Keno

With keno, you simply pick one to ten numbers from a board displaying numbers 1 through 80. Alternatively, you can have the program pick numbers for you. You’ll bet a small amount of money on your pick and then will simply watch to see what comes about. The keno software will pick random numbers and you’ll win if any those that you’ve picked are also chosen by the program. The more numbers you match, the greater your prize.

Video poker

Video poker is different than table poker, simply because the video poker machine will deal you five cards. You have the option to pick up as many as five new cards, keeping those you want by clicking on them or an icon above or below them. Once you’ve chosen the cards you want to keep, you indicate that you want a new deal, and your discards will be replaced with fresh cards. You win or lose depending on the strength of your final hand.

Slot games

The slot machine is simply displayed in front of you, and you click to push a button or pull a lever to set the virtual reels spinning. The figures then line up and if they match, you may win depending on how you’ve bet.

Choosing the right site

As with online bingo itself, you’ll want a site that supports bingo site games adequately for best play. If you’re interested in playing bingo side games when you play online bingo, peruse bingo sites’ side games reviews as you check out main site reviews. This will help you find high-quality versions of both.

Play for free first

Most online bingo sites will let you play for free before you play for money. There’s a good reason to do this. When you play for free, you can learn how a particular site is run and the rules of the various types of bingo games available. Because you’re not risking any money to play, you can simply relax, enjoy playing, get to know people and get to know the rules of the site without worry. Once you are familiar with your favourite sites and the games you want to play, you can play with real money.

Watch and learn

Different sites have different rules as to how members can interact with each other during games, and may also control how play is conducted. When you first sign on to a particular site, watch members interact with each other and play without saying much yourself. Once you’re familiar with a particular site, you can introduce yourself to other members, chat during play if allowed, and so on. Make sure you don’t simply come on site and interfere in conversations, etc., before you know the site and its rules and members well. Etiquette is important.

Try out different sites

Different sites will have different layouts, rules and moods to them. Try several on for size by playing online bingo for free at them until you find one or more that are a good fit to you and feel right. When a site is a good fit to you, you’re more likely to enjoy yourself and play a better game, too. This, in turn, can increase your winnings if you’re playing for real money.

Know your numbers

Most people know that when you play online bingo, you’ll play with numbers from 1 through 75 or 1 through 90. However, within that are three points of knowledge that can help you beat the “randomness” of the draws:

• High and low numbers tend to balance each other
• Odd and even numbers tend to balance each other
• Numbers have an equal chance of ending in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and so on

These may seem like simple commonsense facts, but they have a purpose. The average bingo game consists of 12 calls, and you’ll begin to note that the first 10 numbers of the master board will all have different ending digits. While most would overlook this fact, you’ll increase your chances of winning if you actually take note of it. That’s because you will be focusing on all of the numbers called having disparate ending digits.

Focus on probabilities

What the stats mean is that most likely, the first 10 balls called in any game out of the 75 or 90 are likely to end in digits 1 through 0 (for multiples of 10), such that it’s very likely these digits will be represented in the 10 balls called.

Use free sign-up bonuses wisely

Free sign-up bonuses give you the opportunity to learn the site you’ve just joined and test out the games that are offered there.

Keep an eye on progressive jackpot games

Some online bingo games offer fixed prizes for every game, while the progressive jackpot game allow the prize to get continually bigger for each game the pot goes unclaimed. Keep an eye on when progressive jackpots are won, and see if you can see a pattern. Then, jump into a game and buy tickets for that game just at the right moment, when you surmise that the jackpot is about to hit. This may increase your chances of winning.

System requirements

At the very least, you’ll need a PC compatible computer; Windows software, usually XP, Vista, or Windows 7; a 200 MHz processor, 32 MB of RAM, and a compatible browser such as Firefox or Internet Explorer. Be advised that this may not be enough for some sites, which may require at least 30 MB of hard drive space to download the requisite software, 64 MB of RAM and a Pentium II 350 MHz or higher processor.

Additional requirements

Many bingo sites use Java and/or Flash on their site. You may need to upgrade certain aspects of your computer to be able to handle the required plug-in. If you don’t have the Flash plug-in, you’ll be prompted to install it the first time you play.

