Today, with the use of the Internet, it’s possible for you to play your all-time favorite game bingo without your physical presence. All you need to do is to look for a bingo website that you can be a member of, pay an initial deposit, and have the opportunity to play as many bingo games as you want.
As simple as it may sound, there’s still one thing that you need to remember. You have to ensure that you’re going to pick the right bingo website. Otherwise, you would end up with scamming ones. After you’ve paid for your initial deposit, you would no longer have access to your account. You may also deal with mediocre websites, those that take forever to give their payouts to their members and whose games are poor with graphics and sounds. There are also those who don’t accept people like you, so spending your time in them is a waste.
Here are the best ways on how you to choose your bingo website:
1. Check the requirements. There are some bingo websites who can accept only those who are 21 years old and above. Others have lower requirements–that is, you only have to be 18 years old. There are also a number of them that don’t accept U.S. players because of the stringent laws of the country.
Most of these pre-requisites in playing are already found right at the homepage. You can just check them out there. If they are not, go to FAQ page or call their customer support.
2. It should have an excellent customer support. Since you’re going to have questions and issues along the way, it’s essential that a bingo website will have its own customer support. Nevertheless, having a feedback form is not enough. The many modes of reaching out to their staff, the better. It’s ideal to be a member of a website with live chat, e-mail, and phone options. The hotlines are open 24/7, and their team are highly knowledgeable and experts on bingo.
3. The website must encourage fairness. Though there’s less competition in bingo since it’s just going to be about you and the numbers, you still would want to make sure that all games are fair. They could not be manipulated by the managers or members for their own advantage. Thus, only be a member in websites that have RNG or random number generator. This program ensures that the numbers drawn are randomly selected. The results can be audited, but no one can change the program to create patterns.
4. Go for security. Since you’re going to play bingo online, you also have to pay online. This is where the problem comes in, as there’s always the chance of having your information stolen by hackers. Thus, a bingo website must use an SSL technology, which protects all your confidential information by encrypting them.
Of course, it also pays to settle for a bingo website that has huge bonuses, fast payouts, wide array of games, and engaging layout.
This question has been asked as often as playing bingo itself. Bingo has been a favorite pastime for decades, and now that it has made the online transition, it has brought over current players and has even attracted a younger audience. But what makes online bingo very attractive to all these people? Read the following reasons and be hooked yourself.
One Can Avoid the Crowd
This is one of the major reasons why longtime players have jumped the online bingo bandwagon. Most bingo halls would pack 150 to 200 people, and things can get rowdy when almost everybody is closing in on the jackpot. The noise may prove too much of a distraction to many. Since all you need is a PC and an Internet connection in an online bingo, you can simply play at the comforts of your own home. Instead of dressing up and driving to the bingo hall, players simply log in, and they can join a game almost instantly.
You Can Play While Enjoying a Smoke
Some say that the ban on smoking that included bingo halls greatly contributed in the decline of people playing the game. It turns out that while most would brave the changing seasons just so they can play bingo, asking them to stop smoking would be too much.
Online bingo, of course, allows them to enjoy their two past times together. Online bingo pretty much permits a lot of people to be themselves since nobody else is watching them play.
There Is Automated Play
Many players would tell you that part of their frustrations is to either not have as many cards as they wanted or the inability to wade through all the cards to mark a number. Online bingo makes marking cards automatic, leaving players to just watch in excitement as they get closer to a win. Some bingo websites even rearrange the cards, placing the one that is already near the jackpot at the first spot.
You Can Have More Cards
As a direct consequence of having automated play, you can get as many cards as you like to increase your chances of winning. There are many bingo websites that allow players to get 6 or even 10 cards per round. Players are also given the option of getting random cards or picking the cards that they want. Having multiple cards is not a problem at all since all you need to is watch as the game unfolds.
There Are More Ways to Win
Though the skill of marking numbers has been taken over by computers, it does not mean that players themselves are useless while a game is taking place. They do have a choice of turning off the autoplay and tag the numbers themselves. Or they can play the mini games that online bingo lobbies offer. Players can select several three-reel slots that would net them additional prizes. There are also puzzle games that they can play simply for fun.
There Is a Larger Pot in Store
A great feature of online bingos is the ability to be interconnected with other bingo halls to share their jackpots. This means that the jackpot can reach hundreds of thousands, something that bingo halls could never offer.
Do you want to hit two birds with a stone? That is exactly what bingo cruises can do. You can enjoy the luxury associated with a ship cruise along with the excitement of playing bingo for big bucks. Imagine being able to escape from the mundane trappings of life yet still be able to play your favorite game.
What to Expect on a Bingo Cruise
The main events of a bingo cruise, of course, are the bingo tournaments that are held on the ship. Jackpots can easily climb up to tens of thousands, and will occupy most of the schedule. This does not mean, though, that you just stay on the bingo hall the entire time. Players who join a bingo cruise will get plenty of luxuries, which will include gourmet meals, varied entertainment, and the different ports of call. Best of all, bingo cruises are starting to increase, giving you better options on which trip will match your preferences.
World Championship Bingo Tournament and Gaming Cruise
A popular cruise for bingo enthusiasts would be by Carnival. Aboard their new ship called Splendor, players will be able to join the World Championship BINGO Tournament and Gaming Cruise. You will be handed a 9on (nine cards in one sheet) for every session, and a total of $80,000 will be given away. The tournament is played on the spacious Spectacular Lounge of the ship and will be played when the ship is at sea. This means that you don’t have to worry about missing a port of call or any other activities on board the sip. There is also a smaller game with a total of $30,000 scheduled on different times of the cruise. That’s around one hundred ten thousand dollars to win for. The person who has gathered the most winnings will be considered the grand champion and gets two tickets on board the next world championship bingo cruise.
