Bingo is our obsession, our passion, our, well, mania! We love playing bingo in any of its forms and you can play a lot of them here on our website. It’s a fun low-stress game that you can play anytime on any device that is connected to the internet. But do you have to pay for online bingo?
Absolutely not! There are ways to play free bingo games online. There are plenty of apps out there on the market that will run a quick bingo game for you, but you have to be careful about your games. There’s a difference between free and free-to-play. Free-to-play apps offer a slick presentation of the game and the opportunity to buy bonuses to help you win more often. What they don’t tell you is that they’ll slowly ramp up the difficulty behind the scenes until you won’t win anymore unless you start making purchases. Just read the reviews on some of the major bingo apps and you’ll see what we mean!
At BingoMania, we have a better solution. We do offer free bingo cash prizes to all of our members. When you enroll on our site, we give you free money to purchase cards with as a special thank-you offer for signing up. You’ll get the chance to try out our bingo rooms for free before you decide to spend any more money on your experience. We believe you’ll like us so much that you’ll want to stay!
In addition, every Tuesday, Thursday & Sunday from 8pm to 9pm ET, inside the Party Room, you get 1hr of $5 to $100 free cash bingo games. All players are welcome to enjoy.
And if you’re lucky, you can win additional bonus cash. If your luck holds up you can continue to get free cash and extend your free bingo games. But wait, couldn’t we do the same rigging that the other free-to-play apps do? NO! Our random number generator, the piece of software that makes our bingo games work, has been certified multiple times by trusted third parties with long experience in the gaming industry. You don’t need powerups to win at our games, just good old-fashioned luck!
So if you’ve been burned by playing a free-to-play bingo app, come try out our tables instead. Sure, you may have to put in a little money every so often, but we think that the superior experience you get at our online bingo halls will be far more fun than any app you can find online. Sign up today, enjoy the bonus cash, and see for yourself why BingoMania has been in operation for nearly 20 years!
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There are quite many bingo variants out there that don’t get as much attention as 75-ball or 90-ball bingo. In this week’s article we’re going to talk about one of these variants. It’s a Mexican form of bingo called Loteria.
It’s a little like playing bingo with a tarot deck. Here’s how it works. Players have one or more cards (tabla) made up of a 4×4 grid of pictures. The caller uses a unique deck of fifty-four cards, each with a picture and a number on them. The caller shuffles the deck and describes the image. When a player gets four in a row, or another combination agreed upon beforehand, that player calls Loteria. After a check of the tabla, that player wins.
You can often find this game played at Mexican fairs. It’s quite an old variant of bingo. It has been played at least since the 1700s! Most Loteria decks use the same 54 images though some regions have significant variations. One of the most famous images is el diablito, the devil, but all of the images are iconic. For over 100 years, one manufacturer has been the primary distributor of Loteria games, so their images are very well known.
Much like how bingo callers will use slang to describe the numbers pulled, Loteria callers will use riddles to describe the cards. This makes the game more interesting. Some callers prefer to use poems or verses to describe them instead. The success and popularity of a caller depends on their ability to come up with interesting calls for the images. Callers will adjust their sayings depending on the audience. Some of them can get quite adult, or even use social commentary!
For instance, one of the cards is “the bottle.” The caller might say “La hermienta del borracho” which means “the tool of the drunkard”. Incidentally, “the drunkard” is another card in the Loteria deck.
To mark the tablas, player don’t use daubers. Kernels of corn or beans are the most common marker though some use plastic chips as well. This allows the cards to be reused.
Some people use the Loteria deck like a tarot deck, but most Latinos see this as a very unusual use for one of their national pastimes. If you find yourself in Mexico at a fair, why not give this form of bingo a shot? You’ll brush up on your Spanish skills and have a little fun at the same time.
Just who is playing bingo online? The answers may surprise you. Bingo is a far more popular game in the UK than it is in the U.S. Though, online bingo got its start in the US first, it is our friends across the pond who now are crowned as the online bingo country of the world. Unfortunately, Bingo has a bit of a weird reputation in the U.S. Most Americans see the game as something only older folks play. However, this is quite false.
Most bingo players around the world only play bingo online because of the chance to interact with people. In traditional bingo halls, quiet is the rule. Speaking during the game will get you a lot of dirty looks. But in online bingo, chatting is encouraged. The ability to talk with other people while playing the game is one of the major draws to online bingo.
The primary audience of online bingo is women. About 70% of all online bingo players are women (at Bingo Mania, we have 85% female online bingo players) mostly because of the social aspect. But more men are coming onto the scene because it’s so easy to win a game. Unlike many other online gaming opportunities, over 95% of people who play online bingo will win a game (there are so many varieties of bingo games to enjoy today)
Playing online bingo allows players to socialize with people all over the world and make some money while doing it. Perhaps best of all, playing the game is inexpensive; you can play free bingo games and find games that have cards as cheap as 1 cent per card, so you can play for hours and hours with only a small budget. Plus, people with extra money to invest, might have a higher probability of winning but, here at Bingo Mania, we’ve had players win bingo with just one card.
It’s not just for an older demographic either. While many players do tend to be older, about a third of all online bingo players are under the age of 35, and the number is on the rise. The biggest reason for this is mobile bingo. When you can play online at any time, you don’t have to wait until the evening where a bingo game could take up precious, lovely time.
With all these changes, bingo is losing its image in America as something only an older demographic play in quiet halls. Play online bingo today by signing up for an account on BingoMania.com, or log in to your account to see for yourself how fun it can be to meet people from all over the world while playing the game you love.
Plus, now with the addition of video slots and more side games, bingo is attracting more players.
Do You Prefer to Play Online Bingo On Your Mobile or Computer?
