Bingo is a game of probability in which players mark off
numbers on cards as the numbers are drawn randomly by a caller, the
winner being the first person to mark off all their numbers.[1]
Bingo is becoming more and more popular across the UK as more purpose
built bingo halls open every year.[citation
needed]
The game is thought to have begun in Italy in the 1500s.[citation
needed] Bingo is believed to have migrated to
France, Great Britain, and other parts of Europe in the 1700s.[citation
needed] Players mark off numbers on a ticket as
they are randomly called out, in order to achieve a winning combination.
Bingo originates from the Italian lottery, Il Gioco del Lotto
d'Italia. From Italy, the game spread to France and was known as
Le Lotto, played by the French aristocracy. Tombola was used in
nineteenth-century Germany as an educational tool to teach children
multiplication tables, spelling, and even history.
Bingo played in the UK (90 ball bingo) is not to be confused with
bingo played in the US (75 ball
bingo), as the tickets and the calling are slightly different.
Description
of the game
Strips of 6
tickets
A typical
bingo ticket is shown to the right. It contains 27 spaces, arranged
in nine columns by three rows. Each row contains five numbers and four
blank spaces. Each column contains up to three numbers, which are
arranged as follows, with some variation depending on bingo companies
and/or where the game is played (e.g. hall, club or online):
- The first column contains numbers from 1 to 9 (or 10),
- The second column numbers from 10 (or 11) to 20,
- The third, 30 (or 31) to 40 and so on up until the last column,
which contains numbers from 81 to 90.
Tickets are sold as strips of 6, because this allows every number
from 1 to 90 to appear across all 6 tickets. This means that players are
guaranteed to mark off a number every time a number is called.
Gameplay
The game is presided over by a caller, whose job it is to call out
the numbers and validate winning tickets. He or she will announce the
prize or prizes for each game before starting. The caller will then
usually say "Eyes down" to indicate that he is about to start. He or she
then begins to call numbers as they are randomly selected, either by an
electronic
random number generator (RNG), by drawing counters from a bag or by
using balls in a mechanical draw machine. Calling may take the format of
simple repetition in the framework, "Both the fives, fifty five", or
"Two and three, twenty three", but some numbers have special calls due
to their significance. In some independent clubs, numbers ending in a
zero are described as 'blind'. So for example, thirty would be called as
'three-o blind 30' The use of blind numbers is generally restricted to
independent bingo clubs, as it is not common practice in either of the
largest chains of bingo club operators, Gala and Mecca bingo.
A typical dabber used for UK paper bingo tickets
The different winning combinations are:
- Line – covering a horizontal line of five numbers on the ticket.
- Two Lines – covering any two lines on the same ticket.
- Full House – covering all fifteen numbers on the ticket.[2]
- In New Zealand in bonus (Super Housie) games, often three
lines may be claimed – top, middle and bottom, usually with much
larger prizes, are also played at various times throughout the
session.
- In the UK, however, it is most common for a line game to be
followed directly by a two line game and a full house game, or
just by a full house game.
- In the UK's
National Bingo Game only a full house game is ever played.[3]
The record payout for the national bingo game is over £1,100,000
- In all cases, the last number called must be in the winning
sequence. If a player does not stop the game in time and the
caller calls out the next number the player's winning claim is
often invalidated.
As each number is called, players check to see if that number appears
on their tickets. If it does, they will mark it with a special marker
called a "dabber" or a "dauber", shown here. When all the numbers
required to win a prize have been marked off, the player shouts in order
to attract the caller's attention. There are no formal rules as to what
can be shouted, but most players will shout "Yes" or "Bingo". Some
players may also choose to shout "Line" or "House" depending on the
prize, whilst others choose to shout "house" for any win (including a
line or two lines), players may use any other call to attract the
caller's attention (should they wish). An official or member of staff
will then come and check the claim:
- In the UK with the increasing computerisation of bingo systems,
an Auto-Validate system is often used in large clubs where a 1 to 8
digit security code is read out by a member of staff and checked
against the entry for that ticket on the system. This saves the club
from the time-consuming exercise of reading out every number on the
ticket.
