Bingo Variations

The best bingo sites offer a range of different variations for you to choose from. However, most games come in two forms: the 75-ball version favoured in the United States, or the 90-ball variant played in the UK and some other countries. Here’s a breakdown of those two options, and a couple other common variants.

75-Ball Bingo

In this game, each card features a 5×5 grid of numbers. The columns are labelled B-I-N-G-O, spelling out the name of the game. Traditionally, the middle square is a “free space” that is automatically filled at the start of each game. Numbers 1-15 can appear in the first column, 16-30 in the second column, and so on.

When the game begins, calls will be made with both a letter and number, such as B-12 or N-41. In the most basic games, the winner is the first player to fill in a full line of five numbers in any horizontal, vertical, or diagonal direction. However, other patterns are also common, including four corners (in which a player wins by marking the four corner squares on their card) or the blackout, in which the goal is filling your card.

90-Ball Bingo

In 90-ball bingo, players purchase cards that have nine columns and three rows. Typically, the first column features numbers from 1 to 10, the second 11-20, and so on, until the last row, which has numbers ranging from 81 to 90. However, unlike in 75-ball bingo, not every square holds a number; instead, only 15 squares will feature numbers on each card, with five numbers appearing in each row (or line).

While gameplay varies, the most common version sees players winning based on filling in all five numbers on a line. The first prize of a game will go to the player who first covers one of their lines. The next prize will go to the first player to complete two lines. Finally, the top prize will be awarded to the player who completes a “full house” by covering all 15 of the numbers on their ticket.

30-Ball Bingo

This fast-paced version of bingo allows rounds to be completed in a matter of minutes. Players buy 3×3 cards with numbers in each square, and only the numbers between 1-30 are used. Commonly, players must fill in their entire cards to win a prize, though three-in-a-row prizes are also possible.

80-Ball Bingo

Like the 30-ball game, this is an online variant meant to speed up play a bit. It uses a 4×4 card completely filled with numbers. In each game, players will look to make a range of patterns, such as lines or covering the entire card.