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There are so many options for choosing what sort of bingo or slots game you like to play. Do you like to play for money or not? Do you prefer a website or an app? Bingo Mania has you covered. We have a handy flowchart on this page that you can use to discover which sort of bingo or slots game you’d like to play, and which sites will have the best options for your fun! Just answer the questions below and you’ll be on your way to a fun bingo or slots experience.
Your turn, what is your favorite thing of playing at BingoMania.com
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There are a lot of things to consider when deciding where to play bingo online. It may seem like there is a dizzying array of options for the discerning player to try their luck. According to an article in SBC News, 50% of bingo players in the UK, where the game is the most popular, have accounts on 10 or more bingo sites, and 30% have accounts on 15 or more! So it’s okay to shop around and try some different ones before you settle in on your core list of sites you like.
This is a rather inventive time for new bingo sites all over the world. There was an explosion of interest over the past few years that drew a lot of new players to playing bingo online, but now the audience is starting to mature, so bingo sites are having to come up with new ways to offer a positive experience for new players and keep their loyal players happy. It means better games, more exciting promos, and of course, better funding bonuses are coming to you, the loyal player.
For instance, many sites are turning toward individual reward strategies, similar to what BingoMania did about a year and a half ago, with the launch of our new Progressive Reward Program. With the help of your feedback, we can introduce new incentives and promos to match your playing style. For instance, we’ve recently offered you free spins on new games and progressive jackpot contributions towards new slot games. We are now also working on a new feature called the Bonus Spinner (coming soon). Our motto at Mania is: let’s offer our loyal players what they want.
Bingo sites are also having to compete with bingo applications that don’t involve money. Sure, you could do that, but you’d have no chance to win real money playing those games. We want to see our players win cash and have fun while they enjoy the games, the chat room features, and all the other site amenities.
If you are an avid bingo online player, this is the time. With so many sites competing for your attention, you can find great deals and unique rewards that you wouldn’t have been able to find before. But before you go wandering over, don’t leave before you try out Bingo Mania’s complete offerings: We have an excellent selection of
bingo games
slot games
and table games for you to try out
plus a very friendly community who will be glad to talk with you about the site and about how much they love to play bingo!
Progressive Rewards Program
Surprise Funding Bonus Days
New innovative video slot games
More variety of slot games than any other bingo site
No silly bonus wager rule
and massive bingo games
What Are Your Favorite BingoMania Perks?
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We can’t have an early 2016 without an article predicting what the future trends in online gaming are, can we? A detailed article from Global Gaming Business Magazine shared ten things they’re predicting will happen in 2016, and we wanted to share a few of them with you.
This is the best time in history for online bingo and it looks like the gaming industry is growing and maturing as a whole, which means, better deals and values for players.
* Slots are going digital to capture the Millennial market, and are teaming up with third-party content providers to make experiences that cater to them. VR or augmented reality slots anyone?
* Gaming providers may finally be ready to collect, and more importantly analyze, all the data that patrons are generating. This is a problem in both the online gaming space and in physical casinos. Notably, the data generated from loyalty programs and memberships must be leveraged better.
* In an effort to attract Millennials, slot manufacturers are developing new forms of the game that use a skill-based element. Most Millennials prefer table games over slot machines, despite their love for video games. Could you be playing a gaming-version of Candy Crush soon? Maybe!
* While games like online bingo do attract a young crowd, the most common gaming customer is someone in their 40s. By this time they’ve become empty-nesters and have a lot more disposable income. They’re more comfortable with spending extra money on gaming. Overall, there has been a decline in the industry. Expect games to become even more exciting as casinos and gaming sites go for the younger crowd!
* Online gambling statutes in the US have stalled over the last few years, but we could be approaching a tipping point. Seven states may be poised to allow online poker and casino games by the year 2020. The state to look for as a bellwether is Pennsylvania, which has it on the ballot for this year.
* Here’s something online bingo caught on to early. It hasn’t gone without notice that many people are gaming together due to the social component rather than the chance to earn money. Social gaming, think your favorite Facebook games that all your friends keep sending you request for, may start to be embraced by the larger gaming industry rather than being viewed as a competitor. However, integrating a traditional gaming component into the mix is not easy. There are legal questions involving whether it would be considered gambling by legislatures, how to prevent minors from playing a gaming version of a social game, and how to keep operators running a fair game despite a lack of regulation.
Now it’s your turn, tell us if you prefer more Free Games or Free Spins at BingoMania?
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Playing bingo online can do more than just give you a fun activity to do anytime, it can also improve your health. At least compared to going to a normal bingo hall. Bingo halls used to have another habit closely associated with them, smoking. But smoking bans in many states have forced a lot of traditional halls to close down or consolidated to get enough non-smoking players to keep going.
After all, if you’re supposed to be paying attention to the board and you go outside to smoke, you could miss on a valuable bingo! And no bingo player wants to miss out on that. Bingo halls are hopeful that things will turn around, but online bingo is going to give them a run for their money.
After all, if you’re playing on a smartphone or a computer you can do what you want. Smoke, play in your pajamas, or anything else you do at home and not in public. After all, the game is the same and you can chat with your fellow players, something that many bingo halls frown upon.
Plus, when you play on a site like ours, you get a lot of additional benefits as well. For instance, you get the chance to earn free bonus money so you can keep playing for longer, and you can earn XPs to get tha thelp you unlock further perks.
Another benefit is that we have more than just bingo here. You can play exclusive slot games and other Las Vegas style games too for more chances to win and to get a break if you need to rest your eyes from tracking bingo numbers.
