Bingo! A word that most people on the planet have heard, regardless of the language they speak. It is an exclamation of sudden realization or surprise whose origin remains uncertain. According to some theories, it derives from a 19th-century drinking game, where participants had to spell out the name of a farmer’s dog. However, it now mainly gets connected to one of the world’s most popular lottery games, which bears the same name.
In its modern form, bingo got invented in 1929, though its roots go back to Italy and the 1500s. Still, it was not until the 1960s that it got established as a popular pastime in the US and UK, where it became legally regulated, and lotto halls got subjected to paying taxes. In 1996, the World Wide Web gambling sphere went up and running. When that happened, bingo online games instantly became available. Since then, internet gamblers would be hard-pressed to find a gaming website that does not offer at least one bingo-like game. Thus, there is no longer a need for parties interested in testing their good fortune on this lottery-style option to visit a hall or buy a ticket for an organized draw. They now can do so from anywhere at any time. Hence, we break down the best ways to approach this activity for those willing to risk their hard-earned dollars in hopes of attaining quick luck-based profits.
Bingo Rules
Bingo rounds consist of balls with numbers on them, getting drawn from a machine. Every player participating in the game has a card/ticket that features a random set of numbers spread out in a grid layout. The aim here is for the indiscriminately-picked numbers by the machine/software to match the ones on players’ cards. Not only that, but they have to form adjacent line patterns that lead to rewards. These lines can be diagonal, horizontal, or vertical. That depends on the variant played.
Not all bingo games utilize the same number of numbered balls. For example, in the US, traditional draws involve seventy-five balls. In the UK, the standard is ninety. Most player cards/tickets will have twenty-five squares arranged in a five-column, five-row grid.
Bingo Strategies
Bingo is a game of chance. The only decision-making involved in its gameplay is the card selection. As a rule of thumb, the more cards someone has in a draw, the better his chances of attaining a reward become.
That said, outside of simply buying more cards, players can choose to implement two famous bingo strategies. These are the Granville and the Tippet systems. Both get exclusively used on the 75-ball variant. The first, Granville, involves players’ playing cards with an equal spread of odd and even numbers, plus an identical sum of numbers that end in one to nine. The Tippet approach suggests that players favoring longer bingo draws should stick to cards with numbers closer to one and seventy-five. Those interested in short games should gravitate towards cards with numbers close to thirty-eight.
Many experienced gamblers believe these two strategies are nonsense, as all bingo results are random. It is all down to the luck of the draw. Thus, according to them, the best course of action is for players to never invest over 5% of their weekly gambling bankroll in one session.
Perks of Playing Online
While there are still hundreds if not thousands of bingo halls across the US and UK, most of these are charitable ones, run by churches or not-for-profit organizations. So, gamblers looking to hit it big on this lottery-style gambling option would be wise to play at an online casino or visit a brick-and-mortar gaming establishment that offers bingo fun. That is the only way to hit a life-altering prize via bingo.
The advantages of playing online lie in that internet platforms utilize random number generation algorithms, which speed up the drawing process. That software also makes other players’ gameplay obsolete. Moreover, online casinos offer demo-play to those unfamiliar with this game, and they often host many different variations that spruce up bingo’s sometimes dull gameplay. Slingo is a variation invented in 1994 by Sal Falciglia, developed by Gaming Realms. It is now an option at most established gambling websites and often gets tied in with lucrative promotions.
Speaking of promo deals, they are likely the number one reason why everyone should play online, as internet operators have to shower gamblers with bonuses to remain competitive in this highly saturated marketplace. So, players can get more chances to win online, given that they will also be frequently doing some gambling on the operator’s dime.
About the Author
Shelly Schiff has been working in the gambling industry since 2009, mainly on the digital side of things, employed by OUSC. However, over her eleven-year career, Shelly has provided content for many other top interactive gaming websites. She knows all there is to know about slots and has in-depth knowledge of the most popular table games. Her golden retriever Garry occupies most of her leisure time. Though, when she can, she loves reading Jim Thompson-like crime novels.