How to Play Bingo: Rules, Game Types and Bingo in Australia

Bingo, a familiar game at bingo halls, clubs and fundraisers, is also a standard game at online casinos, although online bingo cannot legally be offered to people in Australia. The suspense of waiting for your numbers to be called is still there, with casino-style presentation and the chance of large payouts added.

What You Will Learn

• Bingo is a simple game: in the classic 75-ball version, numbers from 1 to 75 are drawn, and you try to complete one horizontal, vertical or diagonal line on a 5×5 card.
• Online casino versions let you buy several cards at once and add multipliers.
• The page also explains the rules for bingo in Australia, including the law on online bingo.

This article takes about 9 minutes to read.

What Is Bingo?

Bingo is a standard casino game in which you check randomly drawn numbers against your card and race to complete one horizontal, vertical or diagonal line. Its main appeal is that anyone can play on equal terms, regardless of gambling experience.

The card has 25 squares in a 5×5 grid, and the FREE space in the centre is marked from the start. In the classic 75-ball version, you simply wait for numbers from 1 to 75 to be drawn and mark them off on your card. This very simple set of rules is the reason the game has stayed popular around the world.

Bingo has been played around the world for generations. Today it is more than a social pastime: it is an established gambling game at both land-based and online casinos.

Bingo is a game of pure luck, and that is exactly what makes casino bingo appealing: beginners without any special skills can play for large payouts, and experience gives no player an advantage.

Bingo Is Easy to Play at Online Casinos

Bingo is familiar from bingo halls, clubs and fundraisers, but at an online casino the game feels very different, because real bets and payouts are involved.

How Online Casino Bingo Differs

The two main differences are the real-money stakes and the wide range of special features.

In a casual or social game of bingo, you complete a line, collect a prize and the game is over. Online casino bingo has features of its own, such as buying several cards at once and multipliers that increase payouts.

In live bingo, a professional presenter runs the game from a studio. The experience is like being in the audience of a television game show, and the game becomes a show with video and sound rather than one in which you simply wait for numbers.

How to Play Bingo at an Online Casino

1. Where online casinos are legal, you log in and open the bingo game from the casino’s game lobby.
2. Choose how many cards to buy and the bet per card.
3. When you are ready, click (or tap) Play to start the draw. The balls are drawn automatically.
4. Numbers on your cards that match the drawn numbers are marked automatically, and when you complete a line, the payout is credited to your account immediately.

Because you cannot miss a number or forget to mark one, you can play several cards at the same time without having to keep track of them yourself.

Choose Games by Return to Player (RTP) to Play Longer

Bingo is essentially a game of chance, with random results produced by an RNG or a physical ball-drawing machine, so, unlike poker, there is no skill element.

There is, however, one basic way to make your bankroll last and play for longer: choose games with a high RTP.

In online casino bingo, RTP varies from game to game.

• Return to player (RTP): The theoretical share of all bets paid back over the long term. The higher the figure, the smaller the average loss.
• Volatility: How much results vary in the short term, i.e. how often wins occur and how large they are. In games with higher volatility, large multipliers appear, but losing streaks also last longer.

These are two separate measures, and a game with a high RTP can still have high volatility. If you want to play longer with the same bankroll, choose a game with a high RTP; if you care more about the presentation and large multipliers, choose a game with high volatility.

If you want to play for a long time without your balance dropping quickly, check the game’s information screen beforehand and choose a bingo game with an RTP of 95% or higher. Even at 95% RTP, however, the theoretical long-term result is still a loss. Keep in mind that choosing a high-RTP game does not give you an edge; it only slows the rate at which you lose.

Three Popular Bingo Games at Online Casinos

Here are three games that differ in RTP and style of play.

Mega Ball

The best-known live bingo game is Mega Ball from Evolution.

Its main appeal is the large payouts created by the Mega Ball multiplier, which comes into play with the last ball. The game takes its name from this final ball, the Mega Ball. After the regular balls are drawn, and just before the Mega Ball is drawn, a multiplier between 5x and 100x is selected at random. If the Mega Ball completes a line, the payout is multiplied.

You can buy up to 400 cards per round. The RTP is 95.05–95.40%, depending on conditions. With lively hosting by professional presenters and the excitement in the studio when a large win is confirmed, the game feels like taking part in a television game show.

Watch on YouTube ↗

Monopoly Big Baller

Monopoly Big Baller, also from Evolution, combines bingo with Monopoly, the board game known around the world.

What sets this game apart is that the bonus round is triggered by bonus cards bought alongside the bingo cards. When every number on a 3 Rolls or 5 Rolls bonus card is drawn, you enter a bonus stage in which a 3D Mr. Monopoly moves around the board.

