Bingo was once a game that was most often found at churches and community centres – in fact, the reason that the game took off at all was because the inventor managed to proposition his game to a local church.

Since then, the game has exploded in popularity, and while local bingo halls can still be found fairly often, the most popular iteration of the game is its online variation.

If you’re looking for a simple yet endlessly entertaining online game that deviates from the standard rules of slots or poker, then bingo is the next best choice – and it’s surprisingly easy to learn:

Preferences

When starting up any new online bingo game, there will be a few preferences that you will be asked to set, and they’re preferences that you may have come across before if you’re used to a no deposit casino or other games online.

There are usually directly linked to the account and casino/bingo hall associated with the game. This can include the amount that you wish to deposit, as well as parental controls, self limits, and password protection.

They then need to choose from three settings directly related to the game, namely when it comes to picking cards. These include:

• Autobuy: When selected, new cards will be automatically purchased for favourite or set games according to personal preferences.
• Autodab: A feature unique to online bingo, allowing the game to automatically mark off any balls as soon as they are drawn.
• Advanced buy: This allows the game to automatically buy tickets to upcoming games that players cannot purchase online at the right times.

Basic Rules

Players start by choosing the game they want to play, and will be given a corresponding virtual cards. These cards take the form of grids that have a series of numbers that are marked on lines and rows.

Once the game starts, a caller – which, in this case, will be an automated, online program – randomly starts to select numbers from a draw. The player needs to keep pace with this draw: as soon as they see a number that corresponds with a number on their grid, it needs to be marked off.

Once you have enough numbers in a straight line in any direction across the grid, known as a full house, you are able to win a prize. Because online bingo often takes place with multiple players at once, the first player to earn a full house will win the prize, and the game will then come to an end, allowing the next round to start.

Jackpots

Online bingo also boasts some enticing jackpots:

• Fixed Jackpots: These are awarded in each game, regardless of how many times they are won.
• Progressive Jackpots: These roll over each time a prize has not been collected. They are part of a collective pool of winnings; meaning that the more players involved in the game, the bigger the prize pool grows. When someone wins the jackpot, the pool is completely reset.

Community Jackpots: Allows multiple players’ part of the same jackpot to claims a share if the jackpot is won.