So all this talk of playing online bingo has you curious. It sounds like fun, but you need to know how to get started! Well my friend, here is where you will find all the advice you need.
Follow this guide and you will have the peace of mind of knowing your online bingo experience will be safe, secure, fair, and fun. This guide will give you a step by step, easy to follow plan to give you just that.
- Step 1 – Find the best Online Bingo resource
- Step 2 – Educate Yourself about online bingo
- Step 3 – Determine What online bingo site suits you best
- Step 4 – Read your online bingo site rules, policies & FAQ’s
- Step 5 – Choose you preferred method Funding your online bingo account
- Step 6 – Sign up & Fund your online Bingo account
- Step 7 – Choose your preferred method of game play
- Step 8 – Review the online bingo games and prices offered
- Step 9 – Purchase online bingo Cards
- Step 10 – Play online bingo
Step 1 – Find the best Online Bingo resource
Congratulations on completing the 1st step! Since you are already at Top Bingo, you can move on to step 2.
This site has all the information you will need to educate yourself and choose the absolute best online bingo Site that suits your specific wants, needs and desires. If you want to know more about Top Bingo, how it originated, and what our goals are.
Step 2 – Educate Yourself about Online Bingo
See our FAQ’s to become familiar with all of the features and options available to you while playing online bingo. There is a lot of great information there. Doing this will help you make decisions in the steps to follow.
You can also visit the links provided on our Top USA Bingo list. They will bring you to the various Web sites where there is a lot of general information about online bingo.
Step 3 – Determine What Online Bingo Site suits you Best
Okay, you are now up to speed with online bingo lingo, and the many options available to you. Here is where you have to start making some decisions. The best place to start is by viewing Top 10 list.
If you haven’t read the page about free bingo, then you should go there first to understand how these lists came to be, and what makes them the absolute best and most complete lists on the internet.
We take tremendous pride in the complete unbiased nature of these rankings, and the legitimacy in which they came to be.
The Top List displays the top online bingo sites with a general description of their promotions and features. Go ahead and visit any of the sites that look interesting to you. We provide the links to their home page so you can do some investigating for yourself.
Step 4 – Read your Bingo Sites rules, policies & faq’s
You have come a long way in educating yourself in all there is to know about online bingo right? Let’s jump in and play right? Not so fast…
Once you have found that perfect site, read the rules and polices for that specific site. You want to take full advantage of the signup bonuses and other promotions. If you want to take full advantage of all the sites features, you need to understand them.
Step 5 – Choose you preferred method Funding your Bingo Account
There are many ways to fund your online bingo account, and you need to be aware of all the pros and cons of each method. We recommend opening an account with an online banking system such as NETeller.
Please see our Banking Guide page for a full description of this subject, so you can decide for yourself which method you want to use. If you choose a method such as NETeller, you now need to go ahead and fund your NETeller account now. Don’t be intimidated by this step.
Once you transfer your funds in to the account, you can always get them back if need be. The transfers can take place directly to and from your traditional bank account. Again, see our Banking Guide page for more on this important subject.
Step 6 – Sign up & Fund your Bingo account
This basically consists of choosing an alias and password, and providing a valid street address as well as a working email address. Don’t give false information here, as you may forfeit your winnings if you do.
We recommend choosing a very unique alias, so you can use the same one at various bingo sites if you choose to try several of them. Then go ahead and make your deposit using your funding method of choice.
A piece of advice here is to make your first deposit as large as the site will still reward you the 1st deposit bonus. For example: Many sites will give you a 100% deposit bonus up to $200.
If possible, in this case you should take full advantage of this offer and deposit $200. They will then match your deposit for a total of $400 into your account.
I suggest doing this because it will likely be the only time you will have such a good bonus offer. And if it turns out that you are not crazy about the site, you can always withdraw your money.
Be aware that most sites require you to play your initial deposit 8 times before you can withdraw the bonus money that they gave to you.
But you ALWAYS have access to the money that you deposited. Make sure you refer to the individual site for their deposit bonus rules
Step 7 – Chose your preferred method of Bingo game play
Some sites offer a few options for the game interface. Many sites only offer the no deposit option. You may have even determined which site you want to play at based on the fact that they offer a no deposit playing option.
If the no deposit option is something you are interested in see our Top No Deposit list.
Step 8 – Review the games and prices offered
Now you’re getting close … Review the game schedule and prices offered to see what most interests you.
Many sites have a web page that displays their weekly schedule, print this off as a guide. Also, most sites have a monthly newsletter with a new set of promotions that will inform you of the best deals, promotions, and some unique games.
I highly recommend reading the site specific newsletter, as there is usually great opportunities for added bonuses, or free games such as Keno, or lottery.
