Online Bingo Rules

Last Updated: 14 Mar 2024

Dozens of websites now offer the chance to play online bingo in the most common variants: 75 balls, 80 balls or 90 balls. The games are fast paced and cater to all pockets. The prizes vary from a few pennies to thousands of pounds. In fact, competition for customers is so rife that online bingo sites are offering guaranteed bonuses including prizes, free bingo games, and all sorts of chat games with prizes.

The difference between 75 Ball Bingo, 80 Ball Bingo and 90 Ball Bingo is in the speed of the game, the numbers of fields, the way numbers are arranged on the cards, the winning patterns available, and of course, the number of balls called out.

75 Ball Bingo

This is the firm favorite in the US and Canada and no respectable bingo room would be without it. The cards in this game are designed in a 5 by 5 grid with the middle square left empty. Numbers 1 to 75 are called out until the winning pattern emerges. Usually winning patterns are alternated between games, so make sure you understand the winning pattern before the start of each game. The most popular winning patterns are in the shape of letters like E or F, or filling horizontal and diagonal lines. This type of bingo variant is preferred because of its speed and the constant change in patterns.

80 Ball Bingo

This is “the new kid on the block." An invention from online bingo, instead of traditional bingo halls. The difference is all in the card design. The 80 Ball card (also called shutter board) is designed on a 4 by 4 grid with no empty spaces. Columns are different colors to help players to spot the numbers quicker. Like its 75 Ball cousin, this game is played with winning patterns. However, the innovative card design means that new winning patterns are available. For instance, diagonal bingo or corner bingo are now available pattern options. 80 Ball Bingo is great because of these fun patterns, and more numbers called out translates into better odds.

90 Ball Bingo

This is a UK favorite, and with good reason! The card is designed with 9 columns and 3 lines. Each line contains 5 numbers and 5 empty squares. The cards are usually bought in strips containing 6 cards, each strip contains numbers 1 to 90, repeated only one time. That means that for each number called you’ll be dabbing a stamp somewhere on your strip. How exciting! Because cards are sold in higher numbers, the price of cards is significantly lower allowing for penny games. The winning patterns on the 90 Ball Bingo are easy to follow. Each game has 3 winning patterns at the same time: 1st line, 2nd line, and full house.

Since the bingo software will do the dabbing and the calling automatically, this game allows more time to focus on chat. The best thing about 90 Ball Bingo is its simplicity, 3 chances to win a prize per game, and the time it gives you to be the first to shout “66 Clickety Click” in the chat.