Plus, we also give you bonus cash when to make a deposit on our site, allowing you to play for even longer and anytime you want. A game of bingo only takes a few minutes. If you’re waiting in a long line, why not play a game to pass the time? And if you need to look away our auto-play feature will make sure you never miss a bingo.
Your turn, do you still play at bingo halls?
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You may think you already know how to play a bingo game. Just sit around and wait until you get five in a row, right? There are actually quite a number of variations on playing bingo games that keep people coming back to bingo halls and online gaming sites like BingoMania. We’re going to talk about some of those variations in this article so you’ll be ready to play when you dive into one of our many gaming rooms.
Bingo Board Variations
Whether you like wearing your bunny slippers or not, the classic way to win bingo is to get five in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally on a 5×5 card. To be honest, most games are still played like that. When you know how to play other bingo variations the game can get a lot more exciting.
Let’s talk about blackout games, also known as coverall games. You win a blackout game by blotting out all of the numbers on one of your cards. Lest you think that this is just bingo drawn out long, most blackout games are linked to a progressive jackpot system. Every time 10 balls are pulled, or some other predetermined amount, the amount that you can win goes up. This keeps the suspense high throughout the whole game and makes lasting longer more fun.
Another common variation is to require that the winner get other kinds of patterns on their card before they can call bingo. Here are some common shapes:
Double bingo: Two complete lines on two cards.
Diamond: A diamond shape with the points in the middle of the edges.
Layer cake: Rows 1, 3, and 5 filled in.
Lucky number: Make the shape in the middle of the card. Seven is the most common but any number will do, even 13!
Arrows: Make an arrow pointing in a particular direction of the compass.
Alphabet: Many letters of the alphabet can be spelled out on a bingo card!
These are just the tip of the iceberg. In traditional Bingo Halls you can find all sorts of crazy patterns. One of the reasons that complex patterns are more exciting is that it’s more difficult to see when you’ve won. It takes a sharp eye to know when you’ve got an airplane block filled in just right!
Try some of these variations in our bingo rooms. You never know when one is going to pop up, and you can usually win extra bonus cash with them too! Remember, with auto-daub feature you can daub along or have your cards automatically daubed with every call.
Your turn, do you still play at bingo halls?
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and on Monday, April 11th 8pm ET, we will randomly select 10 players and award you $10 free cash
Some people prefer playing bingo in person and not online. That may be their preference, but it opens them up to possibilities that would make any bingo player cringe. Take this example that happened in Canada.
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Way up north in Rankin Islet, Nunavut, a radio station was holding a bingo game. Players bought cards in advance and listened to the radio to hear the numbers. One of the players thought she had bingo and called in to claim the $10,000 prize and it was declared valid.
Then the next day, the radio station had to apologize on Facebook. The winning caller had misheard a number. They said they wanted to continue the game. Over a hundred people blew up in the comment feed to complain about the problem. Some say they would have won with the next number called. Others said they had already destroyed the cards. Still others demanded a complete restart.
In the end, the radio station decided to draw the next number with the remaining players. Five people got Bingo and split the jackpot between them. Fortunately for the radio station, the local authorities that oversee bingo gaming in Nunavut said that this was an acceptable conclusion.
Doesn’t that sound like a bingo nightmare? On online bingo sites like Bingo Mania, this is never a problem. Why? Our software keeps careful records of all cards and numbers drawn in every room. It can auto-daub numbers and even declare bingo on your behalf. Our thousands of players come back to us again and again because of the reliability of our bingo program, not to mention the bonus money, wonderful prizes, and great people in the chat rooms.
But how can we prove to you that it works? Reputable bingo sites have third-party independent investigators test the randomness of their software. It’s a requirement to show that the game is fair cannot be tampered with. Our software was tested by Technical Statistics Testing. TST is internationally recognized and trusted even in regions where gaming standards are highly regulated, and works with online gaming sites and physical gaming devices. They even perform testing to ensure that a fair random number generator cannot be tampered with from the outside. Check out the last blog post on bingo online tips for more help.
You know the game is fair when you play with BingoMania and you know that the software isn’t going to cheat you. You won’t have to worry about halted games while people check cards, or like in the radio case, someone marking the wrong number and getting a false win. If you think your local bingo hall Is calling shenanigans, why not give online bingo sites like ours a try?
Your turn, what do you love the most about play bingo online?
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Have you ever wondered why there are so many different types of gaming? It’s not just for entertainment’s sake. Different types of games appeal to different types of people. Some games have a lot of risk while others have very little. Some have strict forms of etiquette and others are very laid-back. Some are simple and are some are complex.
What attracts you to a specific game? Do you find that you love the skill that it takes to win? Are you more interested in getting to hang out with your online friends? Let’s take a moment to talk about some characteristics of games and see what types of gamers are drawn to them. By the time you’re done with this, you’ll know what sort of games you might be attracted to, especially the games we offer here at BingoMania: Slots, Bingo, and Poker.
Chance vs. Skill
This is the first thing to consider. Few gambling games are considered true games of skill. Most, like bingo, keno, and slots, are pure chance. Granted, there are a few things you can do to improve your odds like daubing your numbers faster, but as far as the game is constructed the emphasis is on chance.
Some games are based on skill, notably poker. Some might say that video poker isn’t based in skill, but it really depends on the machine. Some people love to try their techniques they learned from table poker and try them in video poker. They really enjoy it! The other two major online games we offer, bingo and slots, are definitely chance-based. You won’t have to worry about playing the game wrong with those. You can just sit back and play until you hit the big jackpot! And if you’re worried you might get bored, you can also chat up the other players in the bingo rooms. Many people come to play just to meet the crowd!