- It is very unusual, even in the smallest of bingo clubs, for the
numbers to be checked against the numbers generated by the caller.
The only circumstances when this is done is when there is a computer
error in the club that means that the
Serial number or perm number of the winning ticket cannot be
identified.
There will often be an interval halfway through the game. In UK bingo
halls it is most common for Mechanised Cash Bingo to be played (see
below).
Purchasing tickets
When players first arrive at the venue they can buy a book of
tickets. Players generally buy their Main Session first, followed by any
flyers such as
National Bingo Game tickets, Early and Late sessions and special
tickets.
In UK bingo clubs, all books are purchased from a book sales desk,
located usually in the entrance of a club. Playing is divided into
sessions with different books, each with a designated number of pages.
In most UK bingo clubs, including all Gala and Mecca clubs, the first
session, known as either the 'Early Session' (at Mecca) or the 'First
Chance' (at Gala) is a three-page book played at around 13:00 for
afternoon sessions and 19:00 for evening sessions, although the actual
start time can vary per club. This is followed by a break in which
Mechanised Cash Bingo is played (see below). This is followed by the
main session (known as the Main Event at Gala), which consists of around
11 pages of bingo with a break in the middle of around half an hour.
When players purchase their tickets, almost all players purchase tickets
for the main session. Some arrive earlier and purchase books for the
early session. When the main session finishes, there is another break
with more Mechanised Cash Bingo followed by a late session. At Mecca,
the late session consists of three pages and costs £3. At gala, a link
(see below) is played for the late session (known as the 'Last Chance')
and consists of two pages and is free.
Linked bingo
Mainstage bingo can be played as a link, in the same way that
Mechanised Cash Bingo is played as a link (see below). This allows more
prize money to be offered per game. One person from one club is the
caller, and his or her voice is broadcast across all clubs taking part
in the link. At all Gala Bingo clubs in the UK, the 'Last Chance' is a
two-page book of 6 tickets which is played across around 30 clubs.
People play the game in exactly the same way as ordinary mainstage
bingo, and the same game rules apply. The prize money is £100 for a
line, £100 for two lines and £100 for a full house during afternoon
sessions and £200 for a line, £200 for two lines and £200 for a full
house during evening sessions across both pages of the book. If somebody
has a claim, they are still required to shout. The host of the winning
club then turns their microphone on and says 'claim in...' followed by
the name of the club, which stops gameplay so that the claim can be
checked.
It is sometimes necessary to have a linked game during the main
session across certain clubs where the amount of ticket sales for that
club has not been high enough to allow for a considerable amount of
prize money. For example, during weekday afternoon sessions and Monday
and Wednesday evening sessions, The Gala Bingo clubs in Aldershot,
Dover, Maidstone, Nottingham St. Anne's and Wokingham link up for four
pages of gameplay during the first half of Gala Bingo's Main Event. This
allows them to offer better prize money to customers given the fact that
the clubs are very small and don't generate enough money from book sales
to offer considerable prize money.[4]
Windfalls
Most bingo clubs offer windfalls (see
Windfall gain) on certain games, which allows clubs to offer
significantly more prize money for a certain game without having to pay
out that amount of prize money everytime the game is played. Windfalls
vary per club, some clubs offering more windfalls during a session of
bingo than others. Some clubs charge for certain windfalls, whereas
other windfalls are free. For example, the bingo bonus played at all
Mecca clubs generally costs an extra £1 to play (see below). Examples
are:
- Bullseye: call house in exactly 50 numbers and win an extra £50
(played at all Gala Bingo clubs in the UK)
- Double Bubble: call house on any of the numbers 11, 22, 33, 44,
55, 66, 77 or 88 and double your full house prize money (played at
all Gala Bingo clubs in the UK)
- Lucky Stars: on pages of bingo where the Lucky Star game is
played, each player is assigned a number from 1 to 90. This number
is known as their Lucky Star. If they call house on their lucky
star, then they can win an extra £1000 if playing during an
afternoon session or £2000 if playing during an evening session.
