Bingo Night At Home

Chapter 4: How to Host a Virtual Bingo Night

The location of your bingo night is as important an aspect as any other. The first decision is whether to throw it at home or in a private function space like a pub, bar or club. This will largely depend on how many people you choose to invite as well as your budget. During summer, garden bingo nights are always a favorite! If you’re looking for ways to entertain the family or host that celebration you had planned, look no further - we’ve got everything you need to host your very own bingo night from the comfort of your home. For as little as £1 you can download your pack, get your friends together and have a fun night in. We can combine Big Screen Bingo with other games like Survey Says or Night at the Derby for a full night of fun and entertainment! Instead of calling letters and numbers, we play music! This version comes with an interactive DJ laying down the beats. At-Home Workout with Coach Terri. Monday, March 1 at 4:00PM PST. Sports and Wellness. At-Home Workout with Coach Terri. Wednesday, March 3 at 4:00PM PST. Sports and Wellness. Wednesday, March 3 at 7:00PM PST. Sports and Wellness. Thursday, March 4 at 7:00PM PST.

Life is crazy at the best of times but 2020 has taken things to another level—the icing on an utterly bizarre cake. With all the uncertainty, there’s a good chance many of you will have sacrificed your usual weekend amusements for an evening spent watching TV, eating fast food, and arguing with your cat.

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But just because you’re stuck at home, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself with friends.

Virtual bingo nights are a great way to have some fun with your nearest and dearest. They’re cheap, they’re easy, and any adults (18+) can get involved. More importantly, you don’t need to leave the house and can simulate all the joys of a bingo hall over a live connection.

A virtual bingo night works just like the real thing. You get your friends together, create some tickets, and then someone assumes the role of the bingo caller. It’s as easy as that, and in just 4 steps you could be hosting your very own event.

1^st Step: Video Conferencing

The first step is to find a place for your friends to gather—the virtual equivalent of the bingo hall.Video conferencing software is tailormade for moments like this and unless your friends are technophobes using CRT TVs and brick phones from the early 2000s, they have everything they need.

The following video conferencing programs can be accessed on your phone, desktop, and even your TV. All participants will need a webcam and/or microphone, but there are no subscription charges or other fees to worry about, although some of these apps will limit your call time if you are not a fee-paying customer.

We're writing this guide assuming you have unlimited data on a wifi connection. If you don't, do be careful with the following apps as they may use large quantities of your data allowance.

Zoom (Limited options for free)

Zoom has become the conferencing software of choice during 2020, with daily user numbers rising from 10 million to 300 million in just 3 months.

Favoured by companies and remote workers alike, Zoom was even used by the UK government!

You can add up to 100 users in a single call and Zoom works on most devices and platforms. It’s free to use (albeit with call limits) and you can even create custom backgrounds!

Skype (Limited options for free)

As popular as Zoom is, Skype remains the tool of choice for most non-business users. It’s free, it’s easy to use, and it’s available on most devices (including Smart TVs, phones, tablets, and Xbox).

There’s a good chance you and your friends already have Skype accounts, which is ideal if you’re inviting people who are scared of change or technology in general (there’s always one!).

You can add up to 50 users per call and with Skype for Web, you don’t even need to download the software.

Houseparty (Totally Free)

Houseparty is a conferencing program that’s also available as a browser extension and a macOS app. You can invite up to 8 people into a single room and its Facebook and Snapchat integration makes it easy to add friends from existing social networks.

Although it’s relatively new, Houseparty is owned by Epic Games, an established and respected company responsible for a few smash-hit video games.

Facetime (Totally Free)

iPhone and Mac users have a built-in tool that’s perfect for video conferencing: Facetime. Just click the “+” symbol to invite friends and you can create a 32-person group that doesn’t have a time limit or a charge.

Of course, you will be excluding Android and Windows users, so make sure your friends can join before choosing this option.

Facebook Messenger Rooms (Totally Free)

Facebook Messenger’s video chat options were a little problematic when they first launched, with many users complaining of broken connections and lag. Groups were also limited to just 8 users. But then Facebook Messenger Rooms came along and changed the game.