A note about minimum system requirements

Minimum system requirements are just that. However, you may need to exceed the minimum requirements to play bingo online. If you find that your play is particularly slow or the video is freezing, hanging up or otherwise having difficulties, upgrade the amount of RAM or the processor you use to improve your play when you participate in bingo online.

Because bingo played online moves very, very quickly, you’ll need to have adequate processor speed and RAM memory to be able to handle it. It’s not going to be very much fun at all to participate if your computer can’t keep up with you!

For Mac users

Today, Mac users, too, can usually play online bingo with ease. As long as you support Java and can utilise a compatible browser like Internet Explorer, you should be able to play online bingo easily. You may need a special MRJ (Java) plug-in to be able to see the site correctly.

Online bingo has brought this generations-old game up-to-date, and gives players the opportunity to play bingo whenever they want to, day or night, even in their pyjamas. Meet new friends from around the globe and enjoy a rousing game of bingo at the same time.

What should you know about playing bingo?

If you’ve never played bingo before, be aware that there are some rules. The word BINGO is spelled out across the top of each bingo card, with one letter assigned to each column.

Each space on the card is assigned a number, either 1 through 75 or 1 through 90. The 1 through 90 system is the more common in the UK. Players choose or are given cards for each game, and they match letters and numbers on their cards to those called out by the “caller” during the game. When you’ve filled the spaces on your card as required in the game, such as five across, you shout, “Bingo!” Your numbers are checked, and then you’ve won the game if they’re correct.

When you’re new to the game, whether you play online bingo or bingo at a bingo hall, it’s wise to simply sit back and observe other plays to determine what the hall etiquette is going to be. Online bingo sites, for example, may let you chat while you play, but it’s generally not allowed during on-site bingo games.

One final note: bingo players are very serious about their game in general. Although this may be a lark for you, it’s wise to observe the seriousness with which others treat bingo. Once you get involved, you may just find bingo addictive, whether you play it online or in real life. Indeed, it’s no secret why — it’s simply fun and challenging, no matter how you play it!

You may improve your thinking and reflexes

Free bingo is fun to play as well, but something happens when you up the stakes a bit and play for real money. When you play for real money, you have to watch the action even more closely, develop strategies and react with lightning quick reflexes. This can improve your thinking and increase attention span, because you have to stay on top of things.

You’ll have a new social outlet and can make new online friends

Playing online bingo for real money can give you a new social outlet. Everyone who plays bingo with you online can be a buddy of sorts. Even though you’re being competitive, you’re also hanging out with like-minded people who enjoy what you do. Make new friends and increase your social circle without ever leaving home. This is especially useful if, for example, you have limited mobility and have difficulty getting out of the house. Instead of you having to go to activities, your activities can come to you.

You can play any time, day or night

When you play bingo at a bingo hall or other on-site venue, you have to physically present yourself at the venue and at the scheduled time, play with fellow bingo players, and then leave once the game or tournament is over. With online bingo, you can play anytime, day or night. There’s always a game going on somewhere; all you have to do is go online and find one. If you wake up in the middle of the night and want something to do because you can’t get back to sleep, you can play bingo. If you want a simple diversion on a lazy afternoon, you can go online and find a game to join. Fun and excitement, whenever you want it!

Rules of the game

In the UK, bingo is played with numbers 1 through 90, and the letters B-I-N-G-O, along with corresponding numbers 1 through 90. Numbers are only displayed once on each card.

When you play bingo online, there will either be a caller for the bingo numbers, or there will be a display where the bingo numbers that have been called will be displayed. If the game being played has a particular pattern to it, such as a line, whereby a horizontal line of five numbers is covered on a particular ticket, this will also be displayed for players’ benefit.

Each player will be holding a number of bingo cards, which they will play simultaneously.

Strategies to win online bingo

There are some strategies that can help you win online bingo. If you play games with fewer players, you may have a better chance of winning statistically, but the jackpots and prizes offered will also usually be smaller for those games. Progressive jackpots, those that increase with every game they are not collected on by a winning player, make the game exciting and can offer big winnings. It is more difficult to win these jackpots, but you may find the games themselves more rewarding as well.

