There are many misconceptions about online gambling with people assuming the game is not fun or only targeted towards an older audience.
Online bingo is one of the most popular and regularly played games available on computers, smartphones, and tablets. The ease of learning the game, playing when you are commuting or have some time to pass, and social aspects of the game make it a mainstay in most people’s betting rotation.
Whether you are enjoying UK bingo at a bingo hall or on your phone, there are some aspects of the game you may not know about.
Below is an in-depth guide that explains everything you should know about online bingo.
Join a Thriving Community
A lot of people imagine that playing online bingo is only about the game. While that may be the reason that people download a bingo app on their smartphone, they end up sticking around because of the community.
Bingo is very much a community-oriented game, which has been translated excellently to the online game. Even virtual bingo has taken off recently, as it allows people to get a feeling for playing with others without having to congregate in the same place.
Online bingo games are a lot of fun, there are games happening nearly 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and you can connect and chat with people in the game in real-time.
Say you find someone who has similar interests in an online bingo game. You can continue to chat with them within the app outside that game, and you may even exchange information to continue that conversation on another platform. Such a sense of connectivity is hard to find in other online games, especially card games or casino games.
Keep Track of Numbers
A significant issue with regular bingo is that if you are not paying attention, you may miss a number. Say you are engaged in a passionate conversation with someone at your table, and you both do not hear the numbers for one or two turns. That means you are behind the other players and may even have missed out on a bingo.
That cannot happen in online bingo. Most apps or websites that you use to play online bingo will have automatic number trackers. You can see the latest numbers on the screen, and whenever you are focusing on the game, you can add the relevant number to your bingo sheet to see if you are any closer to achieving bingo.
Such a feature gives peace of mind to those who are playing, as they know that they are not going to miss out on a win because they are in a chatroom with a fellow player or distracted by something happening in real life.
Different Variants
Part of the charm of online bingo is that you can try out many versions of the game. There are two popular versions of bingo; one with UK rules and one with USA rules.
When you are playing 90 Ball UK Bingo, you get a ticket with one or more nine by three grids. The way you win depends on how quickly you can fill one line, two lines, or even all three lines with numbers that are being called. If you get all three lines, it is called a full house.
The USA version of the game, which you can also call 75 Ball Bingo, has a ticket with five by five space grids. All the squares will have random numbers, except for a single square in the centre of the ticket. That is a free space that you can count towards your win, provided you get the other four numbers.
You win at USA Bingo if you get a row of numbers in horizontal, vertical, or even diagonal lines.
Calls are Changing
Bingo has a long history of calls being made in a unique and funny way. You may hear phrases such as “two fat ladies, number 88” at a bingo hall, especially in years past.
Such phrases are slowly being taken out of the game because people may find them offensive. There is some pushback against this trend because traditional players of bingo believe that removing that bit of levity and charm from the game would destroy a huge aspect of what makes it fun.
Bingo calls do not come out of a place of offensiveness, as they are all about being silly and whimsical. Some calls may have fallen into the category of being offensive, which is why online bingo games are trying to find the ideal balance between maintaining a tradition and ensuring that no one is upset by a call they read or hear during a game.
Start Slowly
If you are playing online bingo for the first time, start slowly with how much money you bet. Playing high roller games when you have minimal experience of online bingo is a mistake, as you could end up losing a lot of money very quickly.
Instead, play Bingo for Real Money, though only small amounts at the beginning, and then, once you are more confident and comfortable in your skills, graduate to more competitive, high buy-in games.
Why The World Loves Bingo
Everyone has their preferences when it comes to card games, video games, or casino games. Even if people may have another game as their number one choice, bingo is usually close behind.
That is the universal charm of bingo. It may not be the “go-to” game you want to play at game night or at an online casino, but it is an enthralling experience nonetheless.
There are a few differences between online bingo and regular bingo, as you don’t have the same sense of excitement from other people being in the same room, waiting for the next ball to drop. Online bingo is, however, extremely popular for a reason. The game is a lot of fun to play, easy to learn, and playable on any modern device.