Myrto Shane | December 26, 2023 | Updated on: August 7th, 2024
Online bingo is one of the most popular gambling games in Australia. When you play bingo online for real money, you get access to all sorts of fun and exciting variants of the game, with most featuring massive progressive jackpots.
Find out all you need to know about playing online bingo in Australia here. We teach you how to play, provide tips on winning, and break down some essential bingo terminology to keep in mind while playing a game.
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How to Play Online Bingo
Online bingo is a relatively easy casino game to play. Not many players are aware of this, but there are many types of bingo games. We’ll get to explaining how they differ a bit later – all you need to know now is that all variations offer the same type of gameplay.
Here is all you need to get started with an online bingo game:
- Pick an online bingo site – we recommend picking one of the casinos we have listed above. Each site has a great list of bingo options and has been thoroughly vetted by our team. If we do say so ourselves, we play
- Create an account – sign up for the site’s services by creating an account. If you would like to play for real money, deposit funds into your account.
- Head to the games lobby and pick a game – once you have created an account, pick a bingo game you want to play. Most casinos offer loads of bingo rooms featuring different games with varying ball counts, cards, and more.
- Pay for your ticket – in this part of the process; you will place your bet to participate in the game. Usually, the smallest bet you can make is purchasing a single bingo card. Most games will allow you to purchase more than one, though.
- Wait for the numbers to be called out – online bingo games don’t require you to pay attention to what is going on screen – numbers are automatically dubbed. However, this is not the case with all games, so we recommend keeping track of what is going on.
- Check if you have won – if you are the first person to make the pre-determined bingo pattern on your card, you win a cash prize. The prize will be paid out to you automatically.
Online Bingo Rules
All bingo games follow the same basic set of rules:
- Players buy cards.
- A pre-determined pattern you need to make on your card is decided.
- Callers randomly draw numbers.
- Called numbers are marked off players’ cards.
- The first bingo player to make the winning pattern wins.
However, outside of these general gameplay rules, there are a few technical rules that vary from game to game, including:
- Player number limits.
- The number of cards a single player can buy.
- The total jackpot you win.
How to Win Online Bingo
Now that we have explained how to play bingo, you may be interested in learning how to improve your odds of winning. What you need to know is that online bingo is strictly a luck-based game.
Unlike some gambling games, such as blackjack or poker, skill cannot influence the game’s outcome by any measure. As much as some players love to believe it, nobody is skilful in picking random cards.
However, that doesn’t mean there is no way to increase your odds of winning. Basically, there are three “techniques” you can use to boost your chances:
1. Buy More Bingo Cards
The more cards you buy, the greater your chance of winning – as simple as that. You are eliminating more potential duds and increasing your probability of getting the winning bingo card by purchasing more cards.
No game will allow you to buy every single card in play. However, it is not uncommon for a game to allow players to play ten or more cards at once. Some online bingo games let you play more than 100 cards at once.
2. Play Games with Fewer Players
The lower the number of players involved in the game, the lower the chance of another player getting the winning card. For example, if you play a game with only ten players, your chance of being getting the winning card is 1 in 10.
However, if you play a game with 100 players, your chance of being dealt the winning card is 1 in 100, which is far lower.
There are pros and cons to playing online bingo games with fewer players. One of the biggest pros is you increase your odds of winning. However, one of the biggest cons is that the jackpot you win is smaller.
Usually, this is true for one of two reasons:
- The game has a small number of players because the fixed jackpot is very small, such as $100.
- The online bingo game features a progressive jackpot based on the number of players involved. Essentially, this means if there are few players, your prize is smaller.
3. Focus on Games with More Numbers
It is believed that it is easier to win games than with more calls. Basically, with 20-ball or 30-ball games, it is easier for players to get an early win because the number of possible variations is far lower than a game with more numbers.
We can’t say we believe in this online bingo logic, but it can’t hurt to try focusing on games with a greater scope for a little while.
