The world of online bingo continues to establish itself as one of the most popular gambling games available. Countries with a history of traditional bingo were the first to adopt the digital adaptation but the internet has helped it gain enthusiasts in international markets far and wide.
Bingo in the UK
Bingo and the UK share a long historic relationship and some may say it is fundamentally part of their culture.
The well-loved domestic seaside holidays of post war Britain is where bingo began to really make its mark. Due to a loophole in gambling laws, bingo could operate freely whereas casinos were increasingly regulated.
Following a turbulent period during the 90s where it seemed the future of the game was in serious doubt, bingo experienced an unprecedented resurgence, due, in equal parts, to a major rebrand and the emergence of the internet. Prior to this, regular bingo-goers were fast becoming an elderly demographic, but a national advertising campaign reframed the game as a fun night out for young adults and the rest is history.
Nowadays, over 3.5 million Britons are regular bingo players both online and at the various bingo halls throughout the country (source). The vast majority of which enjoy the convenience and accessibility of the many bingo sites and apps available on their laptops and smart devices.
Why is bingo so well loved?
The digital era has provided anyone with an internet connection the potential to play bingo games whenever and wherever they please. Mobile data networks have continued to proliferate far beyond cities to remote parts of the world, and combined with unlimited data plans, puts many hundreds of thousands of apps in the palms of the majority of the planet’s population.
Many other traditional casino games have steadily established a reputation of seriousness and exist in a domain dominated by masculinity. Bingo has managed to succeed where other casino games have not by bringing a welcome breath of light-heartedness to the gambling world by not taking itself too seriously.
For the same reason bingo is one of the few gambling pastimes where female participants often outnumber males. This is evident by the quantity of bingo sites specifically aimed at women.
Bingo benefits from being extremely simple and easy to pick up with a high replayability factor. Some variants of bingo are quick fire while others require longer play times and more concentration – there’s something for everyone.
Online apps and sites, and even some bingo venues now provide the technology for players to autofill their cards as the numbers are called out, ensuring they never miss a win. The spread of gaming apps has summoned the new genre of casual gaming to the fore.
Casual games, personified by some of the most popular mobile titles – Angry Birds, Candy Crush Saga and Fruit Ninja – are games with shallow learning curves that require very short gaming times and are targeted at mass audiences. As it happens, bingo fits this description particularly well and has hence successfully transitioned to the huge Apple and Google app store markets.
The best bingo games
Even though bingo is a game that dates back almost five hundred years, modern providers are keen to experiment with clever new twists to keep their customers intrigued. As a result, there are many forms of bingo for players with different preferences.
- 90 ball bingo
Perhaps the most traditional bingo, especially in Britain, says Mirror. 90 balls, each with their own nickname are drawn at random and players endeavour to fill numbers on their card or cards.
90 ball cards consist of three rows of nine squares but with only 15 of those squares containing numbers to daub. Winners are the first to complete a single line, then two lines and finally a full-house. This is a classic!
- 75 ball bingo
A relative newcomer to the world of bingo but already amassing its enthusiasts, 75 ball bingo is a fast-paced bingo variant that is popular in the USA. 75 ball cards comprise a 5×5 square with the centre square given for free.
That makes 24 random numbers to fill which is why it is sometimes referred to as 75-24. What makes 75 ball especially fun is that winners are the first to achieve a predetermined pattern. It could be a full house, but it could also be a heart, a smiley face, a square or even a sailing ship – your provider will give you more information.
- 5 line bingo
5 line is a combination of 75 ball and 90 ball games. 90 balls are in play and cards consist of a 5×5 grid, with no free space in the centre.
Winners are the first to fill a single successful line, then two, then three, four and finally a full house so it gives players five chances to win each game.
- Slingo
If you’re a fan of slots and bingo, you should certainly try Slingo (definition here) which combines the two games seamlessly – a bingo game utilising the slots mechanic. Slingo makes the slots experience more involved with each round lasting approximately 20 spins, depending on the title.
It’s difficult to pin down a clear bingo favourite with all of them bringing something unique to the table. One thing is for sure, we’re excited to see the next new development in the world of bingo.
Last Updated: May 31, 2022