Risk
Risk is actually surprisingly tricky to calculate. There are two ways you can calculate it. The first is the Return to Player (RTP). This is how much a game will pay out for a bet over time. If a slot machine has a 95% RTP will pay out 95 cents for every dollar that is placed into the machine. Eventually. It’s an average payout over a large number of bets. Slot machines and online gaming are tested on RTP by gaming regulators to show fairness.
There’s another statistic more interesting to the individual player called the Risk of Ruin. The Risk of Ruin is how many bets of each size can you expect to make before you run out of money given a certain amount of starting cash. Good games have a low Risk of Ruin, which may surprise you. Gaming in any form is meant to be a form of entertainment, first and foremost. Having a high Risk of Ruin doesn’t allow people to get their fill of that particular game because their money would run out.
The best way to control risk is to limit how much you’re going to put into your bankroll and what size of bet you’re going to make in your chosen game. These depend on how much money you want to risk losing and how long you want to play. Good, responsible gamers realize that they could lose everything and play with that expectation. In other words, they play to lose. Then when they win, it’s even more exciting!
Bingo and slots are low-risk games. Each playthrough costs a fixed amount of money and it’s easy to choose a room or a machine that has a bet size to your liking. There’s a reason why penny slots are so popular. Sure, you win only a little, but you can play for a long time! Video poker has a bit of a higher risk because the minimum buy-in for video poker is often higher than for slots or bingo. In-person poker can be very risky because the bets are so high, and high-roller games like baccarat are extremely risky. That’s one reason why online gaming is so attractive. You can play for a long time on a small bankroll.
Simple or Complex?
Some games are very complex. Certain forms of poker, craps, and roulette are examples of complex games. Games like keno, bingo, and slots are much simpler though they do have variants that can bump up the complexity. It’s really up to a player’s taste about what sort of complexity they’ll like in a game. Some people find simple games to be too boring, and some find complex games involve too much gray matter to be fun. If you like simplicity, stick with bingo or slots. If you want a little more complexity, try video poker. You could even make it more interesting by trying out different strategies and see how you do.
Social vs non-social
One last thing to consider is how much interaction you want to have with other people. Most online gaming doesn’t have a high social component as part of the game. Online bingo often has chat rooms, but interaction with the players isn’t a necessary part of the game. On the other hand, some games thrive on social interaction. If you play games because you like to play with other people, rather than just play the game, you may want to stick to games that are played in-person. Chatting in a chat room may not be enough stimulation for your tastes.
At BingoMania, our main games are bingo, slots, and poker. If you like a low-risk game that you can play for a long time with little interruption, slots is your game. If you like a low-risk game that has some social interaction but can be played with little thought, bingo is a good choice. If you want a little more risk and a little more thinking, try our video poker rooms. Whichever game you choose, have fun with your game. Remember, games are supposed to be fun! Please play responsibly.
Your turn, Which Online Game Fits Your Personality?
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Full-Size Infograph
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<a href=”https://www.bingomania.com/blog/bingo-vs-slots-vs-poker-whats-game/”><img src=”https://www.bingomania.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Bingomania-Games-Quiz-Infographic-768×3872.jpg” alt=”Which Games Fit Your Personality” style=”width:100%;”><br>Infographic by BingoMania.com</a><br />
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If you’re like most bingo players, you’ve tried a lot of different online bingo sites and bingo halls, and you probably ran into some pretty strange bingo variants. The UK has a huge online bingo community, but the kind of bingo they play there is not the kind US players are used to. We’re going to take a look at how different countries approach bingo and online bingo. You just might read a variant you’ll want to try!
USA: 75-Ball Bingo
This is a game that uses 75 balls and 5×5 cards and is the most common way to play bingo in the United States. Each column is labeled with one of the letters of the word bingo. Numbers 1-15 can be found in the B column, 16-30 in the I column, and so on. Thus, each column will have a third of the possible numbers for each letter. The center space is considered to be a free spot.
The goal of the game can vary, but the basic version involves getting five spots marked in a straight line in any direction. However, there are many different win variations depending on the game that’s going on. Players playing in a bingo hall or online should always confirm what that game’s winning conditions are.
During play, a caller pulls out a random number one at a time, then announces the letter and the number. If no one calls out bingo after a period of time, another number is pulled and the process repeats until someone calls out bingo. Once that happens, play stops and the caller or an assistant checks the cards to see if the win is valid.
The UK and other UK Territories: 90-Ball Bingo
This version of bingo is played with 90 balls and has more of a gambling feel to it. Instead of cards, players are issued strips. Each strip has a set of tickets on a page, usually six, and one strip is used each game. Each ticket is made up of three rows of nine spaces. Within each row, four spaces will be blank and five will have numbers. The first column can have the numbers 1-9, the second 10-19, and so on. A six-ticket strip will have all 90 numbers somewhere on it.
There are only three ways to win. The first person to fill in all five spots in a row on one of the tickets wins first. Then the person to fill all five spots in two rows in a single ticket wins. Finally, the person who can black out an entire ticket wins. It is possible to win more than once in a single game. Usually, the later prizes are worth more than the earlier ones.
Other than these changes, the same procedure is used for calling, though only the number is called with no letters.
Mexico: Loteria
Loteria is a bingo variant, but a very strange one. Instead of using numbers, a special deck of 54 cards is used with different images on them. Players have 4×4 cards with corresponding pictures on them as their play cards. There are several ways to win depending on the variant played, including four-in-a-row, four-in-a-square, all four corners, and blacking out the whole cards.
Loteria callers have a set of riddles that they use to describe the cards before showing them. Those who can figure out the riddles early have an advantage over newcomers. Callers are rated on the cleverness of their riddles. It’s a great way to learn some colloquial Spanish.
