Is Online Bingo Rigged?
No, online bingo is not fixed. Many people believe that online bingo is rigged because the balls are drawn by the casino rather than an independent dealer, leading to the assumption that the casino purposely avoids drawing your numbers for an easy win. However, online bingo games actually use a system known as a Random Number Generator (RNG) to draw out all the numbers in a game.
Whenever a ball is drawn, the game’s RNG creates a random algorithm which selects the number that is drawn via the bingo machine in the game. This ensures that all numbers are given a fair chance of being drawn and that the casino has no advantage over the player.
Are RNGs Trustworthy?
Most RNGs are trustworthy but this will generally depend on the region you’re gaming in. In the United Kingdom and as ruled by gambling regulator the UK Gambling Commission, all RNGs at an online casino must be regulated to ensure that it is truly random, fair to the player, and that it does not provide the casino with an advantage.
One well-known regulator that checks the RNG of casino games is iTech Labs and casinos who have had their games tested will display the iTech Labs logo in the footer of their website. Unfortunately, most online casinos do not display these badges on their website, even if they do have a UK Gambling Commission which requires them to be tested.
How Do I Make Sure A Bingo Site Is Safe?
It’s actually easy to ensure your safety when playing online bingo, all it involves is checking a few factors before registering with an online bingo website.
Licensing
The most important thing you can do to ensure that an online bingo or casino website is safe is by checking the licensing. If you’re in the UK, the website you’re thinking of registering with should hold a valid license from the UK Gambling Commission. This regulatory body will ensure that the site offers you a fair range of casino games, that the site employs proper security services to ensure your personal and financial information is kept safe, and it ensures that all RNG mechanics are regulated and working correctly.
Similarly, if you’re in other regions you should check that the online casinos you’re thinking of registering with are licensed by your local gambling regulator to ensure that you’re kept safe and looked after.
RTP
Similarly to RNG, all casino games have something called an RTP (Return To Player) rate which notes the percentage rate players have of earning all wagered money back. However, as we’ve explained countless times, the RTP rate cannot be used to calculate when you’ll trigger a payout. The RTP rate is calculated over a long period of time involving different players. The higher the RTP of a game, the better chance you have of making wins, and it’s a good idea to try and look at the RTP of games to ensure that you’re offered the best chance of making wins. You can learn more about payouts and find websites with the best payout rates here.
Avoid Playing Overseas
This ties into the first point we made above; avoid registering with and playing at an online casino from overseas. These are usually a little risky to play at and if you do decide to register at one of these casinos, it’s important to understand that you will not have the same level of security, fairness, and support that you would playing at a site regulated by your local gambling regulatory body. What’s more, there’s a chance that these overseas and unlicensed casinos may host pirated games or those that are skewed in their favour, and they may make it harder for you to withdraw your winnings and money.
Safe Online Casinos Offering Bingo
We’ve reviewed dozens of online casino and bingo websites and have worked out which are the best for you to join if you’re looking for online bingo games. Take a look at our recommendations below with links to our in-depth reviews of these websites where you can learn more.
BGO Casino
BGO is a popular online casino operated by BGO Entertainment Limited. The website offers a huge selection of online casino games like video slots, table games, and live casino, as well as virtual sports betting, and bingo too. You can enjoy 90-ball, 80-ball, and 75-ball bingo at BGO Casino along with a range of promotions and bonuses, and so much more. Check out our BGO Casino review for more details.
Gala Casino
Gala Casino is another popular online casino and bingo website. New users who register here can claim a £50 free bingo bonus while enjoying a variety of bingo rooms, each with different prizes and ticket prices. If that’s not enough, the site also provides players with a great selection of casino games like video slots. Learn more by reading our Gala Casino review.
Sundae Bingo
Sundae Bingo is another popular bingo website. If you register here, you’ll be able to enjoy a variety of 90-ball and 75-ball bingo rooms as well as plenty of video slots and other casino games. Finally, the website offers a generous welcome package for new users and it’s quick at processing withdrawals. Take a look at our Sundae Bingo review for more information.
Swanky Bingo
Swanky Bingo is another bingo website that has become popular in the United Kingdom. Users who register here can claim up to a £120 bingo bonus and enjoy video slots, scratchcards, and so much more. For bingo, you can play 90-ball, 80-ball, 75-ball, and 30-ball bingo. You can discover more about the site by reading our Swanky Bingo review here.
If the above isn’t enough for you, you can take a look at our complete list of the best online bingo websites right here. All of the sites that we do suggest are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission and are completely safe to play at!
Online Bingo: How Does It Work?
Online bingo games aren’t that different from games in real-life. Essentially, you purchase a ticket to the game and are given a scoreboard filled with numbers. The amount of numbers on the scoreboard will depend on the variation of bingo you’re playing but the rules remain the same; numbers will be randomly drawn by the casino’s RNG and if the number is one your scoreboard, it will automatically be marked off.
Depending on the game variation, there may be different rules regarding how to win. Some bingo games will require you to mark off all numbers while others will offer multiple prizes for marking off different rows or award prizes for creating specific shapes on the scoreboard. Regardless, you can win a prize by marking off all the required numbers on your scoreboard first.
As you’ve noticed there are several types of bingo games, each of which have different scoreboards. The most popular bingo rooms are:
- 90-ball: Uses a scoreboard of three rows and nine columns, and awards three prizes for completing the first line, the second line, and clearing the entire board.
- 75-ball: Uses a 5×5 grid scoreboard and players win prizes for completing the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth lines.
There are additional varieties of bingo available at UK websites but these two are the most common rooms you’ll find, with 90-ball bingo being the variation you’ll most often play at real-life bingo halls.
Finally, we’ll also have to point out that most online bingo games have chat rooms where you can interact and chat with all other players who have joined the game. Since everything is automatically done for you in online bingo games, you can actually go about your business and return once the game has completed or you can start playing a different game while waiting on the results. It’s completely up to you, but provides you with complete freedom!
If you believe that online bingo isn’t for you, don’t worry! You can always try visiting a brick-and-mortar casino venue to play in real-life with other people. Take a look at our Bingo Near Me guide to find your closest bingo venues.
Questions & Answers (FAQ)
How is online bingo fixed?
As we’ve explained in the page here, online bingo games in the UK are not fixed! The reason for this is because the UK Gambling Commission requires all games to be fair and to have been regulated.
Should I play online bingo games?
That’s up to you! Some people love switching on a game of online bingo and chatting with other players or doing something else while the game plays out. Other users, however, believe the games are boring since you do nothing. Why not give bingo a try and see if you like it? It’s simple and doesn’t require much effort but can reward you with some big prizes if you’re lucky enough!
Are there any online bingo bonuses?
Yes. Many online casinos that offer bingo games also provide players with bingo bonuses which can only be used on bingo rooms. You can find some casinos offering bingo bonus in our suggestions above.
Can I play free bingo online?
Some online bingo websites allow you to play free bingo online as part of their welcome bonus. Through it, you’l be several days worth of free bingo tickets to play with. If you’re interested in claiming this bonus, take a look above at some of our online bingo suggestions.
Where can I find the best online bingo sites?
We’ve already mentioned some of our best online bingo sites above but you can find more by taking a look at our list of the best bingo sites right here.