Ultimate Guide To Bingo & Bingo Calls

Ultimate Guide To Bingo:

• THE HISTORY OF BINGO
• GETTING STARTED WITH BINGO: RULES AND STRATEGIES
• BINGO RULES
• BINGO STRATEGIES
• DIFFERENT TYPES OF BINGO
• CLASSIC BINGO (75-BALL BINGO)
• 90-BALL BINGO
• 30-BALL BINGO
• BINGO CALLS
• MODERN BINGO CALLS
• LOTTOLAND BINGO

THE HISTORY OF BINGO

There are various theories about where the bingo that we know and love today originated. The most popular belief is that it began life as the “Il Gioco del Lotto d'Italia” in Italy in around 1530. However, this version of bingo had more in common with today’s lotteries than modern-day bingo. Players would choose their numbers from 1 to 90 and mark them off as they were drawn. The winner was the first person to have all of their numbers chosen.

By the late 1770s, bingo had grown in popularity—especially amongst the aristocracy in France. The French version, “Le Lotto,” is more similar to today's game as it introduced cards with horizontal rows and vertical columns. The first person to complete a horizontal row was crowned the winner.

Bingo continued to grow in popularity, and by the 1920s, it had become a staple in carnivals and fairs across the United States—however, it was not yet called “Bingo.” Instead, the game was referred to as “Beano,” as that is what players would shout out when they had completed a row.

A toy salesman named Edwin S. Lowe is credited with rebranding “Beano” to “Bingo”. The legend goes that he overheard someone excitedly shout “Bingo” rather than “Beano” during a game. Lowe thought that this sounded better, and thus, “Bingo”, as we know it today, was born!

Lowe’s impact on bingo did not stop there. Before long, he teamed up with a mathematician named Carl Leffler and set about increasing the game's limits. Together, they worked to increase the number of unique bingo cards, which in turn increased the game's possibilities.

These developments did not go unnoticed in the UK, where bingo became an extremely popular pastime in the 20th century. The 1960 Betting and Gaming Act allowed bingo to be played commercially, which allowed the formation of hundreds of bingo halls across the country. Today, there may be fewer halls in the UK, but the game has lost none of its appeal as it has seamlessly adapted to the digital age, allowing players to enjoy the same social experience from the comfort of their own homes.

GETTING STARTED WITH BINGO: RULES AND STRATEGIES

Bingo can be a fun, engaging game that is equally accessible to beginners and veterans alike. If you are just getting started and you are nervous about how to get started, don’t worry! The basics of the game are simple, whether you are playing bingo online or making the trip to your local bingo hall.

BINGO RULES

In bingo, you are given a card that is usually divided into five vertical columns. On your card will be a selection of numbers, ranging from 1 to 75, 85, or 90, depending on the game. The numbers are drawn by machine at random, and your mission is to match the numbers on your bingo card to the numbers being called out.

When you have a number is called out, you just need to mark the corresponding number on your card. You are a winner if you can complete a winning pattern in a vertical, horizontal or diagonal line. If you are playing at a bingo hall, you must shout “Bingo!” to declare yourself a winner. When you play online bingo, the process is mostly automated, so you don’t need to worry about missing out.

BINGO STRATEGIES

It is important to remember that bingo is a complete game of chance, so there is no surefire strategy to guarantee a win. There are, however, a couple of strategies you can use to help you increase your chances of winning.

The first strategy is simple: play with multiple cards. By playing with more than one card, you automatically increase your chances of winning. If you follow this strategy, you can also try to ensure that your different cards have as many different numbers as possible to give your odds a further boost.

A second strategy is to look for games that have fewer players. If you have less competition, then you will increase your odds of winning – however, you also need to keep in mind that smaller games of bingo usually have a smaller prize pool.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF BINGO

The rules mentioned earlier apply to all forms of bingo, but there are some fun varieties of the classic game that you can try to see which you like the most. Here is a closer look at three of the most popular types of bingo, all of which are available in Lottoland Online Bingo Lobby!

CLASSIC BINGO (75-BALL BINGO)

This is the most popular version of bingo. In 75-ball bingo, players are given a card with 25 numbers spread across a 5x5 grid. Players mark their numbers as they are called out, hoping to complete a vertical, horizontal or diagonal line. The game continues until a winner is found.

90-BALL BINGO

As the name suggests, this version of the game is played with 90 balls. To play, players are usually given 27 numbers on a 3x9 grid, and they are usually limited to playing with a maximum of 6 cards at once. There are a few different ways to win 90-ball bingo, including getting a “full house” or completing one or two lines.

30-BALL BINGO

This speedy version of bingo is probably the simplest of the variations. Here, there are 30 balls that players will attempt to mark off their card, which is made up of a 3x3 grid. On the grid, only numbers 1-10 are found in the first column, numbers 11-20 are in the second column, and 21-30 are only found in the third column. This structure means the games are fast and easy to play.

BINGO CALLS

As mentioned earlier, bingo is a simple and easy game to play. However, there is one aspect of the game that can be “Unlucky For Some”: the bingo lingo! That’s why we have made a glossary of all 90 bingo calls, so you can “Jump and Jive” like a “Man Alive”!

MODERN BINGO CALLS

Now, you may have noticed that many of the traditional bingo calls used in the UK have become a little dated. That's why in today's bingo, many games will have modern bingo calls for a more modern audience. That's not to say that the traditional bingo calls have been abandoned entirely - far from it! However, here are a select few of the modern, pop-culture-inspired bingo calls that you may hear from time to time.

LOTTOLAND BINGO

At Lottoland, we are famous for our selection of international lotteries and unbeatable selection of online slots, and now, in our  Bingo Lobby, you will also find an array of some of the world’s favourite types of online bingo games. We’ve got 30, 75, 80 and 90-ball bingo games waiting for you, as well as “The Vault” – a weekly game with £5 million up for grabs!