Thanks to online bingo, there are also minor variants you can find like 30-ball (speed) bingo, which is played on a 3×3 card, and 80 ball bingo, which is played on a 4×4 card. Smaller cards like these lead to faster games which appeal to some players. There are also strange variations like death bingo where getting a bingo kicks you out of the game!
The most common variants you’ll find online are 75 and 90 ball, so anyone who wants to play bingo with foreign players should learn both variants. BingoMania offers both 90 ball and 75 ball bingo so you can pick the one you like the best! If you haven’t tried one or the other, sign up for an account on BingoMania today.
What’s Your Favorite Type of Bingo Game (75, 90, or Lotteria)?
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Bingo has been around for a lot longer than you might think and has a lot of interesting stories you probably don’t know. Are you ready to expand your bingo knowledge? Check out some of these bingo facts have both sources and come from our own experience as a premier online bingo site!
(1) Bingo from 1530s
The earliest that we can trace a bingo-type game is back to the Renaissance era. In the 1530s, Italy was playing a game called Lo Giuoco del Lotto D’Italia, the Game of Italian Lottery.
(2) Bingo Cards as Educational Tool
The earliest bingo cards we have heard of come from Germany in the 1800s. Surprisingly, it wasn’t for gaming. They were used as educational tools for students to learn multiplication. See, there’s some history to math bingo!
(3) So Many Bingo Cards …
Have you ever wondered just how many bingo card combinations there are? One calculation puts the number of possible cards at 552,446,474,061,128,648,601,600,000!
(4) 6,000 Cards, all by hand
Despite having so many different combinations, the first bingo cards sold in a set for the U.S. may have caused a man’s insanity. Carl Leffler, a math professor from the University of Columbia was hired to generate 6,000 cards by hand random enough to give all the players an equal shot. Legend has it that the man went insane after his efforts. Remember, there were no computers or electronic calculators back then!
(5) 1,474,200 Ways to Win!
You might only play with the standard 5-in-a-row win, which gives you 12 different ways to win. But if you calculate out all the different combinations of spots on a 5×5 card, there’s actually 1,474,200 ways to win. You just have to convince your caller that your pattern is valid!
(6) Bingo, Beano
The word bingo, by legend, is said to have derived when an excited woman called the word out instead of beano, which is what the game used to be called. Beano was called that because they used to mark the cards with dried beans. Considering the use of the product we call Beano today, it’s probably a good thing we changed it.
(7) 80% Female
If you’re looking for a partner and you’re a guy, you might want to consider going to the bingo hall or playing online. Statistics show that around 80% of all bingo players are women. Many of them are European, where the game is very popular. And if you think they’re all old, think again. The fastest growing segment of bingo players is under 35.
(8) #1 Reason for Playing Bingo?
Why do people play bingo? The top reason is for the sheer enjoyment of the game. Winning the big jackpot is only the fifth highest reason. Nevertheless, most regular bingo players do report hitting the big jackpot at least once in their lives. That’s a lot better than most regular slot machine players!
(9) Huge Market Size
Online bingo is huge, especially in Britain. In 2010, $640 million in revenue was earned by the online bingo industry. Half of that came from Britain.
(10) The Game You Love
About half of online bingo players play at least once a day. Considering the chat functions in online bingo, that means you have a good shot of keeping up a daily conversation with your bingo partners.
(11) Random-Generator at the core of it
Online bingo sites use random number generators to choose the numbers. In order to prove they are fair, bingo sites have to register their number generators with testing authorities that also work on real-world slot machines and other gaming devices that use electronics to generate random results.
(12) Bingo & Other Games
Bingo is a game that often sits at the edge of traditional gambling and non-gambling games. Some jurisdictions in the U.S. have a weird combination of slot machines and bingo machines. Each play actually generates a new bingo game and results from a set of cards. Depending on the results of those, you get a flashy electronic slots experience. The bingo results are displayed on a separate screen above the player’s head. This is a way to get around rules banning normal slot machines.
(13) Charity-driven
Despite a reputation for being a dowdy game in the U.S., over $90 million is spent each week on bingo cards. That’s a lot of charity games!
(14) 90-ball and other variations
If you play bingo across the pond, you’ll likely find a much different game than you’re used to. U.S. players play 75-ball bingo with a 5×5 card. Most other players play 90-ball bingo on a set of 9×3 cards.
(15) The Largest Bingo Win
The largest known bingo wins were recorded in Britain. One grandmother won over £1.1M at a bingo hall in Wales. The largest online win came in at £430,900.
With these facts in your pocket, you’ll be sure to impress some of your friends with your bingo knowledge. Do you have any interesting facts that you’d like to share about online bingo?
Which of these 15 Fun Facts Were You Surprised By?
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Do you have memories of playing bingo as a child? Do you remember being gathered together with friends to receive some cards? What fun that was, playing with your friends and hoping that you’d get Bingo before them. That’s one of the many reasons people play bingo today.
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Now imagine playing bingo all by yourself with a computer running the calling. It doesn’t sound much fun, does it? And yet, bingo sites like ours have been flourishing for years and years. Why? Because we put the social element back into the game through our chat room function. In fact, we wouldn’t be surprised if our chat rooms are an even bigger draw than the bingo!
Our players get to know each other through the chat rooms while the game plays. We’ve had people strike up life-long friendships with people all over the world, and even a few romances as well! The demographics of our players show a wide range of ages and locations. A lot of women like to chat in our rooms. It’s a great place to meet people in a safe location.
A previous story we shared tells about the power that online chatting and bingo can provide. Two women in the UK had struck up a friendship on a bingo chat room, talking for years and years. It was eventually discovered they were long-lost sisters! They’ve since met and are trying hard to reunite the rest of their separated sibling family.
