Bonus Bingo Guide

Bonus Bingo, an online variation of Bingo, is perhaps the fastest and easiest to play among online specialty games. It is played using standard 5X5 Bingo cards. During the game, the computer randomly draws 44 balls and matches your cards with various patterns on the game board. If your cards match with the patterns, you win!

How to Play Bonus Bingo

To play Bonus Bingo, the computer automatically selects 4 cards and places a bet of a nickel per card for you. You can change your bet and the number of cards by clicking them to turn them on or off. Click Play. The computer will randomly pick 44 balls and cover the matching numbers on your cards. If the pattern of covered numbers matches with any of the patterns on the game board, you win.

You can change your cards before each play. Click the Change Cards button to get a new set of cards. When you click the Change Cards button, all your cards are changed even if they are turned off.

You Win When

You win when any of your cards match a pattern indicated on the game board.

Bonus Round and Game Features

Bonus Bingo has a lot of features to make the game more interesting and rewarding. The patterns that you play and win on carry different payouts depending on your wager. The game awards you multipliers to double or triple your win on a card. The Bonus balls feature fetch additional rewards and a chance to play the bonus round.

Multipliers

You could be awarded with a multiplier when you hit the Play button. Once you receive a multiplier, select one of your cards to use the multiplier on. 2x doubles the amount won on a card, and 3x triples the amount.

Additional Rules

Multiple and Overlapping Patterns

Sometimes the numbers on a card are covered in such a way that multiple patterns are formed. If those patterns don’t overlap, you get the prize associated with each pattern. For example, if you bet $1 and play with all 4 cards, a combination of the 3L and Four Corners patterns, would win you a combined prize of $10.50 ($10.00 + $0.50).

If those patterns overlap, you get the prize associated with the overlapping pattern. For example, if you bet $1 and play with all 4 cards, a combination of the Four Corners and Letter X would win you $2 because the Letter X pattern overlaps Four Corners.

Multipliers

If there are multiple patterns on a card, a multiplier will only multiply the amount won against the first pattern.

Strategy & Tips

Bonus Bingo is a chance-based game, but you can follow some tips to increase your chances of winning multipliers and bonus balls.

• Obtaining Multipliers: You can obtain more multipliers if you play with more than one card.
• Obtaining Bonus Balls: You can only obtain bonus balls if you play with all four cards. If you obtain five bonus balls, you can play a bonus round.

History

Bingo is loosely based on a 16th Century Italian game called Lo Giuoco del Lotto D’Italia. Frenchmen also played a similar game called Le Lotto in the 18th Century.

Bingo was initially called Beano in the U.S. Players used beans to cover numbers on their cards and yelled “beano” upon winning. Edwin S. Lowe, a toy salesman from New York, saw people play Beano at a carnival near Atlanta, Georgia in 1929. People were so involved in the game that the dealer had to actually ask people to leave. Lowe went back to New York and organized a Beano event. Everyone welcomed the game with great excitement. One day an excited player yelled “bingo” instead of “beano.” Ever since, Beano has been called Bingo.

Glossary

Playing Bonus Bingo is a lot more fun when you understand the terms associated with the game.

Bet: The amount of money you put on the line to win.

Card: A 5×5 square with 24 numbers and an empty box.

Pattern: A shape that is formed on the card as matched numbers are covered.

Game Board: A board where the drawn Bingo balls and patterns are displayed.

Bonus Ball: A special ball that awards a special amount of money to players.

Ball Pocket: One of the five pockets on the game board to hold bonus balls

Special Patterns

Diagonal Right to Left: Numbers on a card are covered diagonally from right to left.

Diagonal Left to Right: Numbers on a card are covered diagonally from left to right.

Four Corners: Numbers are covered on all four corners of a card.

2L: Any two horizontal lines covered on a card.

Letter X: Numbers covered on a card to form the letter ‘X’

Letter T: Covered numbers on a card form the letter ‘T’.

3L: Any three horizontal lines covered on a card.

Frame: Numbers on all four sides of a card are covered.

4L: Any four horizontal lines covered on a card.

Empty Inside Diamond: Every number is covered on the card, except the ones that form the inside diamond.