The multiplier on the square where he stops is applied to your bet, so the game can produce larger multipliers than ordinary bingo. Bonus round payouts are already included in the RTP, however, so they do not give you any extra value. The RTP is 96.10% for bets on the bingo cards (95.83–96.58% for the bonus cards). The game suits players who enjoy a lively, show-style presentation.

Watch on YouTube ↗

Sweet Alchemy Bingo

For players who prefer a slower, quieter game to the flashy presentation of live bingo, a typical example is Sweet Alchemy Bingo, released by Play’n GO.

It is an RNG bingo (video bingo) game based on the popular slot of the same name, with cartoon-style graphics featuring a young witch.

Unlike live games, there is no timer or presenter, so you control the speed of play. When you are close to completing a line, you can buy extra balls to extend your chances, which adds an element of decision-making to the game.

The game also includes a pick-and-click bonus round (Elixir of Power). It is a good choice for beginners who want to learn how bingo works without pressure.

Watch on YouTube ↗

Bingo at Land-Based Casinos

Some land-based casinos, in places such as Las Vegas and Macau, have dedicated bingo halls. Bingo is especially popular in Las Vegas, Nevada, where many local residents play it regularly. South Point Hotel and the Plaza Hotel & Casino, for example, have bingo rooms large enough for many players.

The defining feature of bingo at a land-based casino is that it is played with paper cards. Instead of watching a computer or phone screen, you mark each number on a paper card with a dabber, an ink marker that stamps the square.

Unlike slots and table games, bingo lets you step away from the noise of the casino floor and play at a relaxed pace over a cup of coffee.

The cost to play is often fairly low. If you visit a casino overseas that has a bingo hall, consider stopping by between slots and table games to see how the game is played in person.

Frequently Asked Questions About Bingo

Is keno different from bingo?

Yes. The two games are very similar, but there is a clear difference. In bingo, you buy cards with numbers already printed on them and compare them with the numbers drawn. Keno is closer to a lottery: you choose several numbers yourself from 1 to 80, and the result depends on how many of them match the numbers drawn afterwards.

Can beginners play bingo games?

Yes, beginners can play without any difficulty. The system checks the numbers and detects completed lines automatically, so you can enjoy the game from your very first round, even before you have learned all the rules.

Bingo in Australia

Bingo is played in person at clubs and community venues across Australia, but online bingo is treated differently under Australian law.

Online Bingo and the Law in Australia

Online gambling in Australia is regulated at the federal level by the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, which is enforced by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). Under this Act, it is illegal to provide online casino-style games to people in Australia, and online bingo is covered by the same ban as online pokies (poker machines, also called slot machines), roulette, blackjack and other online casino games. It is also generally illegal to advertise these services to Australians. The law is aimed at the businesses that provide or advertise these services. The ACMA asks Australian internet service providers to block illegal offshore gambling websites and the affiliate websites that promote them.

This means the online bingo games described on this page, including live bingo shows and RNG bingo, cannot be offered to people in Australia. Bingo in Australia is played in person at clubs and community venues, usually as charitable or community fundraising, under state and territory rules. Legal online gambling in Australia includes betting on horse racing and sport with providers licensed in an Australian state or territory, and lotteries.

Age, Safer Gambling and Getting Help

You must be 18 or over to gamble in Australia. Land-based gambling, including bingo at clubs and community venues, is regulated by each state and territory, so the rules that apply are set by the state or territory where the venue is located.

Before you play, set a budget and a time limit, and treat any money spent on bingo as the cost of entertainment rather than a way to make money. As with the casino games described above, the expected long-term result is a loss.

BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register is a free Australian Government service that lets you exclude yourself from all licensed Australian online and phone wagering providers in one step, for a period from 3 months up to a lifetime. BetStop covers betting providers, not land-based venues; clubs, hotels and casinos have their own state and territory exclusion programs.

If gambling is causing problems for you or someone close to you, call the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858. The service is free, confidential and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Gambling Help Online also offers live chat and email counselling.

Summary: Choose Bingo Games by RTP to Play Longer

Bingo is a game everyone knows, and at online casinos it has become a new form of entertainment with elaborate presentation and the chance of large payouts.

It requires no complex strategy or bluffing, and the system checks the numbers and detects winning lines automatically. This is why even first-time players can enjoy it without difficulty.

You can enjoy the atmosphere of live bingo or play at your own pace with RNG bingo. When choosing a game, checking that the RTP is 95% or higher makes it easier to play longer with the same bankroll. As long as the RTP is below 100%, however, the expected long-term result is still a loss.

Online bingo cannot be offered to people in Australia. Here, bingo is played in person at clubs and community venues under state and territory rules.