(played at all Gala Bingo clubs in the UK)
- Bingo Bonus: call house in a certain number of calls and win the
jackpot. This is played across all Mecca Bingo clubs in the UK and
the jackpot varies from £750 to £1500, depending on the club in
which it is played. The number of calls in which to call house
varies also, for example the Mecca Club in
Beeston[disambiguation
needed] states that if you call house in 46
numbers or less on the bonus page, then you win an extra £1500. In
Mecca
Knotty Ash, if you call house in 49 numbers or less on the bingo
bonus page, you win an extra £1000. In Mecca
Thanet,
if you call house in 47 numbers or less on the bingo bonus page, you
win an extra £1000. As you can see, in some Mecca clubs it is easier
to win £1000 on the bingo bonus page than others, because the number
of calls required to win varies depending on the size of the club.
- Gala Bingo's High 5: (see below)
Electronic bingo
Most bingo clubs in the UK now offer electronic bingo.[5]
This allows players to purchase more than the standard 6 tickets per
game, thus increasing their chances of winning. Customers purchase
'bingo packages', consisting of a certain number of tickets for each
game, as well as extra flyers or special tickets such as
National Bingo Game tickets. The electronic terminal on which the
game is played automatically marks the numbers off the tickets when each
number is called. It then orders the tickets so that the best tickets in
play can be seen on the screen. This allows players to purchase a larger
number of tickets than they would usually be able to handle from playing
on paper. Of course, the cost of electronic bingo is proportionally
higher than playing the standard 6 tickets. In order to encourage more
customers to play electronic bingo, clubs usually sell 'Electronic Bingo
Packages' which effectively makes the cost of each ticket better value
for money. For example, if a club was selling strips of 6 for £12 for a
session, which corresponds to £2 per ticket, then they may sell an
Electronic Bingo Package of 24 tickets for £36; £1.50 per ticket.
The electronic board on which the tickets are played are usually
black touchscreen terminals, with screens slightly larger than DVD
cases. Players who use these terminals are required to use their club
membership to add credit to their club 'accounts'[2]
in order to purchase bingo tickets. When a player wins, they are still
required to shout. After their claim is verified, the winnings are
automatically deposited into the players bingo account. This means that
the staff member who verifies their claim does not need to physically
provide them with their cash winnings. The electronic boards now offer
many features including Mechanised Cash Bingo (see below), in which
players can play up to four boards instead of the usual two, as well as
a variety of slot games and other gambling-based amusements. Players can
either add credit to their bingo accounts to play these games, or spend
bingo winnings. As of 2009, some larger Gala Bingo clubs have been able
to offer 'Wizard Terminals',[6]
which use exactly the same software as their clubs' touchpads, but have
large upright screens which people play on, and are dedicated to one
section of the club, often known as the 'Wizard Area'. In June 2012,
Mecca Bingo introduced, for the first time, a similar section of
electronic screens to its club in
Catford,[7]
as part of trial to see if they should be introduced into other clubs
across the chain.
Two of the largest bingo club operators in the UK (Mecca Bingo Ltd.
(part of
The Rank Group plc) and Gala Bingo (Gala
Coral Group Ltd.))[8]
offer electronic bingo in most of their clubs. Electronic Bingo has
become more and more popular in the UK in recent years as a means of
improving the chances of a player to win, and making more profit for the
club.
Bingo for profit
Bingo is an expanding and highly profitable business, with many
companies competing for the customers' money.[citation
needed]
The largest companies with bingo halls in the United Kingdom are
Mecca Bingo Ltd. (part of
The Rank Group plc) and Gala Bingo (Gala
Coral Group Ltd.) In
Northern Ireland, one of the largest bingo club groups is the Planet
Bingo Group, with seven clubs around the province.[citation
needed]
Online bingo is also becoming increasingly popular with many
different companies launching sites such as tombola.co.uk, Sun Bingo
(which also owns Fabulous Bingo and jackpotjoy.com), meccabingo.com,
galabingo.com, xbingo.com and many others.