Often touted as a free and more accessible version of Zoom, Facebook Messenger Rooms lets you add up to 50 users and is available completely free of charge.

Google Hangouts (Totally Free)

If you have a Gmail account, you already have access to Hangouts. This free-to-use conferencing software works through Chrome or Android and can be used to connect with up to 25 users.

Hangouts has full HD calls and conferencing and also has built-in screen sharing functions. It’s a great option for forgetful friends, as it will automatically add the event to a user’s calendar app.

Uberconference (Limited options for free)

A simple service with a great free plan, Uberconference has HD streams and audio, screen sharing functions, and it can be accessed on mobile and desktop. Just create a room, invite your friends, and they’ll be given a link and a phone number, allowing them to connect via webcam or phone.

2^nd Step: Create the Tickets

Every participant in your virtual bingo night needs a bingo ticket. Firstly, you should choose how many numbers to play, with most bingo games opting for a range of 1 to 75 or 1 to 90. You can then use random number generators to create tickets for each user.

For a fully customised experience, you can do this yourself, creating a random set of numbers off the top of your head or using a random number generator. 5 numbers will suffice if you want a simple game but the tickets can be as big as you want them to be

We recommend creating lots of tickets beforehand and then taking snapshots of each of them. You can send them to players before a game begins and once that game ends, you can repeat the process with another set of tickets.

There are multiple apps and websites that can help you to create and print bingo tickets, including this one and this one.

Downloadable Bingo Cards and Caller Grid

Bingo Night Near Me

We've included direct access to some freely available, downloadable bingo cards from MyFreeBingoCards.com to get you started, the PDF also includes a bingo callers grid (90 ball).

3rd Step: Choose a Bingo Caller/Software

Automated bingo calling apps are available in both the Google Play Store and the iOS App Store. But these can suck the life out of the game. If you want to create a virtual bingo night to remember, we recommend one of the following, alternative options:

• Take Turns: Every game, one of the players is assigned to the role of bingo caller. They do not participate in that game and pass the buck when it is over. Random number generators (RNGs) can be used to randomise the numbers. We suggest you use Google's random number generator, set the 'min' to 2 and the 'max' to 90, for 90 ball bingo!
• Winner Stays On: The winner of each game becomes the caller for the next, which means they can’t win consecutive gamers, thus giving everyone else a chance. The first game can be called by the last person to join, or by any other method you choose!
• Funny and Trustworthy: Choose the funniest and most trustworthy person to call the numbers for each game, letting them participate while they call.
• Video: Youtube is full of bingo videos. Search for the term “bingo caller” followed by the number of balls you’re using and ask all players to watch the video.

Screen sharing is a very useful feature here. It allows one player to share his or her screen with everyone else in the room. If that player is the bingo caller, they can share their screen to show the numbers and prove they are playing fair. They can also host a bingo caller video and show this to every other player—pausing, stopping, and playing as needed.

How to avoid calling the same numbers?

If the bingo caller is not using an app which ensures no repetition of calls, we suggest they create a grid containing all of the numbers in the game i.e. 1 - 90 for 90 ball bingo. The caller can then mark the numbers on the grid to avoid repetition as he calls.

The method above is particularly useful if using an RNG which may produce already called numbers from time to time.

4^th Step: Play!

Once you have chosen the conferencing software, prepared the tickets, and invited your friends, there’s only one thing left to do: Play!

Schedule a time that suits everyone, send reminders, and start playing.

The bingo caller simply calls a number and if a player has a matching number on their card, they mark it. When all numbers have been marked, that player shouts “Bingo!” and once their card is checked, they are declared the winner.

Congratulate them, give them a prize (optional), and, if you have time, move onto the next game!

Here are a few tips to ensure each game runs smoothly:

1. Make sure everyone can hear the caller.
2. Don’t call the numbers too quickly.
3. Periodically check that no one has disconnected.
4. Remember to keep track of all called numbers, as these will be needed to confirm the result.
5. Provide a specific timeframe for your virtual bingo night, so that everyone knows when it will end.
6. Account for time zone differences if you’re playing with friends who live overseas.