If you’re worried about online harassment in our chat rooms, fear not. We have a dedicated moderator team to keep rude people out and to educate others in chat room etiquette. The etiquette is pretty similar to the same etiquette you’d use in an email list. Don’t swear or use excessive capital letters. And don’t spam the boards! Basically, it’s the opposite of what you see on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. It’s a form of the net that goes back to the simpler and more genteel times of the 1990’s net (we have been around since 1996 after all!)
People tend to be very polite in the chat rooms by offering praise to the person who won and sympathy to those who lost. People come here for fun, not to put other people down. This is a sentiment not found in many gaming channels anymore, much to our chagrin.
If you have any questions about Mania’s bingo games or about the chat rooms, the first place to start is to talk to the chat room moderator. The moderator is responsible for the smooth function of the game and of the chat room. They can educate you in how the game is played and the functions of the game board and of the chat room. They facilitate conversation and throw out people who break the rules. Many of our moderators started as regular players and gained moderator privileges due to how well they helped the chat rooms function. Don’t be afraid to ask questions!
Bingo chat room boards may have started as an extra-value feature, but they’re now a core component of all online bingo sites. The ability to converse with other players while the game is in progress is a huge advantage over dead-silent bingo halls. So if you want to make a bunch of new friends while bonding over a fun game that could net you a little bit of spending cash, sign up for a BingoMania account and get in on the action today! You’ll be glad you did and our players are ready to meet you. Who knows? You might even spark up a romance with someone.
Now You’re Turn
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It doesn’t matter if you have been playing bingo at your local bingo parlor for years, you might be thinking of giving bingo games online a try. Even if you still enjoy the social aspect of seeing and interacting with your friends at the bingo hall, there are some advantages to playing bingo online that you don’t get at live games. All you need to take advantage of the fun is a computer and an internet connection.
Here are seven advantages that playing bingo live in an online setting can offer.
Playing Bingo Online is 24/7 – You don’t have to wait for your local bingo venue to open and the games to officially begin when you play bingo online. You can play any time of the day or night and on any day of the year. It’s nice to not have to get dressed, get in your car and travel to the nearest casino to be able to play into the wee hours. You can enjoy the fun of playing bingo anytime you like right from the comfort of your own home. That means you can play bingo while dressed in nothing but your night clothes and your bunny slippers if you wanted to. Even when it’s 3:00 in the morning and you can’t sleep; it may surprise you just how many others are also up playing, too. Playing bingo anytime online allows you to work it around your schedule.
Playing bingo online can be less annoying – Some of the real downsides of playing bingo are all of ‘the little things’ that go on at the bingo hall. There always seems to be someone who just gets on our nerves while we’re trying to focus on the game. Other players may have annoying habits such as being too talkative, or taking up an entire table on their own with all of their cards and assembled good luck charms. Other players may be just too loud or moan and whine aloud every time someone else wins. You don’t have to keep a constant eye on your cards to avoid interference from other players, and you don’t have to worry about being short-changed by bingo hall staff either. It’s also nice to not have to worry about having your clothes, hair and everything else smelling of cigarette smoke by the time you get home. Playing bingo online lets you avoid all of that. Once you get started playing bingo online, you may never want to go back to the bingo hall again!
Playing online can be less expensive. Playing bingo live will often mean that you are buying a set number of cards for a set price. Online bingo will have a range of prices, depending on how much you want to try to win. Some feature free or very low prices for players who are risk averse. Those who want to spend more potentially have a chance to win bigger prizes. Many online players appreciate having that choice.
Online bingo games are fast paced! Playing bingo is often considered to be very dull when waiting for the bingo caller to pull the numbers out of the hopper and read them aloud. The computer based Live bingo games online are more fast paced. The numbers are chosen by the computer and you don’t need a dauber to mark your cards, simply click them with your mouse.
You can play bingo and chat with friends around the world – One feature of the best bingo sites online is the chat feature. You can still interact with friends who moved that you once knew at the bingo hall. In an earlier article, we asked whether our users liked to chat while playing bingo. We got a variety of interesting answers but the general consensus was that chatting with others adds to the fun and for some, it’s their favorite feature.
Playing bingo online has more variety – In order to keep players interested and engaged, sites feature colorful graphics, sounds to keep it interesting. At BingoMania we have a variety of cards and different games as well as courteous and attentive staff on hand 24/7.
Online bingo sites will often offer bonuses to players – Online bingo is a multi-billion dollar business each year and most will offer incentives to get people to join their site. At BingoMania, we have a number of different incentives for players to play such as our $10,000 Tuesday- Thursday free bingo sessions from 8:00p.m. – 9:00 p.m. or our end of the month Mega Prize Game.
That’s just a start, of course. You can check out more of our latest promos here.
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Believe it or not, there are countless ways that Bingo can be played. While everyone is familiar with the traditional way of getting a bingo; all of the numbers in a straight line, across, down, the four corners or a blackout, there are other bingo patterns as well.
Sure, you have seen many different bingo games on BingoMania, but obviously, they weren’t a “thing” before. Bingo patterns can range from simple to complex. The key to understanding how a pattern works is to concentrate on the game in front of you. The pattern that is needed to win can manifest in all sorts of directions and provide a challenge for even the most seasoned bingo players.
Different games require different patterns. Here are some of the more common bingo patterns that are played around the world wherever bingo is played.
Popular Bingo Patterns
Arrow – The arrow pattern can usually be formed in any corner and a diagonal that stretches to the opposite corner.
B & O –For this bingo pattern, to win, every square in the B and O line are covered.