In Northern Ireland bingo clubs, where the laws governing bingo games
are different from in England, Scotland and Wales, it is common, when
playing "parti bingo" for the caller to announce that a position or
"card" has won, and ending the game, without the participation of the
person playing. This enables the customer to play more positions in hope
of a better chance of winning.
Mechanised cash
bingo
Mechanised cash bingo differs from paper bingo, because it is played
on a bingo board that is 4x4 square, and split up into four columns of
colours. The numbers are assigned the following colours:
- Numbers 1-20: red
- Numbers 21-40: yellow
- Numbers 41-60: blue
- Numbers 61-80: white
Colours are assigned to the numbers because it makes it easier to
distinguish between different numbers. For example, 17 and 70 can be
confused, so instead 17 becomes 'red 17' and 70 becomes 'white 70'. This
means that the automated voice which calls the numbers does not need to
say, for example 'one and seven, seventeen', but 'red seventeen'. This
means that the numbers can be called a lot faster by the caller (usually
around 1.5 seconds a number).
In most UK bingo clubs, including most Gala Bingo clubs, mechanised
cash bingo is played on a plastic board which has small windows which
are used to cover up the numbers when they are called. In all Mecca
Bingo clubs, bingo cards are built into the table tops and the numbers
are covered up using small plastic chips.
A typical mechanised cash bingo board, built into the table
top
The company involved will then use a computer (called a stage rig
controller) to automatically take a "participation fee" which is set by
the operator (usually between 40% and 60%). The rest of the credit is
then put into the prize pool to be played for. The customer chooses when
they want to play, and insert credit into a coin slot. Almost all games
cost either 50p or £1 per board. Most clubs have two possible boards to
play per coin slot, known as Board A and Board B. When credit is added
to play a game, the A board is automatically lit. In order to bring the
B board into play, players are required to insert extra credit and press
their claim buttons in order to activate their B boards. Players can
also play on their electronic bingo terminals by touching each board
that they wish to bring into play. On electronic boards, players can
choose from an A, B, C or D board.[9]
When a customer has a winning combination they press a claim button
to stop the game. This is profitable for the operator as the games are
so fast, and a huge parfee can be made in a few minutes. The prize money
is then brought to their table. If someone wins on their electronic
board, then the winnings are automatically deposited into their 'bingo
account'. In Northern Ireland bingo clubs, where the laws governing
bingo games are different from in Great Britain, it is common when
playing mechanised cash bingo for the caller to announce that a position
or 'card' has won, and ending the game without the participation of the
person playing. In other words, clubs in Northern Ireland do not require
players to press a claim button. This enables the customer to play more
positions in hope of a better chance of winning.
In order to encourage more people to play, and to offer better prize
money, larger bingo operators offer games which are linked with other
clubs, generally known as 'the Link'. Generally, between 10 and 20 clubs
will link up and play a much larger game of mechanised cash bingo, with
prize money in the hundreds. One person from one club will host the
game, talking to all other clubs simultaneously over their microphone
system. When someone in a club wins, the host from the winning club will
say 'claim in...' followed by the name of the club. For example, if
there was a winner in Gala Bingo in Wavertree Park, then the host of the
Wavertree Park club would immediately turn on their microphone and say
'Claim in Wavertree Park'. As of September 2011, when Gala Bingo stopped
operating their own version of a national bingo game (see
National Bingo Game), they introduced a Mechanised Cash Bingo link
known as 'Party Xtra XL'. This game is played amongst all Gala Bingo
clubs in Great Britain before each Main Session, with prize money
typically ranging between £4,000 and £8,000 for weekday afternoon
sessions and between £10,000 and £21,000 for evening and weekend
afternoon sessions.[2]
The highest amount ever won for this game was approximately £26,000, won
by a single player on 17 October 2011. Most Gala clubs were
exceptionally busy, because this was the date of Gala's 20th
anniversary.