What About Prizes?

A virtual bingo night is a great way to bring friends together and that should be enough of an incentive. However, if you’re going up against frequent bingo players, you may need to incentivise them, and that’s where the prizes come in.

Here are a few ideas for virtual bingo night prizes:

1. Charities and Fundraisers

Virtual bingo nights are a great way to raise some money for a good cause. Simply charge your players a fee for each ticket they buy and make sure the proceeds go to charity. They’ll have an incentive to play and they can do so safe in the knowledge that the proceeds will go to a good cause!

You can’t collect cash with a virtual bingo night, but many online payment methods are just as quick and easy. Simply provide each player with the payment details, reserve some cash for the prize, and give the rest to your chosen charity:

• PayPal: There are over 325 million PayPal accounts worldwide, a large number of which are registered here in the UK. Many of your friends will already have accounts and the ones that don’t can sign-up for free. PayPal is safe, secure, fast, and easy-to-use. Once you have a PayPal account, you can transfer money to another user with a debit/credit card or bank account. That money can then be transferred from wallet to wallet and most charities accept PayPal donations.
• Apple Pay: A handy way to send money through Mac computers and devices. You’ll need access to iMessage and can send money quickly and without charge. However, it’s not available for Android and Windows users, so make sure your friends are hooked into the Apple ecosystem before you choose this option.
• Monzo: A digital UK bank that makes it easy to send money to friends. With Monzo, you can create pots that other users can contribute to, making this an ideal choice for your virtual bingo night.
• Barclays Pingit: Although Pingit is a Barclays service, you don’t need to bank with this provider to use it. As long as you have a mobile number and the Pingit app, you can send and receive money.
• Skrill/Neteller: Often seen as “PayPal alternatives”, these UK-based services are worthy payment solutions in their own right. These days they are both owned by the same company and offer many of the same features and benefits as PayPal.

2. Forfeits and Favours

Add some spice to your bingo night by asking the losers to do favours for the winner. They can promise to mow the winner’s lawn, clean their house/car, drive them to the airport, etc.

You’re essentially giving each player carte blanche to state what they want the others to do when they win. It adds an extra dimension to the game and should make the night more tense and exciting.

3. Drinks and Food

Friends eat and drink together, so why not have the losers buy the winner free drinks and/or food? You can play multiple games and state that the overall winner is owed a slap-up meal by the losers. Alternatively, you can reward a drink for every game.

Not only can this inject some extra thrills into the night itself, but it’ll also give you an excuse to meet-up as a group and start cashing-in those rewards!

4. Secret (Bingo) Santa

No one really likes a workplace Secret Santa, let’s be honest, but with a group of friends and a modest spending allowance, it can yield some hilarious and brilliant results. So, instead of building a cash prize or offering drinks, food, and forfeits, ask everyone to contribute a prize.

The winner can collect their prize the next time everyone meets or it can be delivered digitally in the form of gift cards and subscriptions.

5. A Trophy

Turn your virtual bingo night into a memorable occasion by commissioning a small trophy. As outlandish and over-the-top as this sounds, it’s actually very easy and relatively cheap to purchase a custom trophy.

For less than £10 you can purchase a simple bingo trophy inscribed with a custom message. It’s a great incentive to make your virtual bingo night a regular occurrence, as the trophy can move from winner to winner, giving them something to display on their mantelpiece, as well as a week’s worth of bragging rights.

A trophy can be used with one of the aforementioned prizes but it’s also a worthy prize on its own.

The Legality of Virtual Bingo Nights

There are a few rules governing virtual bingo nights in the UK, and they get pretty strict when money is exchanged -our advice is to simply avoid using money! However, if you do wish to involve money, it’s important to understand these rules before hosting such an event:

• Participation cannot exceed £8 per person per event/day.
• Prizes must not exceed £600 total.
• Proceeds must not be used for private gain and must be given to a good cause.
• The event must be hosted in a private home.