Around the Mexican Riviera
The world championship bingo on board Carnival Splendor is for 8 days and 7 nights that starts in Los Angeles and travels around the Mexican Rivera. From there, you have two days of fun and tournaments, and then you arrive at the first port of call, which is Puerto Vallarta. Additional ports of call include Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. Each port has its own share of different activities you can participate like an ATV adventure, shopping excursions, and even horseback riding.
Players, of course, have the option of simply enjoying the amenities of the cruise ship. You will not get bored of the things you can do onboard. There is a Thalassotherapy pool that massages your back through bursts of water. There is also a water slide and a mini golf course. There is also a fine dining restaurant and a steakhouse for food lovers, and a lounge one can relax in while taking a sip and listening to music. If you have had your fill of bingo, there is also a casino and theater to entertain you. Finally, you can just sit back and relax over the spa after days’ worth of winning.
It’s obvious that there’s no other way to win any bingo game than to have Lady Luck on your side—or perhaps entice the caller to go on your wishes (this one seldom happens, and it’s illegal). Everything is just going to be based on chance.
Perhaps because of this, a lot of bingo players have practiced a number of superstitious beliefs. These rituals have been around for a very long time, and it seems like it would never die down, considering that there are actually players who won just by following them.
If you’re curious of what these superstitious beliefs are, all you need to do is to browse through the list below:
Four-leaf clover always works. This plant that normally grows in Ireland is always associated with good luck. It comes from the fact that four-leaf clovers are uncommon. Each leaf also represents something, such as faith, hope, love, and luck. It doesn’t come as a surprise therefore that there are a lot of people who would have four-leaf clovers in their care. Others would consider having just an image of the four-leaf clovers perhaps in their shirts, purses, or jewelry when they’re playing bingo.
Number 13 is always a bad number. There’s something about 13 that makes it the most dreaded number in history. You can see hotels that don’t have thirteenth floors. People usually don’t go out or even take a bath during Friday the Thirteenth. In fact, there are people who would develop a phobia over it.
There are also a number of bingo players who believe that 13 is not a good sign, especially if it’s found in their bingo cards. Thus, don’t be surprised if some of them would really insist on changing their cards with 13 with something else.
Their birthdays can bring them good luck. You would also notice that some bingo players would pick cards that contain numbers that are significant to them. Usually, these digits would match their birthdates and those of their loved ones. They could be thinking that since these numbers are already significant in their lives, they will have more meaning if these would bring them good luck.
A minor variation is picking up numbers that match their wedding date, anniversary date, and other dates that help them remember special occasions.
They sit on their lucky seat. Yes, there are bingo players who would insist on sitting in one corner for the entire duration of their bingo playing life. They would normally do so once they start to win games.
For online gamers, they’d prefer a good time to play bingo games, and it’s usually during those times when they are few players. When you come to think of it, this is such a smart move. When there are fewer players, you have better chances of winning.
Lastly, do you know that there are actually people who would perform rituals on their bingo cards prior to the game? If your seatmates’ cards spell of spices and herbs, don’t start raising your eyebrows. They just think that sweeping the cards with these ingredients would usher good luck.
Who doesn’t know how to play bingo? In 2003 alone, there were more than 1 million Americans that troop to bingo halls. Keep in mind that we’re only talking about one country. Bingo is played all over the world. To further tell you on how popular bingo is, the number of online bingo sites increased dramatically in just a span of 4 years. These include pay-to-play and free play bingo websites. However, there are certain groups of people who can’t get enough to play bingo. They make up the profile of the usual players of this fun game.
How Old Are the Usual Players?
A lot of people believe that it would be the senior citizens who would be very busy with playing bingo. For one, most of them are already retired, so they definitely have a lot of time in their hands. They are also those who could be hoping to win even in just one game before they would become too old to play it.
That’s why it’s surprised to discover that only 2 percent of bingo players are around 65 years old. The rest are still in their prime years. The youngest players of bingo would usually be around 25. The oldest would be 55. Most of the players would be around 41 years old.
There’s a good explanation for this: as mentioned, the number of online bingo websites is increasing by the day. This means that players no longer have to leave the comforts of their own home just so they can play the game. On the other hand, senior citizens would often find the travel to be quite exhausting, unless they know that they would be in company of friends once they’re already in the halls.
The features found in online bingo websites also make it very easy for even newbies to learn the game. For example, there is an autoplay function, where they can allow the computer to control the game for them. They can also conveniently communicate with friends and family who could also be playing bingo through on-screen Chat.
So Is It the Men or the Women?
When it comes to gambling, social or not, men dominate the scene. It could be because they love the idea of winning. It increases their ego. It could also be because they are more competitive than women.
The same thing could not be said, though, with regards to bingo. It turns out that most of the players are actually women who are either full-time or part-time employees, or stay-at-home moms. Unlike poker, blackjack, craps, roulettes, and other card and table games, bingo is a much easier game to play. And because it’s a more-or-less no-brainer, women players can be more relaxed while they’re playing the game.
The popularity of bingo is further fueled by the number of celebrities who play the game too. These include the former president Bill Clinton and British singer Robbie Williams. You too can be a bingo player. You just need to look for a good online bingo website and have fun just like the rest.
