If you’re new to online bingo, or online casino games as a whole, you might need a little help getting started. 

There are a few things to consider if you want to start playing. It’s important for your safety, as well as your online gaming experience, to know what to look for when signing up at an online casino. 

Is online bingo legal in the US?

Online gambling, and gambling in general, is not legal throughout the entire United States. Currently, only 48 states allow gambling in some way, shape, or form. However, since PASPA (the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) was eliminated in 2018, each state is now authorized to introduce its own gambling and online gambling legislation. 

If you want to play online bingo, you need to check the legislature for your state of residence. Not all legal states will allow every type of gambling, such as online gambling or sports betting. Before you unknowingly break the law, be sure to check whether or not you are allowed to gamble online in your state. 

Choosing an online bingo site

Before you can start playing bingo, you need to choose a safe, reputable site. There are a few simple steps to ensure you’re picking a safe site that offers a great user experience. 

Make sure the site is legal and safe

Before you play bingo online in the USA, it’s always a good idea to take the time to ensure the bingo site is legal and licensed. Be sure to check the home page – typically at the bottom of the page – for an official license.

You should also check the payment methods available to determine whether they can be trusted. Look for big banks and payment facilitators such as PayPal and Visa, which would never affiliate themselves with an unlicensed or illegal site. If there are secure and trusted payment methods, it’s a good indicator the site is safe. 

Another great way to assess the quality of an online bingo site is to browse user reviews on forums and social media. These reviews often shine a light on issues with the site that aren’t immediately apparent before you register. If there aren’t many, or any, that doesn’t mean it’s automatically unsafe – there just might not be anything for its users to complain about. 

Keep in mind, too, that this research can also tell you whether the site you’re considering offers a good user experience, a broad choice of fun games you want to play, and a smooth gameplay experience. 

Once you’re sure you’ve found the site you want to join, you have to go through the sign-up process. This involves providing some personal details and verifying your age and identity. 

How to play bingo

You might already know how to play bingo; it’s a timeless classic. But, there’s a variety of bingo games out there, which may have slightly different gameplay and rules. A game of bingo starts with everyone getting a card with some random numbers on it. The bingo caller calls out numbers one by one, and if you have one of the numbers on your card, you daub it off (that’s bingo lingo for marking it with an “X”). Typically, the first person to cross off a whole vertical or horizontal line wins, but rules differ from game to game. 

Online bingo games are similar, but instead of a bingo caller pulling numbers, it’s done by a random number generator (RNG). But the really fun part about playing bingo online is all the possibilities it opens up, such as playing with multiple cards and being able to explore lots of different versions of the game.

Which type of bingo do you want to play?

If you’re a bingo veteran, you probably already know what kinds of bingo games you like to play, but a new player might not know that different types of bingo games exist. 

90 ball bingo

You’ll find 90 ball bingo on all of the best online bingo sites. In this version, there are 15 numbers on each bingo ticket, which are arranged in a 9×3 grid. You’ll find numbers 1-9 in the first column, 10-19 in the second, and so on.

Numbers between 1 and 90 will be called and random and you’ll have three opportunities to win:

• 1-line win: This is when you cover an entire horizontal line.
• 2-line win: When you cover two horizontal lines, which can be from different cards on the same ticket.
• Full house win: This is when you cover all the numbers on your ticket and you’ll be rewarded handsomely.

75 ball bingo

The way that 75 ball bingo runs is pretty similar to 90 ball bingo, however, there are obviously 75 numbers on the ticket in five horizontal lines and five columns. Each column has a letter of the word “Bingo” at the top of it. B has numbers 1-15, I has numbers 16-30, and so on. There’s also a blank number in the middle of the card; it has no number and acts as if it is already covered.

You can win in 75 ball bingo by using the same line wins at 90 ball bingo, but you can also win on vertical and diagonal lines. If you cover all 24 numbers, it is known as a coverall win.

Then there’s the bingo pattern wins, which are super cool! At the start of the game, a pattern or shape will be declared, such as a star, and then players must try to fill up the blocks in this specific pattern to win.

Other bingo game varieties

Of course, these aren’t the only types of bingo games that you can play. There’s also 30 ball bingo, 80 ball bingo, and a really great combination of slots and bingo, called Slingo.

Slingo takes the instant thrill of slots and combines it with the dauber action of bingo. This is usually played with a 5×5 bingo ticket and a reel of slots at the bottom of the screen. Land the numbers on your reels and scratch them off your card as you go and you could score a winning combination. If you’re a fan of bingo or slots (or both) then this game is definitely worth a shot.

Look out for bonuses

One of the biggest draws for online bingo fans is the bonus offers for new and existing members. If you watch for good bingo bonuses, you could get a significant boost to your bingo bankroll.

There are many ways in which online casinos reward their players, but the most common bonuses and special offers include:

• Sign-up bonuses: A sign-up bonus is exactly what it says on the tin – register and you’ll be rewarded with some bonus cash in your account. Some sites offer multiple sign-up bonuses spread over your first few deposits, so watch for the best deal possible. 
• No-deposit bingo bonuses: A no-deposit bonus is one of the most popular and sought-after bonuses for players looking for a good deal. This bonus is awarded to: 
• Players without even having to make an initial deposit into your account. That’s right: Signing up earns you instant free money to play with! 
• Cashback bonuses: Sometimes bonuses won’t award you with credit immediately, but will instead offer the opportunity to earn back a portion of your losses incurred while playing. Each week, the online casino may refund a portion of your losses (typically between 5% to 10%) into your account. 
• Reload bonuses: These bonuses are targeted at existing members and reward players for making regular deposits into their account throughout their membership. 

Pick up some bingo strategy

It might seem odd to talk about strategy for a game based entirely on chance, but there are actually strategies that you can apply to improve your online bingo game. 

Some quick-fire bingo strategy tips and tricks include:

• Auto-daub feature: While this feature is active, the game will automatically mark off any numbers that are called on all your bingo cards. That way, you won’t risk missing any of the numbers as they’re called out and potentially miss a win!
• Keep your eye on the chat: There might be bonuses and challenges to be won in the chat during online bingo games, particularly if you’re playing live bingo. Prizes can include anything from free games to actual money deposited into your account!
• Don’t chase losses: When you’re playing games of chance, sometimes luck just isn’t on your side. The best thing you can do when you realize you’re “on tilt,” as it’s called, is to step away from the game for a moment, do something else, and gather your thoughts. 

We hope you’ve found this brief guide on how to play bingo useful and that you’ll enjoy what this much-loved game has to offer when you play it online.

Play the best online bingo games at Borgata Bingo

At Borgata Bingo, New Jersey residents can try their luck on a range of exciting games, including the classic 75-ball and 90-ball bingo games, as well as jackpot slots, Slingo, and many more exciting titles. See what incredible gameplay is on offer when you play online bingo. Download the app via iOS or Android or register online to join the party at Borgata Bingo.