Playing for money versus playing for free

If you’re just starting out with bingo online, it’s useful to play for free at first, until you know how a particular board or site operates. Most sites give you a free deposit of a certain amount of money that you can play with, after which you’ll have to deposit your own. When you first begin to play for real money, you can play for as little as a penny a game, although you’ll generally want to play for higher amounts to go for bigger prizes and progressive jackpots.

Easy to play wherever you are

Unlike traditional bingo, you can play online bingo wherever you are, as long as you have access to the internet. Whether at home on your computer or playing on a handheld device, you can play bingo in any location, and you can play with players from around the globe.

No need to dress up and go out

Of course, there are those who think traditional bingo is the only way to go. It’s indeed a social event whereby you dress up, go out, and engage in friendly challenges with friends. However, you can have much of the same challenge with none of the drawbacks when you play bingo online. Play at home in your spare time, even in the middle of the night, whenever you want to, without having to leave the comfort of home or take pains with your appearance.

Watch television or do other things while you play

Unlike traditional bingo at the bingo hall, there’s no need for complete silence when you play online bingo. You can have your favourite program on the television, or you can chat with friends while you play if you choose. If you’re good at multitasking, online bingo will let you do more than just play bingo.

Play inexpensively for big jackpots

It’s a good idea when you get started with playing bingo online to play for free at first until you get the feel of a particular site. However, this type of bingo has a distinct advantage, and that you can play for big jackpots for relatively little money. Play for as little as a penny when you do decide to play for real money, or up the ante, so to speak, and play for more. Progressive jackpots make the fun even more exciting, because the jackpot gets bigger with every game.

About the year 2000, the UK began to see the bingo market flourish, especially online. Online gaming had already begun to emerge then as a major force, with tremendously popular gambling games like craps, roulette and blackjack. Bingo simply took its place among these other popular games as well.

However, 2006 really saw bingo began to grow online. Most online bingo operators today operate from the UK and not from other areas of the globe. In the United States, for example, online monetary transactions that are US-based have been banned for bingo websites.

What is the future of the bingo market online?

The UK is poised to be a major player in the growth of online bingo, both now and in the future. In fact, the online bingo market is growing faster in the UK than in any other part of the world. As many as 250,000 players regularly play online in the UK today, and that number is only growing.

Technology, too, has a hand in this growth, given that mobile bingo makes playing anytime, anywhere easier than ever. This can only increase revenues and growth. While at present, the chat option is not available with mobile bingo, advances in technology may change this in the future. The ability to chat whilst playing bingo online is one of the reasons playing bingo online is an attractive alternative to on-site bingo played at halls, where silence is the norm and may be strictly enforced.

Do greater promotions mean greater growth?

Certainly, the bingo industry seems to feel that this is an area to be publicised and promoted. Commercial television advertisements tout its benefits, and some popular bingo sites online have also become sponsors for popular TV shows. This points to the likelihood that bingo played online is not only here, but here to stay, and will become even more popular in years to come.

Play carefully at first

New bingo sites aren’t going to have much of a history at first. This means you may not be able to find out what other customers think about a particular site for some time. Therefore, while it’s fine to frequent new bingo sites online, don’t play for money until you know a new site is truly what it represents itself to be. Check search results frequently to see what others have to say about a new site before you play for real money.

They want to attract players

Even though you do have to be careful about new online bingo sites at first, these new sites really do want to attract customers, assuming that they are legitimate. That means you may get more perks, greater deposits, or better technology even as opposed to some of the more established sites. Again, be careful, but do check out new sites when they appear. Read what other players have to say about a particular site before you get too involved.

Play any time of the day or night and increase your chances of winning cash prizes

Whether new or established, online bingo sites give you the flexibility to play your favourite game whenever you want from the comfort of your own home. Meet up with friends from around the world whenever you want to strike up some good conversation and get a good game going. Because new sites are coming online all the time, you should have plenty of new sites to check out as often as you want to. It’s a good idea to do so, as well, because newer sites may not have quite the traffic of more established sites, giving you the possible option of a better chance at winning cash prizes.