Bingo Rules for the Top Online Bingo Games

Bingo Rules: 90-Ball Bingo

90-Ball Bingo is the traditional bingo format in the UK. As well as being the UK’s favourite, it is also the most-played version of bingo worldwide. 90-Ball Bingo offers longer gameplay than 30-Ball Bingo, for example, as it has 90 balls in play.

In 90-ball Bingo, players will play with 5 individual cards, and every game of bingo starts with players buying a bingo card. The bingo caller will then draw and call the numbers randomly, sometimes using a special kind of bingo lingo unique to UK players. When playing online, this will be generated by the computer. When a number is called, you blot it off on your card if you have the number. When you have completed the winning combinations, you will potentially be awarded prizes. An advantage of online bingo is that the bingo software will do the blotting for you if you want.

Each 90-ball bingo ticket has 3 rows and nine columns and only contains 15 numbers. Each column contains the following numbers:

Column ⑴ – 1-9
Column ⑵ – 10 – 19
Column ⑶ – 20 – 29
Column ⑷ – 30 – 39
Column ⑸ – 40 -49
Column ⑹ – 50 – 59
Column ⑺ – 60 – 69
Column ⑻ – 70 – 79
Column ⑼ – 80 – 90

How to win at 90-Ball Bingo

According to the bingo rules of 90-ball, you can have the chance of winning in the following three ways:

• First Line – Cover all your numbers in any of your 3 rows on a single ticket before any player, and you’ll win the first stage prize, a line.
• Second Line – Cover any 2 lines on the same ticket, and the second prize is yours.
• Full House – You must block off all 15 numbers on your ticket. 

When bingo was more commonly played in a bingo hall, you would have to be the first to shout bingo to win. Now, online bingo software automatically recognises a win. It states in the bingo rules that when all 3 prizes are won, the game is finished, and you need to buy a new bingo ticket to play again.

Bingo Rules: 80 Ball Bingo

The bingo rules of 80-ball bingo are very similar to those of 90-ball Bingo; however, the layout of the card and ways to win the game are different. You play 80-ball Bingo the same way as 90-ball Bingo. When your number is called, you blot it off, but because of the bingo card structure, there are different ways to win.

As you can see, 80-ball bingo is on a 4×4 grid and contains 16 numbers with no blank spaces. Each of the 4 columns has a different colour.

🔴 Bingo Numbers – 01 – 20
🟡 Bingo Numbers – 21 – 40
🟢 Bingo Numbers – 41 – 60
⚪️ Bingo Numbers – 61 – 80

How to win at 80-Ball Bingo

According to bingo rules and depending on how your bingo site has structured its 80-Ball Bingo games, there can be as many as 5 ways to win. Check the bingo rules with your provider before playing to know which ways to win are being used. For more details on how to play 80-ball bingo, check out our detailed guide.

• Line to House – In this winning formation, players will need to be the first to cross off a line and then the first to blot all numbers on the card.
• All Four Columns – Similar to the above, players will compete to be the first to cross off one column, then two, and so on.
• Corners Only – As the name suggests, players need to blot all four corners on their bingo card.
• Full House Only – Players must mark all numbers on their bingo ticket.
• Outbox / Inbox – Bettors will first need to mark off all of the outside numbers (12) on their card; then, they will need to cross off the remaining four. This can sometimes be played the opposite way.

Bingo Rules: 75-Ball Bingo

75-Ball Bingo is the most flexible and fun version of online bingo. Also referred to as pattern bingo, there can be several ways to win 75-Ball Bingo. As demonstrated below, you can see that a 75-ball bingo card already looks different from 90 & 80-ball cards.  It is square, made up of 5×5 numbers, with a blank space in the middle and Bingo written across the top. There are 25 squares in total; the blank square makes it possible to complete patterns.

As with the other kinds of bingo cards, there is an order to the columns and which numbers they contain:

🄱 = 1 – 15
🄸 = 16 – 30
🄽 = 31 – 45
🄶 = 46 – 60
🄾 = 61 – 75

How to win at 75-Ball Bingo

The rules of bingo for the 75 variant are the same as standard bingo, except you can win by making patterns on the bingo card. There are the standard ways to win 75-ball Bingo:

• One Line – This can, if you are playing One Line Bingo, be the top prize, and it is the first player to get one line in any direction, equalling bingo.

According to the bingo rules, the site you play with may also include patterns, which they will announce before the game starts and can be any of the 300 bingo patterns used thus far. Some well-used winning patterns are:

• Double Line – Two full lines either down, across or diagonal.
• X – Complete two diagonal lines to make an X across your card- this is one of the easiest patterns you can make in 75-Ball Bingo.
• Full House – Get a blackout and cover all the numbers on your card for the biggest prize.
• Letters – The game may require you to create the shape of any letter in the alphabet (commonly Z).
• Gimmick Shapes – This usually resembles something you would see in the real word such as a plane or turtle.
• Tricky Patterns – These are harder than the other patterns to create; common examples include sputnik, latter, and triple bingo.

Bingo Rules: 30-Ball Bingo

Known as speed bingo, this game offers the fastest gameplay and the smallest bingo card. 30-Ball Bingo follows the same basic bingo rules but with a twist. As shown in the picture, the 30-ball Bingo card is a 3×3 square with only 9 numbers. 

★ Column ONE: 1 – 10
★ Column TWO: 11 – 20
★ Column THREE: 21 – 30

How to Win at 30-Ball Bingo

According to the bingo rules, the only way to win 30-ball bingo is to get the all-valuable full house. Due to the smaller size of the card, this happens quickly in 30-ball Bingo, meaning this bingo variant potentially dishes out top prizes rapidly. It’s a great way to potentially earn speedy rewards.

How to Start Playing Online Bingo

Knowing the bingo rules is just the beginning. To commence playing online bingo, you first need to find an online site that suits your needs and expectations as a player. Our experts rate and review what we know to be the best online bingo sites so our valued readers can partake in reliable and well-established brands. Check out our best bingo sites page for more information. To get started with online bingo, follow our simple guide below:

• 1. To begin, visit the homepage of one of our recommended online bingo sites.
• 2. Once on the interface, select ‘Join Now’ to begin registration. Enter all required information on the form, including your full name, email address and login details.
• 3. Next, to verify your online bingo account, select the link from the brand to your email inbox.
• 4. To begin enjoying top bingo variants and claiming bonuses, you must fund your account using a reputable banking option.
• 5. Once you have completed all of the above steps, you can enjoy your chosen bingo sites and the leading bingo variants!  

If you are looking to start playing bingo at brick-and-mortar halls, you will need to familiarize yourself with the bingo calls and lingo used.

What To Do if You Have a Gambling Problem

We understand that gambling can be fun, but it’s important to gamble responsibly. If you are struggling with a gambling problem, please don’t hesitate to ask for help. There are people who can help you get on the road to recovery.

Here are some resources that can help you:

• National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133
• GamCare: https://www.gamcare.org.uk
• GambleAware: https://gambleaware.org/

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)