Step 9 – Purchase Bingo Cards
Now you have your account funded, and your game time chosen, now you can purchase your cards. Most sites require a minimum of 3 cards, and many sites allow you chose the cards that you want to play. That’s right.
Many sites offer a feature where you can page through bingo cards and only purchase the ones that look like winners to you. I don’t believe this will actually increase your odds of winning, but adds an element of fairness to the game.
Step 10 – Play Bingo
Let the Fun Begin! . Now that you are all set, up you can play to your hearts content. Just make sure you play within your budget. Hopefully your winnings will keep you going until you hit that big jackpot. Most players chose to use the auto-daub feature.
This is where the software automatically daubs your bingo cards for you. Then you can participate in the chat feature, or you could even play some slots, pull tabs, or video poker if offered.
Another feature provided by some online bingo sites is that each bingo card is color coded depending on how close it is to the Bingo, and you can rearrange them based in how close to bingo they are.
See your site for the specific features offered. Have fun! Good luck to all!
The Basics of Online Bingo
Learning to play Bingo games online is easy because the game itself is simple and very straight forward. The object of the game is to buy cards or tickets, on which are printed numbers between 1 and 75 or 90, depending on the style of Bingo you want to play.
Random numbers are generated, most commonly by the selection of balls from a hopper, for each game and a “caller” will announce the number selected.
If the number matches one on your card, you mark it off. If after a sequence of these numbers is called, the marked squares make a designated pattern, you win!
If you are playing 90-ball Bingo, these patterns can be a Single Line Across, Two Lines Across and/or a Full House, meaning all numbers on a single card are marked off.
Every game you play will present a chance to win a prize, designated at the beginning of the game. The game ends when the last prize for that session has been claimed.
One of the most brilliant things about playing online bingo is the friends you meet while playing on line. If you have never played online bingo, you are in for a pleasant surprise.
It is not difficult to get started. We have outlined some of the steps necessary to play online bingo for money and to play bingo for free.
Not all bingo web sites have the same shopping cart or cashier but generally the following steps are necessary to play online bingo for money.
How to play online bingo
Obviously, you have to find an online Bingo site you like. This is why Free Bingo Prizes provides what we consider to be the most reputable Bingo sites online. Check the site over, look at their online help section.
Most good sites operate 24/7 and offer you customer service through Live Chat or speedy email response. Check out a sites Bingo Chat Room if available to non-depositors to get an idea how you will be treated when you are a paying customer.
Many sites will offer incentives to get you started like Free Bingo Cards or Free Bingo Bonus Money. These Free Bingo Bonuses are the best way to get a feel of a site and their customer service.
Registering online
When you are ready to join in the fun, you are usually required to fill out a short form, choose an alias or nickname to be used when playing. This will be the name that everyone will know you by. You will also need to choose a password to access your account.
Other items the web site may ask from you are your first and last name, email address, physical address and telephone. Responsible Bingo Web Sites operate with encryption and very high security to protect your private information.
You will make deposits and withdrawals on protected web pages with addresses that start with “https”, which indicates the site is secure.
After your information has been submitted, the bingo site will usually send you a welcome/activation email which describes the process of activation. In this mail there will be a link you will need to click which verifies that your are indeed the person requesting an account.
Some sites give you direct access once you fill out the form on their site. The information they ask for is necessary in the event you choose to fund your account at a later date they can verify all information is secure and belongs to you.
This will also facilitate any future withdrawals from your winnings you choose to make as well. Once registered you should find your Free Bingo Bonus Money in your account or you will then have direct access to the Online Free Bingo Rooms provided by the site.
Either way you are now an Official Member of the Bingo Site and can enjoy the Free Bingo Games and other Free Online Casino Games which may be provided.
How to Pick an Online Bingo Alias
Your online bingo alias (also referred to as your account ID) is one of the first things you will do when you sign up for an account with an online bingo site. Some players like to assume a generic alias Player123, but most players like to create a unique alias for themselves.
When choosing an online bingo alias, there are a couple important factors to take into consideration that will allow you to create a unique and easy to remember alias. First of all, DO NOT use anything that is offensive or that anyone could take offense to. Online bingo is supposed to be about fun, not making a political or any other kind of statement.
Secondly, make it something that has meaning to you. Do you love cats – CatLvr93, do you have 3 great kids – Mom23kids, do you drive a truck for a living – Trucking.
You get the idea. Make it clever, witty, smart, etc – just make it your own. Lastly, remember that this is the alias that the other online bingo players are going to see in the chat rooms and the alias that you will be referred to by everyone.
Don’t make it too complicated or long. Abbreviate as much as possible and use numbers for letters (2 instead of two or to) when you can.
