The pandemic led to the closure of several bingo halls globally, but that hasn’t affected the game’s popularity. On the contrary, the bingo game has never stopped being famous, and the only thing that’s changing is the way people play the game. Namely, until recently, people would travel from different parts of the city or country and attend events held at the bingo halls. Today, people download bingo game and play them on smartphones and other mobile devices. There’s no need to travel long distances and share a room full of strangers to enjoy your favorite game. You can install it on your device and daub the numbers on your virtual ticket no matter where you are.
Moreover, you can play online bingo games with your friends, or you can participate in tournaments where you’ll be matched with random online players in real-time.
Speaking of bingo games, two bingo variants stand out and are enjoyed by millions of online gamers. These bingo variants are 75-ball bingo and 90-ball bingo. While 75-ball bingo is the version that is predominantly played in the USA, 90-ball bingo is the predominant bingo variant in the UK. The terms US bingo and UK bingo are used synonymously with 75-ball bingo and 90-ball bingo, respectively.
Both 90-ball and 75-ball bingo follow similar general rules. Players have the bingo cards where the numbers must be marked off according to the numbers being called by the bingo caller or randomly generated within the online bingo game. Then, you have to manually daub the number on your cards or virtual tickets and create a diagonal, vertical, or horizontal sequence. Whichever player completes the winning pattern first and calls out ‘B-I-N-G-O’ will win.
Even though the general rule remains the same, there are differences between the two bingo variants. Read along to explore those differences.
90-ball bingo or the UK bingo
The main bingo variant played in the UK is 90-ball bingo. Typically, a ticket for the game contains twenty-seven spaces, and they’re arranged into nine columns by three rows. Each row comrpises four blank spaces and five numbers. Each column contains three numbers, and the first column has numbers from one to nine, the second column has numbers from ten to nineteen, and so on.
The tickets are created as strips of 6 because they allow all the numbers from one to ninety to appear on all six tickets. So, if players buy all the six strips, they are guaranteed to mark off all the numbers that the bingo caller will call out. On the other hand, if you only have one ticket, you have one in six chances of having the number on your card called out.
However, it is crucial to keep in mind that buying all six strips of cards doesn’t guarantee you a win. All the numbers in the tickets are placed randomly, and this random structure of the game implies that everyone has an equal chance of winning. The odds of winning are always slim, and that’s what makes this deceivingly simple game so much fun. You never know when you’ll win or when someone will call House, and you’ll lose.
Whether online or offline, the game is played at a rapid pace. The traditional game of bingo quickly made its way to the online world in the UK. It attracts a diverse audience with players of all backgrounds and ages enjoying the game’s thrill as a digital game. Rather than waiting for bingo halls to open, players in the UK take full advantage of playing online bingo at their convenience.
75-ball bingo or the US bingo
The 75-ball bingo is the primary bingo variant in the USA. Initially, it may appear much more complicated than 90-ball bingo, but it will quickly become simple once you’ve learned the rules and gotten your head around them. Since there are seventy-five numbers, each card has five columns, and they are split into twenty-five squares filled with twenty-four numbers. There’s a free space in the middle, and players can immediately mark that off.
Each number corresponds to a letter found at the top of the card in the five columns. For example, B7, I23, N42, G55, and O74. Knowing this can be pretty helpful when you’re trying to hunt down the numbers.
In 75-ball bingo, the cards are independent of one another, and they don’t run in strips. It means you can play with more than one card, and you may find yourself marking off duplicate numbers. That’s why offline 75-ball bingo is slower than 90-ball bingo. However, in the online world, 75-ball bingo is time-based, and each game lasts for ninety seconds.
Compared to 90-ball bingo, the patterns for 75-ball bingo greatly vary. At the beginning of the game, players are informed which winning pattern they will be playing for, and it could be a star, four corners, or letters. The house might set up letters or shapes on the cards. If players are playing cover all games, they must mark all the squares.
The move from offline to online bingo has been slow in the US because many states have not yet legalized cash-winning games. That’s why there are free practice games that bingo lovers can enjoy. Winning won’t fetch you any reward, but you can compete with real players and have a blast.
Summing up
Both the 75-ball and 90-ball variants are hugely popular and loved by gamers. It depends on individual preferences when choosing which variant you’ll play.
