Online Bingo

Online Bingo refers to bingo games played by persons connected to the Internet. It has become a very popular online gaming activity because it is easy to play and requires no confidentiality; that is, players can chat with each other while playing. Online bingo is believed to bring in over $1 billion annually to its parlor hosts.

The virtual version of bingo uses a random number generator to “call out” the positions on the player’s cards. The games for North American players use a 5 by 5 card and 75 numbered virtual balls. The first person to have the named pattern wins. The patterns can be a row or column, diagonal, four corners, central cross, “coverall” and several others.

In many other markets, notably the UK and Australia, the virtual bingo cards are 9 columns wide by 3 rows long, and the universe of numbers is 90. The card will have 15 numbers, placed in the nine columns “by tens,” that is, 1-9 in column 1, 10-19 in column 2, and so on, up to column nine. Each of the three rows will contain five numbers. The initial objective is to have a complete row. Then the second objective is to have two complete rows (10 numbers covered or marked), and finally, all of the numbers covered or marked (called a “full house”).

Many sites offer free bingo so that users can get acclimated to the way the game works online. Then, a player may register with the website, open and fund an account, and start to play for money. Like other online gaming sites, bingo sites offer matching bonuses for funding an account or reloading. The United States Department of Justice considers online bingo to be gambling, and subject to the Unlawful Online Gambling Enforcement Act.

Software makes playing easy. You can even direct the computer to mark your card for you as numbers are called out, thus leaving you with virtually nothing to do but watch. Chat features permit you to talk with other players in cyberspace who are also in the game. Sites encourage socializing, as it tends to generate repeat visits and longer sessions. Many have “chat moderators” who stimulate the discussion among the players and create a friendly atmosphere.

A problem associated with brick-and-mortar bingo is the “high roller,” who lays down a ton of money to buy a zillion cards, thus virtually guaranteeing a win in the game. This tactic quickly outclasses the modest participant with just one or two cards. The online solution is to make everyone “invest” in the same number of cards, to put all players on the same footing. Not all sites do this, but several do this to appeal to the more modest gambler.

Networking permits multiple web sites to link all their players into the same game. Often they use the same chat network as well. This makes the pots richer and injects a larger number of players into the game.