Online Bingo Tips
Just because you have a computer and a working knowledge of bingo, that doesn’t automatically make you an expert at online bingo. The following tips will point you toward a successful online bingo experience.
Safety Guidelines
Many people are afraid that the Internet is full of hackers who will corrupt their computer or steal their credit card number. But playing bingo on the Web shouldn’t be a security risk, as long as you observe some simple rules.
Make sure the site is legit. Some gambling sites are perpetrated by shady characters who, in different circumstances, might try to sell you the Brooklyn Bridge. Other sites are just so disorganized that it’s nearly impossible to sort through all the passwords, registration numbers, and Web pages, and if you win a prize, you might not see it for months (if at all) due to disorganized Web masters.
Unfortunately, there’s no “Better Business Bureau” that specializes in online bingo, particularly with regard to the sites that want your credit card number to play. There should be no problem at all with the “free” sites offered by the big boys of the Web (Uproar, Excite, Gamesville, Bingo.com). If you have doubts about a for-pay site, see if the proprietors address issues of security and privacy (some post “Privacy Policy” statements or descriptions of the security measures they use).
Visit bingo message boards online to see if anyone has reported getting ripped off; the Bingo Bugle Web site offers a feedback column where people can report problems with online bingo games. One site, Bingo!@WinnerOnline, reviews several popular pay-bingo sites.
Don’t give out your password. Pick a unique password to protect your account — preferably one that would be difficult for others to guess. If you forget it, don’t worry — most sites will give you a hint or the option of receiving the password at a private e-mail address.
Beware of Web sites that promise big money. And certainly don’t give out your credit card number! Veteran Internet bingo players can tell horror stories about prizes that never arrived and online accounts that weren’t credited on time, if ever.
Look for free games. Try sticking to well-trafficked Web sites that promise fun first and prizes for little or no investment on your part. That way, if they aren’t up to snuff, you can simply move on, a little wiser and no poorer.
Online Bingo Lingo
When you find a game of bingo to play on the Internet, you may be confused by the alphabet soup that spills out of the chat area while the game is taking place. In order to keep up with the breakneck pace of the virtual bingo caller and, more important, in order to socialize, computer bingo players use shorthand for a variety of common expressions. Below is a sampling of the most common abbreviations you’ll see online:
- 73 (or any other number). If a player just needs O-73 to win, he or she may simply type “73″ in the chat area, either to let everybody know or hoping for luck.
- pls. “Please!” If somebody is close to getting a bingo on a big jackpot, they may type this. If the number they need is I-17, they may write “17 pls.”
- gl. “Good luck!”
- wtg. “Way to go!” When somebody wins an online bingo, you may see an outpouring of wtg’s from the other players.
- gj. “Good job!” An alternative to “wtg.”
- tyvm. “Thank you very much.” This is shorthand to show gratitude for the well-wishes of other players.
- gg. “Good game.” This usually comes from a player who’s being a good sport.
- brb. “Be right back.” Players use “brb” when they get up for a cup of coffee, need to answer the phone, etc.
- lol. “Laughing out loud.” Since nobody can see you laugh online, players will type this to show they appreciated a joke.
- rotfl. “Rolling on the floor, laughing.” The joke must have been really funny.
After becoming familiar with the online vocabulary and safety tips, you are ready for a game of online bingo. So where can you find a bingo game? Check the last page for a directory of bingo Web sites.
How to Play Online Bingo
Attention, bingo enthusiasts! There are dozens of bingo and bingo-related games on the Internet, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What you’ll need is a reasonably updated computer with a modem (a device used to connect your computer to the Internet), Internet access, and a Web-browsing software program. In this article, we’ll discuss general rules on how to play online bingo, and some tips to help you keep up with other players and safely collect your winnings. We’ll even familiarize you with online terms so you can communicate quickly with other players.
Online bingo games are a lot like games at real bingo halls, but they come without the smoke and the noise. The main bingo card is a pop-up window that contains information such as:
- your card faces (usually three)
- the current number and a tote board of previously called numbers
- a list of current players
- a “chat room” where players can type a few quick words to each other between games. To chat during the game, players type into the chat box under their cards and press the ‘Enter’ key on the keyboard.
But, there’s more to online bingo than the card. Most Web sites that host bingo games include a bunch of fun stuff online, including bingo news, pictures and comments from past winners, news about upcoming special tournaments and events, and a list of prizes or places where you can redeem gift certificates you win online.
