Overview
Numbers are drawn at random and players mark them off a card. Complete the required pattern and call out to claim the prize.
Each hall or operator sets its own rules, within the gambling laws where it operates. This page describes the common structure. Check the house rules before you play for money.
1. Formats
Two main versions, and the difference matters.
| 90-ball (UK, AU) | 75-ball (US) | |
|---|---|---|
| Numbers | 1–90 | 1–75 |
| Card | 9 columns × 3 rows, 15 numbers | 5 × 5 grid, 24 numbers plus a free centre |
| Wins | One line, two lines, full house | Patterns — lines, shapes, blackout |
| Header | None | B-I-N-G-O, one letter per column |
In 75-ball, each column only holds numbers from its own range: B is 1–15, I is 16–30, and so on.
2. Play
The caller draws numbers at random and announces each one clearly. Players mark matching numbers on their cards, usually with a dauber.
Numbers are called once. Most halls display them on a board as well.
3. Winning
When you complete the pattern being played for, you must call out — "bingo", or "line", or "house" — before the next number is called.
Most halls treat a claim made after the next number is called as void. Check the house rules.
The claim is then verified by checking the card against the called numbers. An incorrect call is a bogey, and play resumes.
4. Multiple winners
If two or more players claim on the same number, halls usually share the prize. The house rules say how.
5. Calling conventions
Some callers use traditional rhyming calls, such as "legs eleven" for 11. They're tradition, not rules.
Commonly argued
- Call before the next number. Most halls void late claims.
- Ties usually split the prize, rather than going to whoever called first.
- The free space in 75-ball counts toward every pattern through it.
- Marking a number that was not called voids the claim on verification.
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