The US has a habit of being different just for the sake of it. Just look at fries and chips. Or yards and metres. Or soccer and football. They couldn’t even leave our beloved bingo untouched by their stamp of American-ness! This is where 75 ball bingo comes in… In the States, they play with 75 balls, while this side of the pond we prefer 90 balls. But what’s the difference?
In the UK, 90 ball bingo, the original and most popular version of the game, is king! If you’re out and about looking for some bingo excitement, then this is THE version you’re going to find.
Across the Atlantic however, they do things a little differently. In the US, the 75 ball game is the most common way to play bingo, whether you’re playing in-person or online bingo games.
But what does this mean for new bingo players? If you’re European will the police arrest you for playing 75 ball bingo? If you’re American will your family disown you if they see 90 bingo balls on your tablet screen?
Stop stressing! Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, it’s perfectly acceptable to play whichever version you like. Check out the differences between the two below, so you can choose which online bingo game will float your boat the most:
If you’re someone who wants to just the dive into the action, here’s how the two versions of the game differ, at a glance:
As we all know, Europeans LOVE 90 ball bingo. Like, LOVE love! It’s hands down the most popular version in the UK and you’ll be able to find it in bingo halls and online bingo sites across the country. Here at Lucky Pants Bingo, we like to think of 90 ball bingo as the fish and chips of games! It’s something so uniquely British, we’ll never stop playing it, the same way we’ll never stop enjoying fish and chips.
So to refresh, 90 ball bingo’s card has a 3x9 grid. But, this grid doesn’t have 27 numbers. It actually has just over half of that, with 15 random numbers between 1 and 90.
Even though these numbers are random, they’re not randomly scattered across the card. Such chaos would be far too much for us Brits. On a 90 ball bingo card, you’ll only find certain numbers in each column. The first column might have numbers between 1 and 9, the second column numbers between 10 and 19, all the way to the final column, which might have numbers between 80 and 90.
With that out of the way, let’s get onto the good stuff: winning!
In 90 ball bingo, there’s not just one winner, but three. We can see the appeal!
Winners (and the prizes they receive) are decided by the number of lines completed. If you complete three lines (also known as a Full House), you get the largest portion of the prize, while completing two lines or one will get you a smaller share of the winnings.
If you do complete a line, or two, or three, feel free to raise your hands to the sky and shout “For freedom!”. (Sorry, I’ve clearly watched Braveheart too many times). So scratch that — if you complete any number of lines, feel free to raise your hands to the sky and shout “Bingo!” This may lead to dirty looks from the sore losers in the bingo hall, or neighbours banging on the wall of your flat if you’re playing online, but it’s not a win unless you yell out, ‘B-I-N-G-O!’ right?
In 90 ball bingo, the calls come quickly, so if you’re easily distracted by your phone, your friends, or that cutie across from you, you might want to try another version of bingo. However, if you’re a fast dabber, love quick calls, or you’re playing online where the game can mark off numbers for you, then 90 ball bingo is for you!
In the land of baseball, giant food portions, and the odd month, day, year, date format, 75 ball bingo is the game of choice. If you want to do more than just fill in straight lines of numbers, then you should check out this version of the game.
American bingo players clearly want a bit more excitement than their British counterparts, since their version of bingo comes with a card that has a 5x5 grid. Across the top of the card is the word Bingo (just in case you forgot which game you were playing) , with the grid below filled in with random numbers between 1 and 75.
Did I say random numbers? I should have said, sort of random numbers. Just like 90 ball bingo, each column has random numbers within a certain range. The first column has numbers from 1 to 15, the second column numbers from 16 to 30, the third column numbers from 31 to 45, and so on.
Then there’s the rather unusual square at the centre of the grid that is sometimes filled in black, has a symbol in it, or simply has the word “Free” inside. Yes, in American bingo, one number is automatically marked off for you. And who doesn’t like free things?
If you do decide to play 75 ball bingo, keep in mind that there can only be one winner in each game. Thich is great for players who look for any excuse to play the songs. “All I do is win”, “Another one bites the dust”, or “U can’t touch this”!
The aim of this version of the game is to mark off numbers to complete a specific pattern. This could be as simple as a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal line, or could be something a bit more exciting. Think planes, hearts, faces...
Some games even go for a coverall pattern, which means you mark off every single number on your bingo card. (This is definitely something frame-worthy, don’t you think?)
If you’re someone who likes being number one, big jackpots (and you cannot lie) or prefers a shorter game, then this is the one for you!
At Lucky Pants Bingo, we’re all about freedom of choice. Try your hand at both these types of online bingo games to see which you prefer, or, if you like to spice things up a little, play both and enjoy the best of each!
At our bingo site, you can even play all the best online bingo games wherever you are, 24/7, on your mobile. No matter what version of bingo delights and excites you, we’ve got it! And if you want to take a break from bingo, you can try our wide range of other games, including slots and Slingo!
Pop by Lucky Pants Bingo to find out more about the awesome games we have on offer.
At Lucky Pants Bingo, we want you to enjoy every second that you play with us. Find tips on how to play safely, discover places to get support and get information on all the tools we have in place at: keepitfun.rank.com
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