Bingo Glossary

New players to bingo can sometimes find all the terms they hear somewhat confusing, which makes the online bingo glossary a really useful and fun tool to help players learn more about the game terms they might come across. From ‘deposit bonus’ to ‘Random Number Generator’, we have compiled a list of the most common bingo words and phrases you might hear.

75-ball Bingo – the 75 number pattern-based variation mostly played in the US, which has a 5x5 grid with 25 numbers marked from 1-75.
90-ball Bingo – the 90 number variation mostly played in the UK, which has 9x3 grids marked with 15 random numbers from 1-90, and three chances to win (one chance each line, with a large prize for full house wins).
Auto-daub – this is when the game automatically marks off players’ numbers on their bingo cards (even if you choose manual daub, your cards are still automatically marked by the system).
Bingo Balls – the balls used to play bingo. All balls are randomly selected by special software, and as each ball is shown, the caller announces the number and the number displays on the board.
Bingo Board – the number board where bingo numbers are displayed. In 75-ball games, the board includes letters from B, I, N, G and O, while in 90-ball game there are only numbers. As each number is called, it shows on the board for players to mark their cards.
Bingo Caller – the electronic caller announces each number as it appears on the board, and also announces the start of a game.
Bingo Card – these are the cards where bingo numbers are displayed, and players need to fill their cards to win the game.
Bonus – these can be earned by funding your account or winning chat games, or they can be given away in promotions and sign-up specials.
Blackout or Coverall – this is a jackpot in which players need to mark of all numbers on their cards to win – prizes are usually very high for these jackpots.
Cash-out – when players win, they can choose to cash-out their prize, or use it to play more bingo games.
Chat Games – special games played in the online bingo chat rooms, which give players a chance to win bonus points. Games are usually fairly simple, and often tie in to the bingo game being played.
Deposit – all players need to fund their accounts to play the games. Deposits range from a £5 minimum to £1,000+.
Free Bingo – many games offer free cards to try the games, as well as special free games during promotions.
Free Space – in 75-ball games, the middle space of the card is always free; in 90-ball bingo there are four free spaces in each of the three rows.
Full House – this is similar to a coverall jackpot, and is usually the name given to the three line prize in 90-ball bingo games.
Games – the selection of bingo and other games available at the bingo site.
Promotions – special competitions and offers to help players win online bingo prizes or bingo points.
RNG (Random Number Generator) – software that creates random numbers for the bingo games.
Software – the game technology that allows players to play bingo games either live or via download format.

Now that you are armed with a good knowledge of bingo terms, you will be able to focus on playing fun online bingo games, where you can make friends and hopefully win huge prizes!