Visit this page for more information about the legalities of hosting a bingo night.

FAQs

Virtual bingo nights are easy to arrange and can provide hours of fun for you and your friends! Thanks to this Bingo Games guide, you now have all the info you need to arrange one of these nights for yourself, but if you still have a few questions about this game and these nights, take a look at our FAQs below.

IsVideo Conferencing Safe?

Video conferencing apps have come under a lot of scrutiny in recent months, with suggestions that they may not be as safe as people think. However, if you stick with the main providers (outlined in this guide) and follow their safety protocols to the letter, you shouldn’t have any issues.

How Much Should I Charge?

It’s entirely up to you - we suggest you don't play for money. Whatever you do, just make sure you stay within the legal guidelines mentioned above.

This game should be about having fun and letting loose, and if there’s money on the line, that light-hearted fun could be replaced by frustration and anxiety.

How Long Does the Average Bingo Game Take?

It takes just 10 minutes, on average, to complete a game of virtual bingo. However, it all depends on how many players there are, how many balls are being drawn, and what the conditions of victory are.

Generally, if you have an hour allotted for the event, you should plan for 4 to 5 games, with the extra time spent on chatting, arranging, and checking.

How Should I Dress for Virtual Bingo

Bingo hall dress codes are not as strict as those found in upmarket casinos and it’s even less strict if you’re hosting a virtual bingo night with friends.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t create your own dress code!

If some of your friends are not that familiar with one another, put them at ease with a strict pyjama-only dress code, or host a 80s/90s themed night. The choice is yours!

How Can You Make Virtual Bingo Fun?

Bingo is a fun game, and it’s even better when you’re playing it with friends. Throw a charity fundraiser, some jokes, and a prize or two into the mix and you have all the makings of a fantastic night that no one will forget in a hurry!

How Can I Make Bingo More Interesting?

Bingo is more than capable of keeping your friends interested throughout the night, but if you’re planning a long evening with non-bingo players, consider beefing-up the schedule with some trivia. You can’t go wrong with a short pub quiz between rounds of bingo.

What do you Shout at Bingo?

Traditionally, you shout, “Bingo!”, but with virtual bingo nights, you create the rules and you can shout whatever you want. Why not add a little twist to the proceedings by insisting that players shout something weird, taboo, long-winded, or hard to remember? If nothing else, it will make for some hilariously hesitant moments as the game climaxes.

As we head into a second lockdown, many of you will be missing your usual weekend activities. Whether pre-lockdown 1.0 you were a clubber, pubber, or a bingo player, winding down at the end of the week is important. And with lockdown 2.0, it's especially important. Keeping in touch with friends is essential, even if you can't be with them in person.

So, we thought we’d give Online Bingo readers some tips on how they can organise a fun, social game of bingo online with friends without needing to leave the house!

All you need to do is get some mates involved, follow the instructions below and have a laugh! Best of all, all of these options are completely free and use tools you have in your home already!

Don't forget to share screenshots, photos or videos of your virtual bingo night on social media and use the hashtag #OBVirtualBingo! We'll be sharing some of the best ones!

Step 1. Get your mates together

Now, obviously you can’t meet your friends in person right now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t hang out together virtually! There are many options out there for having large-scale video calls, many of you will already be using these daily as working from home becomes normal day-to-day life too! Here are some options and why we think they’re great.

Skype is the original video calling software! It’s totally free, compatible with all mobile phones, tablets, laptops, desktop computers and even some smart TVs (if you have a compatible USB webcam). Skype lets you have up to 50 people on a video call, so if you’ve got a lot of pals it’s perfect for those virtual get togethers!

Zoom is a very popular option for businesses and friendship groups alike. It's easy to set up, works on desktop, laptops, mobile phones, and tablets and is free to use! Up to 100 people can be in a Zoom video call, however the free package limits sessions to only 40 minutes long. Zoom's custom backgrounds add a whole extra layer of fun to your hang outs and bino games too!

Houseparty is the new kid on the block and right now it’s taking the country by storm. The app lets up to 8 people join a virtual ‘house party’ video call and it even has the option to play some games together without even leaving the app. It’s a mobile phone app at heart, but it does have a chrome browser extension that you can download too.