Types of Bingo Games
There are four popular types of online bingo games you can play at most casinos:
30-Ball Bingo
30-ball bingo is also known as speed bingo because a game goes fast. Simply put, this means you can play more games quicker. Of course, playing more games quicker is both good and bad. If you play speed bingo online, we suggest you play level-headedly and don’t participate in more games than you can afford.
75-Ball Bingo
75-ball bingo is also known as US bingo because it is the most popular version of the game in the United States. It is very easy to find 75-ball bingo games online – most casinos offer a version of the bingo game.
Aside from the larger number of balls used, the card is slightly different. It is 5×5, meaning a longer gameplay experience.
80-Ball Bingo
80-ball bingo was the traditional version of online bingo, but now there are versions available offline. Cards are slightly different to that seen 75-ball bingo – it features 16 squares but doesn’t necessarily follow a square matrix format.
Software developers often get pretty creative with the cards, which means different pre-determined patterns may be expected in a game.
90-Ball Bingo
90-ball bingo is the version of the game Australian players should be most familiar with. It is the most popular variation of the game in the UK and Australia.
The game usually features three rounds. The first game sees players mark off a single horizontal or vertical row. The second round sees players mark off two horizontal or vertical rows. Then, the final round sees players mark off the whole board. Generally, the biggest prize is left for the last round.
Free Online Bingo Games
Most online casinos offer you a chance to play free bingo games online. Usually, you are limited to playing simple RNG games, and you can’t participate in tournaments unless you pay the fee.
Some players see no value in free virtual bingo games because it isn’t a game you need to practice. However, there is still a lot of value in playing free games, primarily:
- You get to play games with your friends without spending real money. This can be a fun social event when you can’t see them.
- You get to keep playing even when you have spent your entire bankroll. So, you can still have fun even if you don’t have the cash to spend.
Bingo Glossary
If you have never played bingo before, the lingo can seem confusing. So, here are some terms and their definitions to help you assimilate into the online environment:
- Admission packet – the minimum number of cards that need to be purchased for a game to take place.
- Bingo – the name of the game or the term you shout out when you have made the pre-determined pattern on your card.
- Blackout – a game that requires you to match every single number on a card.
- Buy-In – the amount you have to pay to participate in a bingo game.
- Coverall – see “blackout”.
- Dauber – the pen used to mark off numbers on your card that have been called out.
- Free Space – the number on every card that the house gives to you.
- Pattern Games – games that require you to match a certain pattern on your card.
- Quickie – a game of bingo where the numbers are called as fast as possible.
- Wrap Up – the final game of a tournament or a gaming session.
Check out our other casino game guides:
Bingo Australia – FAQs
Yes, you can really win real money by playing bingo online. Several online casinos and dedicated bingo sites offer you the chance to play RNG games or live games with a remote caller.
The best online bingo site is King Johnnie Casino because it has tons of games available to play with different rules and themes. They also regularly run tournaments with massive jackpot prizes.
Yes and no. Theoretically, it is possible to rig any casino game. However, sites that have the approval of online gambling governing parties have been proven to provide fair games.
Meaning you should ensure the casino you play is licensed and registered with these parties to know that you are playing fair games.
Yes and no. Theoretically, it is possible to rig any casino game. However, sites that have the approval of online gambling governing parties have been proven to provide fair games.
The following bingo sites payout well:
1. Jackpot Jill
2. King Johnnie
3. Golden Crown
4. Play Croco
5. Cobra Casino
6. Woo Casino
7. CasinoChan
8. 5Gringos
9. Kahuna
10. Amunra
Online bingo sites offer two types of games: either RNG or live games. RNG games use a computer algorithm to determine results. The algorithm is fair in that no outcome is influenced by the last.
In live games, a real-life caller is streamed to you and calls out the numbers one-by-one. It’s just like you are at a real game, but instead, you are watching it on your computer screen.