So, you’ve heard the buzz surrounding the online bingo industry and wondering what all the fuss is about? Well, the space is now one of the fastest-growing segments of the UK gambling industry, which is remarkable when you consider the misconception that bingo is a game “dying in popularity”.
Although it is true that traditional bingo halls around the country are closing at an exponential rate, no deposit bingo sites UK are seeing record account registrations.
If playing bingo from the comfort of your own home is something that potentially appeals to you – but you don’t quite understand how the process works, then we would suggest reading our comprehensive guide.
We cover absolutely everything that you need to know – such as how online bingo works, what you need to do to get started, whether the industry is safe, the types of games available, how much you can win, and more!
Before we unravel the fundamentals, let’s take a quick look at the origins of bingo, and where the industry stands today.
Bingo History: From Bingo Halls to Online Bingo Sites
Although the specific dates vary from historian-to-historian, the general consensus is that the original roots of bingo first began to grow in 16th-century Italy. Known locally as “Lo Giuoco del Lotto D’Italia”, this lottery-style game had significant similarities to the classic 90-ball bingo game that we know and love today.
Essentially, the original version of the game would distribute bingo cards that had nine vertical rows and three horizontal rows. The pot would be paid to the first player that managed to get all subsequent numbers within a horizontal row.
Fast forward four hundred years and the game became an instant hit in the UK arena when bingo was officially regulated under the then Gambling Act. In response, thousands of traditional bingo halls popped-up around the country, with millions of British players subsequently becoming members.
One of the greatest attractions for players was that the entire end-to-end bingo hall experience was very sociable. Players would normally attend games with friends and family, fully complemented by food and beverages delivered directly to tables. As such, a typical weekend evening would be spent enjoying the thrills and spills of 90-ball bingo.
However, in 2019 and beyond, very few bingo halls are still here to tell their story. With player attendances now at record lows, it remains to be seen just how much longer the traditional bingo hall industry will survive.
With that being said, the industry has since made the transition to the online space. Players can now load up games 24 hours per day without leaving their home, and most bingo sites even allow you to play on your mobile phone or tablet.
With everyday payment methods such as debit/credit cards supported, and significantly larger jackpot prizes on offer – the online bingo space is growing at a rapid pace.
The Basics of Online Bingo
Although a number of alternative variations of bingo are now available in the online space – the classic 90-ball version of the game is still the most popular. If you’ve never played bingo before – or you don’t quite understand the main rules, we’ve broken this down for you.
- 90-Balls: The classic version of the game has a total of 90 balls, ranging from 1-90. All of the balls are placed into a virtual bingo machine, and subsequently drawn one-by-one at random.
- Bingo Cards: In order to play bingo, you must have at least one bingo card. Each bingo card will contain three columns and nine rows. Within each column, your bingo card will contain five numbers and four blank spaces.
- Bingo Pot: In terms of how much you can win in a single game of bingo, this is determined by the pot. In a nutshell, bingo ticket sales go into a pot, which is then distributed to the winning players. For example, if 20 players each purchased one 50p ticket each, then the pot would stand at £10. Much like in the traditional bingo space, online bingo sites will take a small percentage of the pot to cover their costs.
- Random Numbers: Your bingo card will be assigned random numbers, ranging from 1-90. The same two numbers cannot appear on the same individual card. In total, each card consists of 15 individual numbers.
- Drawn Balls: The game will start when the first number is randomly drawn from the bingo machine. If the number that is drawn appears on one of your bingo cards, then you need to mark it with a pen. However – as you’ll be playing online, this is done for you automatically!
- Line: As you start matching more and more numbers, your initial aim is to get a ‘Line’. This is where you are able to match all of the numbers on a single row. When you do – you need to shout ‘BINGO’. However – once again, as you’ll be playing online, the win is automatically registered by the platform. In doing so, you will win the ‘Line Pot’ prize, which is a small proportion of the bingo pot.
- House: Once the line pot has been won, the game continues. This time, you are aiming to get the main prize – which is the ‘House’. In order to win, you’ll need to match all 15 numbers found on a single card. Once you do, you’ll win the remainder of the prize pot!
- Winnings: Once the main house pot has been won, winnings will then be distributed to the two winning players (line and house winners). Once this has been completed, the next game of bingo will commence!
The Bottom Line
In summary, with the online bingo arena now one of the fastest growing sectors in the UK gambling industry, there are now dozens of trusted sites to choose from.
This is great for you as the player, as bingo sites are having to get more and more competitive in what they offer. On the other hand, this can make it difficult to know which bingo site to go with.
However, by following our Beginners Guide To Online Bingo to the ‘t’, you now have the required tools at your disposal to get your online bingo endeavours off on the right foot. Good luck!