Discord is a a text, voice and video chat app designed with gamers in mind. With Discord, you can set up a server, designate channels for different topics or games and share the invite with your friends. There are likely already Discord servers for all your favourite games and communities online, but it can also work great for your virtual bingo night! Up to 10 people can be in one video call, and discord also supports screen sharing too.

Facebook Messenger Rooms is the new feature from Facebook that lets you and your friends host a video chat room! The app lets you host up to 50 people in one room and it doesn't require a Facebook account to take part! Soon, Facebook will be adding functionality to create rooms in Whatsapp and Instagram too, but for now the app is your best bet.

For your virtual bingo night, we’d recommend using Zoom as it requires the least amount of setup, is supported on the widest range of devices, has the hilarious virtual background feature and lets you share your screen easily so someone can act as the bingo caller. Oh, did we not mention there would be someone in charge?

Whichever option you choose, don’t forget to have a drink ready for when everyone joins the room. You don’t want to be the one holding everyone up!

Step 2. Argue over who gets to be the bingo caller

A bingo game without someone in charge of drawing the numbers and checking the winners would be chaos. As much as chaos is some people’s idea of a fun Friday night, we think your virtual bingo night will run a lot smoother if you designate a bingo caller!

Each game of bingo you run should have 1 person whose job it is to generate the numbers, call them out to everyone playing, check people’s tickets and ensure that there is no cheating. Telling a joke or two between numbers wouldn’t go amiss either. This is a coveted position, so make sure to fight for the privilage.

It is also the job of the caller to designate the prize for their game! Whether it be cash, an IOU for a drink or a voucher for a back massage, it’s good to have something to play for, though this is totally optional! It will be fun to play more than one game of bingo as you catch up and chat, so remember to keep rotating the caller so everyone gets a turn.

Step 3. Generate the tickets

This step requires a little bit of honesty, but the people you’re planning on playing bingo with wouldn’t be your friends if you couldn’t trust them! Usually bingo tickets have numbers randomly dispersed in a grid, but for this virtual game we’re going to make it a bit easier to set up and follow.

Bingo is a game all about numbers, but how will you decide what numbers are on your ticket? The same way that all online bingo sites do, a random number generator! Everyone playing is going to need a pen and paper for this step. I know it sounds like work but this step is vital so everyone has to do it.

Before the game starts, the caller should decide what your range of numbers will be. Usually there are two types of bingo games, 90 ball bingo is played with number from 1-90, and 75 ball bingo which is played, surprisingly with numbers from 1-75. However, as this is your game, you can choose any range of numbers (though maybe try and keep it to a maximum of 100, otherwise the game could go on forever!)

Every player should then complete the following steps with pen and paper at the ready:

1. Google ‘random number generator’, where they'll be greeted with a handy generator tool.
2. Set the minimum to 1 and the maximum to be the maximum number of your game.
3. Hit ‘generate’ and write down the number that appears on the paper.
4. The player should do this until they have 5 random numbers written down, this is their ticket!

Now all your players should have their tickets and the excitement in the chat room should be electric. The caller should get everyone to show them their tickets to ensure there’s no funny business happening, then the game can commence!

If you're a seasoned bingo player and want to play with the real bingo tickets you're used to, we have you covered! Our downloadable bingo night resources contain 60 tickets and a bingo caller cheat sheet which are just as good for playing virtual bingo as they are for hosting a bingo night at home!
Our bingo tickets are also numbered and labelled so you can send them to your friends/family and easily communicate who’s tickets are who’s when you're not in the same room. You can find links to our free downloadable bingo night resources at the bottom of the page!

Step 4. Play the game!

You’re now so close to playing bingo you should be able to taste the balls. As the callers job is to shout out the numbers for the players to mark off on their tickets, then you may be wondering how can you do this with no balls or bingo turner? Why, it’s another random number generator!

