For decades bingo has been the game that our parents and grandparents played in smoke filled bingo halls on rainy evenings. In the past decade though, bingo has undergone somewhat of a makeover.
The modern bingo player is younger, more affluent and infinitely cooler than their predecessors. Rather than being played in smoky rooms or nursing homes, bingo is now predominantly played on smartphones by professionals with hectic lifestyles.
If that sounds like something you can get on board with, you should think about playing bingo on the go. In this article we cover everything you need to know about mobile bingo, from how to find the best mobile bingo sites to how to make your first deposit.
Finding a Provider
There are hundreds of bingo apps on Android and Apple devices that will be more than happy to take your first deposit, but how do you choose the right one? Well first of all you have to work out what you’re looking for.
Is it an app that provides the best value for money? One with the best selection of games? Or, just an app that is easy to navigate and understand.
Once you have a handle on what you’re looking for, get to work in reading the reviews. There are dozens of bingo comparison websites out there that rank apps based on their trust, offers and overall gameplay.
Utilise this wealth of knowledge and you won’t go far wrong.
Mobile Bingo Basics
Now that you’ve picked the provider you’re going to play with it’s time to get to grips with some of the basics about mobile bingo. Below are some of the basic terms, phrases and game modes that you need to know to get started playing mobile bingo:
Bingo Card
This is the card that you will be given at the beginning of the game with a series of random numbers dotted on it. In order to win the numbers on your card need to be drawn out by the caller. In land-based bingo halls you have to dab these numbers off as they are called out.
Online however, the numbers will be automatically dabbed out when they are called, so don’t worry about missing out!
Your bingo card will be a virtual representation of this.
75-ball, 80-ball and 90-ball
Whenever you play bingo the caller draws the numbers from a finite amount of balls. As the title above suggests, the amount of balls that the caller draws from can vary from game to game. In the UK the most common variant of bingo is 90-ball.
This variant gives players the opportunity to win through three outcomes; a line, two lines and a full house. Whereas in 75-ball bingo and 80-ball bingo, there is typically only one way to win which is outlined at the beginning of the game.
Bingo Pot
This is essentially the prize money available. A certain percentage of ticket sales from every game are lumped together to create this prize pot. The amount you win will depend on how you win; for example the prize money for one line will be lower than for a full house.
How to Play: Step-by-Step
Now that you know some of the vernacular around mobile bingo, let’s take a look at a step-by-step guide of playing after you’ve downloaded your mobile bingo app and created a profile:
- Make a Deposit
Some providers have free to play bingo games that you can practice with before making your first deposit. This isn’t standard practice amongst every provider though so if you want to start playing, you’ll need to make your first deposit.
To do this navigate to the deposit icon on the mobile app. Once here, you’ll need your card details to hand. The process for making a deposit is much the same as it is for buying goods online, simply select the amount you want to deposit and then enter your card details.
As it’s your first time your bank may ask you to verify the deposit either by entering a code that has been sent to you or by accessing your online banking app and manually verifying the transaction. If this happens don’t worry, it’s just your bank’s way of being safe making sure that it’s you making the deposit.
- Choose a Room
Most mobile apps separate their games into rooms. For example there could be a ‘Beginner’s 90-ball’ room or an ‘Intermediate 75-ball’ room. Choose the one that jumps out to you and click ‘join’.
- Play Away
Now it’s time to enjoy yourself and play away. You might want to make sure that you start out in a low-stakes room so you can get to grips with everything without worrying about losing too much money.
We recommend starting out at the lowest stake possible until you’re comfortable with moving up to bigger games.
- Withdraw your Winnings
If you’re lucky enough/good enough to win a couple of games, you’ll want to move on to the final and most satisfying stage; withdrawing your winnings.
You’ll find the withdrawal facilities in the same place where you made your deposit. Here you select where you would like your winnings to be sent, verify your identity and then click ‘withdraw funds’. It’s as simple as that!
If you have any tips or tricks that you feel we haven’t covered in this article, be sure to let us know about them in the comments section below.