some terms that you may want to familiarize yourself with:

1TG

A game mode in competitive bingo which indicates that players that are 1 number away from a full house will receive a prize as well.

2TG

Same as 1TG, but here also players that are 2 numbers from a full house receive a prize.

Bingo Ball

Usually what is used to call out the numbers that are to be crossed off on your bingo card.

Bingo Machine

A physical machine that randomly selects bingo balls. This can be found in the Mega Ball game created by Evolution Gaming.

Bingo Bonus

Some kind of offer that gives you an additional value. It can be anything from a free bingo card, to more money on a deposit or a leader-board competition where various prizes can be won.

Full House

When you fill an entire square on a bingo card, this is known as a full house.

Pattern

Common in virtual bingo games, this is a shape that you need to recreate on your bingo card to win a prize. It can be an X-formed shape or V-formed shape, just to mention a few.

Progressive Jackpot

Often an extraordinary large sum of cash that can be won by meeting certain conditions, such as getting a full house within a certain amount of called out numbers. A progressive jackpot constantly grows until it’s won.

Roll-On

A game mode in competitive bingo that pays out prizes for subsequent full houses. Once a player has scored a full house, the game will not end, but continue to pay out prizes to additional players that also fill an entire square.