Some Fees Required
While many of the online games themselves are free, most do come at some price. You’ll have to wade through ads plastered next to the game cards or in pop-up windows. Plus, you’ll need to pay the monthly fee for Internet access. Die-hard online enthusiasts might even choose to invest in a second phone line so they don’t tie up the only line.
Some for-pay online games (which require a virtual buy-in using a credit card or check) promise to award big prizes.
How to Play
Getting started: At Bingo.com, players compete for prizes in free games. Before you play any game at Bingo.com, however, you have to sign up for a user name. Be sure to supply a valid e-mail address, or you won’t be able to claim prizes. Most of the games are straight-line bingo or coverall.
Each player gets three cards per game, which appear in a special pop-up window with the bingo tote board and a chat area (and a lot of advertisements). The pattern players have to match appears in the upper right corner of the bingo window. The Bingo.com computer calls numbers at random. As numbers are called, players “daub” their cards with a click of the mouse. When a player’s card matches the pattern, he or she hits the “Bingo” button.
Prizes: While there are some cash prizes at Bingo.com (for example, on Mondays all winners are automatically entered in a drawing for $50 in cash), don’t expect the stakes to be too high for most online games. At Bingo.com, most games are worth a set amount of “bingo bucks.” A straight-line bingo might be worth 20 bingo bucks. If more than one player wins, they split the bucks. Every 1,000 bingo bucks can be redeemed for a $10 gift certificate.
The winnings for progressive blackout are a lot higher, and can easily top 1,500 bingo bucks, but the odds are no different than they are in the real bingo hall. People can play for days and never even come close to hitting the blackout.
Socializing: If you spend lon g enough on Internet bingo games, you will start to recognize the user names of certain regulars. Some games are downright chatty, while others are uncomfortably silent (or peacefully quiet, depending on your perspective). Socializing is not mandatory. You may choose to just sit at your computer and play. If you don’t like a particular person’s chatter — you may find them to be rude or annoying, perhaps — you can just click on their name and hit the “Ignore” button, and they’re history.
Also, you can click on the “Private Chat” button to send a confidential message to another player. You may not find that you have a whole lot of time to socialize, however, because the online “caller” (basically just a little box where the current number appears) may churn out several numbers seemingly as fast as you click the mouse. After just a few games, though, it becomes easier to keep up with the caller, and you may find yourself with extra time to surf other bingo games at Web sites like Uproar.com and BingoMania.
Potential pitfalls: Sometimes online bingo doesn’t go as smoothly as it would at the local bingo hall. The card face may not fit on the screen. The game could get terribly slow, depending on your connection speed, the quality of the Internet service provider, the amount of traffic on the Internet, or problems with the Web site itself. A player may get disconnected from a game because of heavy Internet traffic, or because the Web site itself is so busy that it can’t handle all the requests. A heavy dose of patience may be required.
Online bingo players also should be careful of other potential pitfalls, like false bingo sites. In the next section we’ll discuss tips on how you can play it safe and still enjoy your bingo experience.
Full House Bingo moves online
90 Ball or Full House Bingo, a popular bingo game played in Bingo halls in the U.K., is now available at Jackpotjoy.
Players can buy bingo tickets and receive free bonus tickets to win 1st, 2nd, Full House and Progressive Jackpots and Super Jackpot prizes. The games begin every 6 minutes so there are prizes to be won around the clock.
Playing the Game
Tickets purchased for a game are automatically included in that game. Some of the tickets and numbers drawn are displayed on the game screen. The way numbers are marked off, the number and order of tickets shown can be set as described in the Preferences section.
Progressive Jackpot
Progressive Jackpots are available in every game. The current total of the progressive Jackpot is to the left of the Ticket area. The numbers next to the jackpot in brackets show the amount of ball calls left before the chance to win the progressive has gone. If the player completes their bingo ticket before the number reaches 0 then they will win.
Super Jackpots
Super Jackpots can be won in a similar way to the Progressive Jackpot. When the Super Jackpot is available, it will be displayed to the left of the Ticket area. If a player completes all the numbers on their ticket quickly enough, they will win the Super Jackpot.
Free Games
Twice a day, players can claim up to 12 free tickets by clicking on the Free Tickets button just before the free game begins.
Ticket Display
If more than three tickets have been purchased, players can increase or decrease the number of tickets displayed by clicking the + and - signs for the zoom option when the game is being played.