Bingo Night At Home Delivery

There are already a load of bingo number generator options on the App Store, Google Play store and on the internet, so try googling around to find one that works for you. However. you might not need anything quite that specific or advanced. So what are your best options?

Whether the caller is playing on a PC or a phone, Google’s random number generator you’ve already used is more than sufficient! Simply set the minimum to 1 and the maximum to whatever number you decided upon in the previous step, then when you start playing just hit generate and call the number out for players to mark off on their tickets! It couldn’t be simpler.

The caller wil need to remember to keep track of what numbers have already been called in case an argument breaks out. You can even share your screen using Skype so that your players can see the numbers as they are drawn, just to prove there’s no funny business!

Step 5. Winner winner, chicken dinner

As this game of bingo isn’t as traditional as the ones available on bingo sites, there can only be one person to walk away victorious. The first player to mark off all 5 numbers on their bingo cards and shout ‘BINGO’ (though 'house' might be more appropriate right now) is the winner! After a thorough checking of the numbers by the caller of course...

It's the winner's job to give a heartfelt speech, accept their prize graciously, and take any banter they may receive on the chin. After all, this is their time to gloat. A fun way to keep the game fair is to make the winner of each game take on the role of caller in the next game, which should also stop any talk of a winning streak from turning into a fight after a few more isolated beverages.

Bonus Step. How to award prizes

You may want to make your bingo game a bit more interesting and play for real money between you and your friends, or if you’re playing virtual bingo to raise money for a charity or fundraiser you will want to collect donations, even if your event is no longer happening in person. As cash is out of the question right now, here are some of the best options available for collecting people's contributions digitally!

Monzo is the fastest growing bank in the UK, and it doesn’t have a single branch! Not only does it make banking 100% digital, it also lets you set up pots for easy saving and shared tabs to easily split bills or collect money from friends. Using Monzo to create a prize pot that everyone playing can contribute to is quick and easy.

PayPalis the most widely known eWallet in the country and probably the world. It can be used to pay for items online or send and receive money from friends and family. You can even use PayPal to play bingo online. Because PayPal is so easy to set up and use, using it to collect money for a virtual bingo prize fund is simple!

Apple Pay is only available on iPhones, iPads and certain MacBook devices, but it can be a handy way to send money with just your phone. Using iMessage to send money is quick and easy and can be done with just a mobile number. Unfortunately it doesn’t work with Android phones and there’s no collection/pot function like the other options.

JustGiving lets users set up charity donation funds and share them online. This is a perfect solution if you’re running a virtual bingo night for charity and need to collect donations as anyone can make a contribution to your fund and all the money is handled and donated by JustGiving.

Of course, you don't need to give out a cash prize at all! Players could all chip in to get the victor a takeaway, or a gift voucher, or even some drink IOUs for the next time you see them. You might even consider just playing for scores and bragging rights, so everyone can take part and nobody is left out. Be creative!

Why not meet new friends playing bingo online?

If your friends aren't bingo fans then there are still ways to enjoy virtual bingo in your own home. Plenty of online bingo sites have of bingo rooms open that also offer live chat options, so you can still socialise as you play!

Why not check out some of the best online bingo sites and find your next favourite, you might end up making some new friends in the bingo live chat.

Bingo night downloadable resources

Example

You can also generate your own free bingo tickets using the MyFreeBingoCards 90 ball bingo ticket generator.

Virtual Bingo sharing graphic

Show your friends/family/followers/audience how easy it is to organise a game of virtual bingo with this downloadable infographic made for sharing! Click the image to download the full HQ version.

Our favourite Virtual Bingo stories

Bingo fans have been reluctant to give up their favourite pastime during lockdown, making it one of the most searched lockdown activities on Google. Celebrities have also been getting in on the fun too, why not check out some of our favourite virtual bingo stories?

Matthew McConaughey hosts live game of virtual bingo for assisted living community. After the residents of The Enclace assisted living in Round Rock, Texas reached out to Mr McConaughey to see if he fancied popping in and playing bingo with them, he went a step further. Joining them on a Zoom call, McConaughey and his family helped out by calling the numbers, awarding prizes and even hosting a Q&A session for the players. Alright, alright, alright!

