Exploring the workings of online Bingo
Bingo is a classic game that plenty of us are already familiar with, but do you know about online Bingo games? Since the rise of the internet there have been many digital varieties of Bingo created, offering players plenty of options online.
Let’s take a closer look at how these online versions of the game – from classic Bingo to Bingo Slots – work.
The many varieties of online Bingo
Before we dive further into the details, first we’re going to take a look at some of the various Bingo games that players can find online.
Most of these games share the same basic concept of marking off cards on a numbered grid as they’re randomly called. Whether players are looking to fill out specific lines or a pattern depends on the game format, but the core aim is the same at its heart.
Even in land-based Bingo venues there are a couple of major formats. The two most common varieties of Bingo are known as 75-ball and 90-ball, each named after the number of different balls in play.
75-ball Bingo is the US variety, using a 5×5 grid with 24 numbered squares and a central ‘free’ space. This is quite different from the look of 90-ball Bingo, which has a distinctive 3×9 grid on its cards, and gameplay follows a set pattern as one, two and then all three lines are marked off.
Online Bingo has seen the introduction of games like 80-ball and 30-ball Bingo, also known as speed Bingo. These change up the gameplay and formats of the older varieties, with plenty of other twists on the classic formula available to play online.
The role of random number generation in online Bingo
Games of Bingo revolve around the drawing of random numbers, which is done by a dedicated caller in land-based games. This role is taken up by a computer algorithm in online Bingo games – the random number generator (RNG).
RNGs actually power most online casino games, used to replicate the random chance of using physical game components. The same applies in online Bingo, with the RNG standing in for the physical drawing machine and its numbered balls.
In any given second an RNG can generate strings of thousands of random numbers, making it impossible its outcomes. This allows the game software to make random draws throughout the course of the game, maintaining consistent odds for all players.
These RNGs are rigorously tested before they can go into use, with independent auditors verifying that they are producing truly unpredictable and unbiased outcomes.
Other elements of online Bingo
One element that online platforms offer is the use of an auto-daub feature, which will automatically mark numbers off a player’s card when they are called. This helps players to avoid missing any numbers as they come up, so they can know that their card is always up-to-date.
Online Bingo platforms also allow players to choose from a wider variety of Bingo games, including ones that are less popular in their particular location. American players can try out 90-ball Bingo, while those in the UK can play a game of 75-ball.
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The shift towards online play has helped Bingo to maintain its place as a classic game even as technology evolves.