Blood, Sweat & Tears – This bingo pattern is comprised of three bingos on the same card. For most games employing this pattern, having the four corners doesn’t count.
Diamond – The diamond pattern in bingo is formed in the shape of a diamond with the square of each side of the bingo card forming the point of the diamond.
Frame – The frame for this pattern can be on the outside or the inside of the bingo card. The winning pattern for a Dotted Picture Frame is made when every other square is used to make the frame on the bingo card.
Holiday Themed Patterns – Some bingo game patterns are made to form certain themes that correspond to the holiday. For Halloween, a Jack-O-Lantern could be chosen. For the Christmas Season, it’s not unusual for the bingo caller to decide upon a bingo pattern resembling a Christmas tree, a holiday bell, a Santa hat, candy cane, or Christmas stocking. To ring in the New Year, it isn’t unusual to see a call for a bingo pattern in the shape of a champagne glass.
Layer Cake – In this pattern is formed by the covering of every square in every other horizontal line.
Letters – Your bingo caller may decide on a specific letter for a winning bingo. Letters are usually formed on the outside edges, diagonals, and corners on the bingo card. Popular letter patterns include the X, Z, S, or E.
Lucky Seven – One of the more popular bingo patterns is the Lucky Seven. A player can get this particular pattern with all of the squares in the top or bottom of their card and a diagonal line from one of the corners.
Numbers – Like letters of the alphabet, the bingo caller will let players know the pattern before the game starts. The most popular number pattern is the number 7. Others include the number 3, 4, 8 & 9. The winner is the first person to form the number on their card.
Pyramid – The Pyramid bingo pattern is a graduated stack from a filled bottom or top line, extending to a single point at the top. A similar pattern would be that of the Triangle. From any corner, the triangle of covered squares is formed to cover half of the card.
Six Pack – A six-pack game means that a player has a pattern of six numbers, two rows of three each. These can be horizontal or vertical. This game may or may not allow the use of the free space as part of a winning pattern.
Top & Bottom – This pattern is created when a player plays all top and bottom squares on their bingo card.
Bingo is a versatile game that can make use of any number of patterns. Be sure to check the requirements before each game and try your hand at bingo patterns for your next online bingo game at BingoMania.
Your Turn – Share Your Thoughts & Win
Let us know which Bingo pattern is your favourite in the comments
Everyone thinks or even dreams about it. We discuss it among our families, friends, and coworkers and ask ourselves; “What would I do with the money when I win?”
We’ve all got dreams, big and small. No matter how much money is involved, whether it’s a little or a lot, winning can be exciting.
Go out to dinner – If you and your partner have a favorite restaurant that you haven’t frequented in years, why not go there with your latest BingoMania winnings? Even the smallest treats can pay off real dividends in memories with the ones you love.
Go to the spa or salon for some extra pampering – There is certainly nothing wrong with spending your winnings on a little bit of self-indulgence. Think of it as investing in yourself for a little “you” time. Booking a day at the salon or the spa is a fantastic way to spend your winnings. You can get your hair done, have a makeover, enjoy a full massage, a facial, a manicure or pedicure for example and you will feel absolutely fabulous afterward!
Buy that outfit you’ve had your eye on – Along the theme of pampering, you might want to take your BingoMania winnings and splurge on that chic outfit you’ve had your eye on, for example, or get that gorgeous leather jacket that’s just your style. It feels awesome to have something new in your closet and if you bought it with your winnings, it might even make you feel lucky!
Get someone you love that special thing they have been wanting – Has your partner been moaning about that 20-year-old coffee maker or lawn mower? Have the kids been badgering you about getting the latest X-Box game or bicycle that all their friends are riding these days? A BingoMania win can be the perfect time to give that ‘just because’ gift and let them share in your latest windfall.
Pay off a debt – There is nothing in the world quite like having a zero balance on your credit card, car loan, student loan or mortgage! Even if you only win enough money to make a substantial or even a single payment on any one of these, imagine how good it will feel to have it taken care of.
Buy a new car – Maybe it’s time to get rid of the old clunker and get a new set of wheels. It’s entirely possible to win enough money playing bingo online that you can walk into a dealership and pay cash for a new vehicle.
Start a college fund – Sending your kids to college or going back to yourself doesn’t have to be a distant dream. You can take your BingoMania winnings and put them into a college fund for your child or even yourself.
Do some home remodeling – Maybe it’s time to update your kitchen, bathroom or another part of your home. You could get some new living room or bedroom furniture or finally get rid of those 30-year-old Harvest Gold or Avocado colored appliances and get something new. How about splurging on that reconditioned claw foot bathtub you’ve always been wanting? Your BingoMania winnings can turn your home into your dream home.
Make a charitable donation – You could make a donation to your favorite charity to help one of your favorite causes. Whether you are inspired by Public Broadcasting, Doctors Without Borders, or your local animal shelter, giving has its own rewards. The nice thing about this option is that not only do you feel good about it; you get a deduction on your taxes, too.
Take that luxury vacation you’ve been promising yourself – Maybe you have wanted to take a break from work, unplug the phone, and go on a cruise. Or you could journey to a far off dream vacation in Europe, an African safari or spend it lying on a beach somewhere in the Bahamas. You can even keep playing BingoMania even while you’re on vacation, too!
What will you do with your next BingoMania winnings? Whatever your dream is, share some of your ideas with us in the comments.
Your Turn – Share Your Thoughts & Win
Let us know which Bingo pattern is your favourite in the comments
We Bingo is normally played with numbers, but there are other ways to play bingo. If you can put it on the card and make up rules for players to cover the spot, you can make a bingo game out of it. Weve already talked about math bingo before, where the callers uses math problems to call out the numbers. Today, in celebration of the upcoming holiday well be talking about scavenger hunt bingo.
