How Are Bingo Jackpots Calculated?

White tiles with black letters on them form the word “BINGO!” against a bright pink background.

The jackpot is the largest prize you can win in any game of bingo. Several types of jackpots are available when you’re playing bingo, such as community jackpots, fixed jackpots and progressive jackpots. Each type is calculated according to a variety of factors. These are discussed in greater detail below.

How jackpots are calculated

Winning a bingo jackpot is a matter of chance more than anything else, but that doesn’t mean you have to rely on the luck of the draw. Many bingo players like to stay on top of their odds by using a jackpot calculator. Knowing how jackpots are calculated can be beneficial for any form of bingo, regardless of whether you’re playing an online game or its brick-and-mortar equivalent.

The first aspect to remember is that there are two main types of bingo: 75-ball bingo and 90-ball bingo. Generally, 75-ball is predominantly played in the UK, whereas 90-ball is the preferred format in the US. Why is this important? Because the number of balls makes a difference to the odds of winning the jackpot, line payouts and any other prizes.

If you want to play bingo online, keep in mind that the majority of online games use the 90-ball variant. Furthermore, 90-ball bingo has multiple prizes, which might increase your chances of winning but also means that the jackpot prizes tend to be smaller.

In a standard game of online bingo, the jackpot can range anywhere from $50 all the way up to multi-million dollar pots. The amount is calculated according to the number of players and the price of tickets unless there’s a guaranteed amount decided on beforehand. In other words, the greater the player count and the more expensive the tickets are, the bigger the jackpot becomes.

That’s not the end of our equation, though. We still have to factor in the profit for the bingo operator. A common question that gets asked is why jackpots can’t be made equal to the sum of ticket prices. The simplest answer is that service providers need to make a profit in order to continue operating successfully. The percentage varies depending on the operator, with most establishments settling for 5–10% of the total payout.

Types of jackpots

Now that we’ve covered the two main types of bingo, as well as the general method behind the calculation of jackpots, our next step is to understand the different types of jackpots you may come across.

A smiling person against a yellow backdrop holds up a lotto ticket while crossing their fingers.

Fixed jackpots

This is the jackpot type you’ll see the most when playing jackpot bingo games. A fixed jackpot can be won repeatedly, with the value remaining the same no matter how many times players hit the lucky combination.

In 90-ball bingo, the fixed jackpot can be won by getting a full house on a bingo card within a specified ball limit. In 75-ball bingo, players have to match predetermined patterns on their cards to win. For both types of bingo, winning players share the jackpot equally, with payouts distributed immediately.

Progressive jackpots

Progressive jackpots are largely dependent on ticket sales from the previous day. The prize amount is accumulative, meaning that progressive jackpots have the potential to be much larger than fixed ones. The catch is that the amount is reset once the prize has been won.

Casino operators set the amount for the jackpot the day before, so the total amount can change overnight if someone wins or ticket sales go up. The only way to win a 75-ball progressive jackpot is with a coverall win. In 90-ball, a full house is enough to walk away with the winnings.

Community jackpots

In a nutshell, this is the jackpot where everybody wins. Community jackpots benefit all players by distributing a share of the prize to all participating players. Winning players get the largest percentage, but there’s still a little something for everyone.

The community jackpot is probably the easiest bingo jackpot to cash out on, with the split being either equal for all players or relative to the number of tickets bought. It’s also the most appealing jackpot for new players, seeing as anybody winning means everyone gets a piece of the pie.

How to choose the right jackpot

Green, white, brown and magenta bingo balls in a purple bingo cage.

There are no guarantees when it comes to hitting the jackpot. Unlike line payouts and common pattern wins you might come across when playing bingo, it’s fairly common for an entire game to go by without anyone winning the main jackpot.

If we look back at bingo history, the biggest bingo jackpots were won by a handful of players, despite there being over a billion active bingo players worldwide. Landing a major jackpot of any kind is a rare achievement that few players have the privilege of experiencing.

The only way to increase your chance of winning is to buy more tickets than other players. The rest of the game is out of your control, so the best thing to do is just sit back, relax and enjoy the game. And remember, when you cash out any bingo jackpot, be sure to check if the game is still running! Not all jackpots signal the end of the game, which means you might miss a number if you take too long celebrating.

Chase alluring jackpots with Borgata Online

Keen to put your bingo knowledge to the test? Simply register with Borgata Online for all the bingo excitement you could ever want. If you’re in the mood for some practice, you can always research tips on how to win with our useful guide; try using a jackpot payout calculator to see how the odds are stacked before you dive in.

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