How to deposit money into your account
Deposits are usually made with methods such as: Maestro Debit Card,Visa Credit Card, Visa Electron, Visa Debit, MasterCard Credit Card, Solo, Switch, Delta, Neteller, Paysafecard, PayPal, Skrill (formerly known as MoneyBookers), Instadebit, Bank Wire, FastBank transfer and cheque.
You will make a deposit at any Bingo Site Online just as you would purchasing any other item online at say Amazon.com. Once you have entered your personal and card details these will be on file for you so it isn’t necessary to fill these out again.
Just choose which method is best for you whether it is a MasterCard or on line wallet like Skrill. All sites have an area where you can see your funds at any time and check your balance along with your transactions.
How to withdraw winnings
The method for withdrawal will vary from site to site. This is because some sites have deposit bonuses and alternate bonus notes. You may receive 3-4 bonus $’s for every £ you deposit. To withdraw your winnings then, you will need to make a required amount of wagering first.
Depending on the site they will process withdrawals daily Mon- Fri or on a given day during the work week. In your account area you should find a button to click for payout or withdrawal.
Once you have entered in the amount you want to withdraw and click submit, you will only need to wait for the accounting department to verify your withdrawal and/ or notify you of any further wagering requirement.
Funds are easily added to your online wallet like Skrill or Neteller and will only need that you give them this information.
How much does it Cost?
No. This used to be the case, but with new browser technologies there are some Bingo sites that offer a No deposit play option. This is becoming a very popular feature, but there are some drawbacks to this feature as well.
Almost all Bingo sites offer a downloadable version of their game, but many sites we have listed also offer bingo games, which do not require a download. If you want to see a list of sites that offer the No depositoption, see our No Deposit bingo page.
Why do most sites offer such generous Bonuses for 1st time deposits?
Simple. They want you to try their site, in hopes that you’ll like it, and retain you as a customer.
So many Bingo sites now offer at least a 100% match on your 1st deposit that it is becoming the norm. Learn to take full advantage of these promotions.
What sites offer the best promotions for 1st deposits?
Most sites offer pretty good promotions for 1st deposits, but there are some sites that have tremendous offers. For a list of the best, see our Top Best Promotions page.
Are online Bingo sites Secure?
For the most part yes they are. In order to help you find a site that emphasizes security of information, we have included this area in our page. All sites listed on Top Bingo must adhere to these minimum requirements. This is not something that is practical for us to guarantee, as the security techniques are not readily verifiable.
However if they address this issue in their policies page, and we do not get complaints about their site, we will keep them listed on our site.
How do I know the game is not fixed?
For Bingo sites to be listed on our site, they must use the most modern and sophisticated bingo software available anywhere. All cards and ball calls must be produced by a sophisticated random number generator which cannot be reprogrammed or tampered with.
Software must be thoroughly audited and tested in line with the biggest and best real world bingo halls worldwide. They must not allow any of their staff or family members to play on their sites.
When I log in, can I remain anonymous?
For all Bingo sites list on our web site, the answer is yes. When you register at most sites, you are asked for your real name, address and contact details. This information is for their records only. It helps to ensure that all players are legitimate and is never made public.
At registration you are also required to select a nickname/alias and password. When you enter the game, you are identified by the nickname you have chosen. So unless you choose to communicate with your fellow players and pass on any personal information, there is no way anyone should know who you really are.
If my connection fails, am I kicked out of the game?
For Bingo sites to be listed on our site, they must use software that has been programmed to track every card purchased for every game played.
So even if you are disconnected, for whatever reason, your cards will still be played and your winnings will still be credited to your account. As long as you have purchased cards, you stand the same chance of winning as everybody else, no matter what!
Is my privacy respected?
In order for a Bingo site to be listed on our site it must adhere to certain privacy policies. These are difficult to gage and verify, but we require our listed sites to have a good respectable privacy policy documented on their web site.
They must adhere to these policies to the best of our knowledge. We have found that Privacy is a top priority for most Bingo sites, as it is the number one customer concern. Please see the specific policies for the Bingo site of your choice before you join.
Is it Legal?
As these games are played over the Internet, they reach virtually every country in the world. Some of these jurisdictions have not addressed the legality of Internet gaming, while some have specifically made Internet gaming illegal.
In practical terms, it is impossible to determine the state of the law in every country, state, and province around the world on an ongoing basis. It is essentially up to you to determine if it is legal in your home jurisdiction.
What features are available to assist in tracking my bingo cards during play?
There are many features that make following your cards easy online. You can choose to “daub” your card yourself if you wish, but most sites have an auto daub feature that will mark your cards for you.
This is what most Bingo players do, then they can participate in the chat rooms or perhaps a few games of slots or pull tabs while they monitor their cards. Also, many sites have an auto sort feature which automatically arranges your cards in order based on how many numbers they have.
On top of that there is also a color coding that indicates how many numbers you are away from bingo. See your specific site for4 details on what they offer.