In November 2012, Mecca introduced its own version of Gala's National
Party Xtra XL game, known as the Richest Link. Equally, all Mecca clubs
in the UK link up offering prize money worth thousands of pounds. In
addition to this, if a winning player claims on their top red number,
then they win the jackpot of an extra £10000 on top of their full house
prize money.
Mechanised cash bingo has also allowed bingo halls to focus on the
more lucrative business of bingo.
National Bingo
Game
The National Bingo Game is a bingo game operated by the National
Bingo Game Association since 1986 and played in some British bingo
clubs. The largest National Bingo Game operator in the UK is Mecca Bingo
with approximately 97[10]
clubs participating in the game.
Gala
Bingo's High 5 game
Gala Bingo withdrew from the
National Bingo Game in 2008 and created their own version of the
game, known as the High 5 game. The game was played immediately before
the second half of each Main Event, the same time as when they would
have previously played the
National Bingo Game. The game was a link game across all clubs in
the UK. The prizes were £1000 for a line, £2000 for two lines and £3000
for a full house. In addition to the standard full house prizes were
windfalls, offering the chance to win more money. If the winning player
called house on any number ending in the number 5, then they took £25000
instead of £3000. If the player called house on the number 5, then they
won half of the
Progressive jackpot, with the other half of the progressive jackpot
being shared amongst all other members of the club in which the winning
ticket was won. In September 2011, Gala ended the High 5 game. The Party
Xtra XL game was then introduced (see above) and the High 5 game itself
was replaced with the 'Special Ticket' (see below).
Gala
Bingo's special tickets
Special tickets are named after each Gala Bingo club in which they
are played. For example, the tickets are known as 'The Wavertree
Special' in Gala Wavertree Park. The special tickets are played with
numbers 1-80 in exactly the same format as the mechanised cash bingo
(see above), but are played on paper (unless the customer is playing on
an electronic terminal). It's a simple full house game with a given
in-house jackpot based on the number of tickets sold. In addition the
following windfalls apply:
- Call house in between 45 and 51 calls and win an extra £500
- Call house in between 41 and 44 calls and win an extra £5000
- Call house in 40 numbers or less and win an extra £20000
Online bingo
Main article:
Online bingoThe prevalence of the online bingo games has dramatically increased
the number of online gamers and many online gaming community members in
the UK have started learning and participating in bingo.
Gambling
In the UK, entering a bingo hall premises or taking part in online
bingo is illegal to anyone under the age of 18[10]
because it is regarded as gambling. According to
The Rank Group, the average spend per visit to a Mecca Bingo club is
£15.96,[11]
with people spending more and more money as electronic bingo becomes
increasingly popular. Bingo is an area where people can suffer from
problem gambling,[8]
just like any other form of gambling addiction. Bingo in the UK is
regarded much more seriously as gambling rather than the old-fashioned
way of playing it in a village hall or church. Bingo is now regarded as
a leisure industry, thought to be worth around £1.3 billion.[12]
Nicknames
In the game of
bingo in the
United Kingdom, callers announcing the numbers have traditionally
used some nicknames to refer to particular numbers if they are drawn.
The nicknames are sometimes known by the rhyming phrase 'bingo lingo'
and there are rhymes for each number from 1 to 90, some of which date
back many decades. In some clubs the 'bingo caller' will say the number,
with the assembled players intoning the rhyme in a call and response
manner, in others, the caller will say the rhyme and the players chant
the number. In 2003,
Butlins
holiday camps introduced some more modern calls devised by a Professor
of Popular Culture in an attempt to bring fresh interest to bingo.[13][14]
Since the introduction of the electronic
random number generator (RNG) in bingo halls in the UK, the usage of
the nicknames or bingo calls[15][16]
above in mainstream bingo has dramatically decreased.
See also
References
External links