Scavenger hunt bingo uses pictures of objects or short descriptions on the card instead of numbers. Players receive their cards, then everyone runs off to find items that will make a bingo line on their card. If they can bring them back to the caller and show that they have a bingo, then they win! You can even include very difficult items by allowing pictures of the items to count.
Sometimes this game is used for icebreakers at corporate functions, but its popular among kids as well. You could make scavenger bingo for any kind of event youd like, so long as there are enough items there to find. Heck, you could have a line be the C-suite of your company! Wouldnt that be an interesting time? Or you could play it around the house. A neat parenting trick would be to make scavenger bingo cards of your childrens toys. The next time their room is messy, hand them the card, explain the game, and stand by the toy box. The room will get picked up quickly!
What are some things that could be put on a card for a 4th of July scavenger bingo game? Lots of things, like:
* A U.S. flag
* A (small!) firework like a sparkler.
* Hotdogs
* A cooler
* Soda
* Picnic basket
* Picnic blanket
* A squirt gun
* Condiments (ketchup, mustard)
* Chips and dip
* A tri-corner hat (Difficult!)
If you dont want to make your own bingo card up, we have one of our own that should provide plenty of fun and challenge for your players:
Just print out the card for your 4th of July picnic and make sure some of the items are around. You probably will want to accept pictures unless you want your kids trying to take down bald eagles! Give it a try and well bet that you and your kids will have a great time at your celebration. And if you have some downtime, why not try an exciting game of bingo on Bingo Mania to celebrate as well? You could win big!
We would all like to get a bit of extra luck when we play bingo but how far would you be prepared to go in order try and get this?
Some people like to carry about a good luck charm all day, have one in their house or even do things in a certain way in order to try and generate some extra luck. Would you be happy to use any of the following good luck charms?
We know that bingo is a game of chance and cool perks such as the new rewards program will further improve your odds of winning delicious cash size prizes. But majority of players still believe in lucky charm when playing.
This is a good luck symbol that is used in the world of Feng Shui to bring wealth, unending love and a happy life. In the Indian culture this symbol also represents the goddess of wealth. The Mystic Knot symbol is made up of a series of interlinked loops and is often described as being the image of a snake swallowing its own tail. The Mystic Knot can be found on charms, necklaces, amulets and in a lot of other different forms, with red being the most common color. If you want to follow the Feng Shui approach then this good luck charm should go in the south west corner of the room you are using it in.
Crickets in the House
The next good luck charm is a bit gross but, hey, maybe it’ll get you a big win and you won’t mind. Crickets are viewed as bringing good luck in a number of different cultures around the world. In Brazil, for example, when crickets start to sing it is said to be a sign that it is either going to rain or you are going to get a lot of money; we know which outcome we would prefer. The Chinese believe that having crickets in the house is good luck, as the huge number of eggs they lay is assign of abundance and prosperity. A similar theory exists in Barbados, while crickets are hugely important in Native American cultures. If you want to try and get some good luck with the help of a cricket then maybe you could keep one in a cage, as people do in some countries.
A Rabbit’s Foot
In the Western world, a rabbit’s foot is one of the most popular good luck symbols. However, would you be happy having one sit next to your computer while you play bingo games? This is one of the most common good luck charms in many parts of the world and is also one of the oldest, with its use being dated back to possibly 600 BC. If you are going to use one of these charms then you need to get it right. First, it has to be the left hind foot. Secondly, the rabbit has to have been caught in a cemetery. Some people will tell you that the phase of the moon or the date is also important. These are among the most common good luck charms used by American gamblers and you should be able to find some for sale in a curio shop without too much trouble. You might even find one with a handy keychain on it.
A Red Envelope
If we go back to Feng Shui for a moment, we will find that a red envelope with coins inside it is viewed as being a powerful symbol of good fortune and prosperity. It is classed as a way or respecting and protecting the passing on of age-old knowledge and it is common for Chinese families to use red envelopes when gifting money. There is an interesting story behind the importance of red envelopes, though. A young man killed a fierce dragon that had been terrorizing his village and was rewarded with a red envelope filled with money. If you are going to use the red envelope technique for good luck then put some coins in it and then place it in the south east corner of the house or in your purse.
A Four Leaf Clover
Another good luck charm most of us are aware of is the four leaf clover. However, have you ever actually seen one of these things? Well, while they aren’t common they do exist. It is estimated that for every 10,000 three leaf clovers there is one with four leaves. This symbol of good luck is strongly associated with the Irish and they say that the four leaves each represent something different. The first one is for faith, the second for hope, the third for love and the fourth for luck. If you have no luck finding one then you can either buy a real one online or else get a piece of jewelry or a key ring with the image of a four leaf clover on it.
A Laughing Buddha
Another popular Chinese good luck charm is the Laughing Buddha. If you want to use one of these symbols at home then, according to Feng Shui principles, the best height for a statue is said to be 30 inches. This guy is said to be a reincarnation of the original Buddha and was a fairly eccentric monk who brought a lot of joy and laughter to the world. Having one at home is said to offer you happiness and wealth. If you want to see if he can bring you some good luck at bingo then you should place him facing the front door of the room you play in.
A Beckoning cat
The so-called Beckoning Cat or Waving Cat is another oriental symbol to attract good luck for the owner. In this case it comes from Japan and is called Maneki-neko there. This good luck charm has now spread to many parts of the world and you shouldn’t have too many problems finding one for sale. It is also called the Fortune Cat or Lucky Cat by some people and is said to be ideal for bringing good luck when placed in a home or business premises. The gold colored models are highly popular, although with a bit of research you should be able to find other colors too.
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