Man hosts bingo night for his whole street. A man from Wales entertained his entire street by handing out bingo tickets, calling numbers from his bedroom window and awarding prizes, including a bag of rice, a bar of soap and even a nice glass of prosecco. It looks like a lot of fun and definitely something more people should have a go at!

Bingo Night At Home

Weekly virtual music bingo nights benefit the NHS. A Huntingdon event planning business has turned its expertise in creating fun parties into a weekly night of music bingo, with all proceeds going towards the local NHS hospital! After raising nearly £2000, the event has drawn the attention of household names like Paul Chuckle, James Buckley and X-Factor legend, Wagner. Why not get involved this weekend?

Will and Kate host a royal game of virtual bingo. The royal couple surprised the residents of a Cardiff care home by taking part in a game of virtual bingo via Zoom, wowing everyone with their bingo caller skills. Or at least they tried to, as a few residents were less than pleased with the pairs abilities. Luckily, Will and Kate found the whole thing hilarious!

Peter Andre plays Zoom bingo on MrQ. The singer and reality TV star has a new series out on YouTube, and in the latest episode he gathered some of his tour buddies for a game of virtual bingo. Instead of using our guide (not that we're bitter), he instead opted to host the game on MrQ!

Have a story featuring a game of virtual bingo? Let us know over on the OnlineBingo Twitter and you may be featured on the site!

Virtual bingo FAQs

What is virtual bingo?

It’s pretty self explanatory, but Virtual bingo is the same classic game of bingo that’s been enjoyed around the world for generations, except it’s played digitally! Unlike online bingo, which is regulated by the UK Gambling Commission and set up by gambling operators, virtual bingo can be enjoyed by anyone with just a PC, mobile phone or tablet completely for free!

Is virtual bingo free?

If you're playing virtual bingo between your friends and family then yes, you do not need to spend any money to take part! If you agree on a cash prize beforehand then you may be required to contribute, but all the services and apps listed above are completely free.

Is video calling software safe to use?

While we are embracing technology more and more every day, it's still a good idea to be sensible to help you stay safe. When it comes to video calling software, if you are using the trusted providers (such as the ones mentioned in this guide) you shouldn't run into any issues.

Can you win real money playing virtual bingo?

If you are running your virtual bingo night between friends and family then you can collect and award money prizes, however if you are planning to host a game of virtual bingo for commercial gain, then you should look into the Gambling Commission rules regarding private bingo nights. If the virtual bingo game is for charity, must also ensure you do not exceedr the maximum prize that is allowed to be awarded.

Can you play virtual bingo with kids?

You can play virtual bingo with people of any age! If you're getting children involved in a family virtual bingo night, it might be fun to play for sweets or toys, something fun for them. Remember that bingo is still a gambling activity, so if you're running a virtual bingo night for charity then they shouldn't be staking any money.

How long does a game of virtual bingo last?

Friday Night Bingo Halls

The length of time it will take for you to play bingo will depend on the variety of bingo you're playing and how many players you have. How focused you are and how many jokes you're telling in between will also affect the length of time it takes you to play. Generally speaking though, a game lasts around 10 minutes so you'll have plenty of time for multiple games giving you all a few chances at winning!

Can you play virtual bingo for charity?

Bingo Night Gif

If you are running a virtual bingo night to replace a cancelled fundraising event then you should try and keep the game fun and fair by nominating a caller involved in the cause. The Gambling Commission's rules for running a bingo night for charity must still be followed, and prizes should be taken via one of the online payment methods listed above. Read our full guide to hosting a bingo night for charity for a step by step guide to organising your event.

Tuesday Night Bingo

How can I make virtual bingo festive?

How To Plan A Bingo Night

The great thing about hosting a virtual bingo night with your friends is that you can play for any occasion. So, whether it's a Friday night, a humpday hang, or it's someone's birthday, you can adjust the game to suit the event! For some inspiration on taking your virtual bingo from 'anyday' to 'holiday' read our Christmas virtual bingo guide.