Bingo is one of the mainstay mobile casino games on any serious casino site or app. The game is amazingly straightforward to play with a player-friendly house edge of less than 2%.
But to be honest, bingo isn’t popular among young lads like video slots. In fact, the game is often considered a ‘darling’ to older players. So, why is it so? And are things changing already? Here’s the truth!
Bingo is a game of chance played on a table where players mark off card numbers as the caller draws cards randomly. In a game based on luck, the winner is usually the first one to mark all their numbers.
Bingo was invented in Italy back in the 16th century, specifically in 1530. The game became popular in other European countries, such as the UK and France, in the 18th century.
In Great Britain, it became immensely popular, leading to the introduction of the Betting and Gambling Act in 1960. The act resulted in the emergence of bingo halls, such as Mecca Bingo and The Rank Organization, which offer large cash prizes.
These halls are often associated with older people, as they were mainly frequented by elderly players looking to win the jackpot.
However, this stereotype is changing quickly after the launch of the first online bingo site in 1996. Nowadays, you can find bingo games at any online casino.
Playing bingo involves marking off numbers on a ticket. A standard bingo ticket has nine columns and three rows, totaling 27 spaces. Each row has four blank spaces and five numbers. The arrangement of numbers in each column depends on the bingo company. Still, there can be a maximum of three numbers in each column.
To play bingo, purchase a ticket and wait for the first number to be called. If the number is on your ticket, mark it off. The first person to mark off enough numbers wins the prize. As the caller continues announcing the numbers, players can mark off more lines. The ultimate goal is to mark off all the numbers on your ticket and achieve a "full house."
Below are the different bingo winning combinations:
- Line – marking ticket numbers covering a horizontal line.
- Two lines – marking numbers on two ticket lines.
- Four corners – marking the rightmost and leftmost digits at the top and bottom lines.
- Full house – marking off all fifteen ticket numbers.