Bingo is one of the favourite UK pastimes. It has been played for decades, even centuries. It is believed that bingo came to the UK in the 18th century. The game originates from Italy where it first appeared in the 16th century and then migrated to the UK and other parts of Europe. Brits grew pretty fond of bingo, and towards the end of the 20th century, there have been hundreds of bingo halls. With the emergence of online bingo, things started changing, but it was just the way players play bingo that change, not the game’s essence or its popularity. So, if you’re looking to find out how to play Bingo UK, keep reading, we’ll give you the answers.
Popularisation Of UK Online Bingo
Many people, including some bingo fans, were quite sceptical when the first online bingo sites were launched. In fact, even those who were a tad more optimistic didn’t think that online bingo will ever be a substitute for land-based bingo halls. It turned out that online bingo is here to stay. As a result of the massive popularisation of online bingo, the number of bingo halls decreased. From over 600 bingo halls back in 2005, the number dropped below 400 by 2014. And it appears that it could go even lower, with the number of online bingo sites constantly growing.
How to play Bingo UK online isn’t that different from learning how to play bingo on a paper, the basic bingo rules are the same. So, if you have been a guest at one or few of the UK bingo halls, then you are already familiar with the traditional bingo rules. There are few things that are different for online bingo as opposed to land-based bingo, but the essence remains the same. We’ll go through the whole process and the set of bingo rules shortly.
Advantages Of Online Bingo
The whole UK bingo tradition revolves around one type of bingo that’s generally recognised as the preferred option in the UK – 90-Ball Bingo. The second most popular type of bingo is 75-Ball Bingo and this is the version that’s major in the US. Now that we mentioned the two main bingo variants, let’s point to one of the biggest advantages of online bingo, as opposed to land-based bingo.
At an online bingo site, you can play different variants of bingo and they are all available through the same platform. That is not an option at a traditional bingo hall. Moreover, bingo sites don’t limit themselves just to bingo games and bingo rooms, they also offer online slots and often also other online casino games.
So, while you’re waiting for your bingo game to begin, or you just want a bit of variety and you’re looking to try something different, take a break from playing bingo, have a go at some of the available slot games. Some of the bingo sites offer as many as 300 games, or even more. We’ve been through the advantages of online bingo, now let’s see how to play bingo UK.
How To Play Bingo UK – 90-Ball Bingo
Before you can play a game of 90-Ball Bingo, you will need to purchase a ticket, and that is always a requirement regardless of whether you’re playing online or at your local bingo hall. You will see numbers divided into nine rows across three columns. A row includes five numbers. The numbers are arranged randomly on the ticket, they don’t follow a particular pattern.
If you’re playing bingo at the land-based location, you need to have a pen or a pencil and use it to mark the drawn numbers that are featured on your tickets. That can be a bit of a challenging task if you have purchased multiple tickets for the same game. On the other hand, if you’re playing online bingo that’s not something to worry about because you can set your numbers to be marked automatically.
The person who reads the numbers that have been drawn is called a caller. Online bingo can also feature a caller, but there are also software-only games where nobody reads the numbers out loud. Number calling is one of the most interesting aspects of a bingo game. At a certain point in history, callers started rhyming numbers with words and phrases, thus giving birth to a special sort of a bingo rhyming slang. Even today Winnie the Pooh stands for 42 and cup of tea or cuppa tea means three.
How To Win Bingo UK
In order to win a game of 90-Ball Bingo, you will need to get at least one line, i.e. all numbers on one of the lines on your ticket have to be drawn. That is the lowest and most common win in 90-Ball bingo.
The next possible combination is to hit two lines, and this is a lot more significant win. Finally, the last win is to have all three lines, a combination that’s known as a full house, or bingo. In conventional bingo, when a player hits this combination they should yell out ‘Bingo’. In online bingo, you also have the option to write bingo in the group chat.
The chat is one of the most interesting aspects of an online bingo game. In fact, the chat room allows players to enjoy the social element of the game. Bingo sites often organise all sorts of mini-games within the chat room and winners often get small prizes, like a free bingo ticket or something like that.
UK Online Bingo Bonuses
Another great aspect of online bingo is that players can claim a wide range of bonuses and promotions, starting with the Welcome Offer, or New Player Bonus and up to a range of loyalty bonuses. As we mentioned many bingo sites also offer slots and other games, so on many occasions, you will also be able to claim slots bonuses such as free spins.
So, now you know how to play bingo UK and you also know where you can find the best UK bingo sites. Register with one of our partners and enjoy!