What are the different types of bingo?

From a distance, they may all look the same, but there are many different types of bingo, each with its own rules, formats, win patterns, and card styles. If you’re familiar with one, you can quite easily switch between them to get more variety in your bingo sessions.

Here in the UK, 90 ball bingo is the most common variant of all the bingo types, but others are also popular amongst players. So, if you’re thinking of mixing it up the next time you play, let’s take a look at how they work and what key differences you should be aware of.

How to play different types of bingo

In most standard [bingo types](/bingo, the basic rules of the game are the same. You start with a card or ticket with a selection of numbers printed on it. A bingo caller will then draw numbers and announce what they are, and you need to mark any matching ones on your card. The first person to mark off a winning bingo pattern (such as a line or the whole card) gets the prize.

Although this mechanic is shared by almost all of the different types of bingo games you can play, there are some unique elements to be aware of.

90 Ball Bingo

90 ball bingo is the most common version of the game in the UK and, as you’ve probably guessed, is played with 90 balls. Each one is individually numbered, ranging from 1-90, and 90 ball bingo cards can have any combination of these numbers on them.

Although it’s called 90 ball bingo, it doesn’t always use balls. If you’re playing an online bingo game like Pink Casino’s Super Saturday or Diamond Dazzle, then the numbers are generated digitally. The name just comes from the traditional method of drawing numbers which was to pick the balls at random from a pot.

90 ball bingo cards are wider and shorter than other variants, using a 9x3 card with 27 squares on it. Not all squares are used, you’ll notice some are left blank, leaving you with 15 numbers and 12 empty spaces.

Unlike some other games, this bingo type only has a couple of different win patterns. You can either win 90 ball bingo by getting a line or a house, with some games also offering a prize for completely matching two lines.

80 Ball Bingo

Although not as popular as the 90 ball version, 80 ball bingo is still a firm favourite among bingo players. As the name suggests, this version uses 10 fewer numbers, but this isn’t the only difference.

When you look at an 80 ball bingo card, you’ll immediately notice two key differences. Firstly, it uses a 4x4 grid and, secondly, each column on that grid is allocated a different colour. These colours represent one of four groups of numbers and are designated like this:

Red - 1 - 20 Yellow - 21 - 40 Blue - 41 - 60 White or Silver - 61 - 80

There are no blank spaces on an 80 ball bingo card, meaning you’ll need to match one extra number to get a house but one fewer to land a line.

80 ball bingo also has more win patterns, including four corners, a square, and three lines. Additionally, you can match one or two lines diagonally, horizontally, or vertically across the card, rather than being limited to just direction.

You can play 80 ball bingo here at Pink Casino in our 80 Ball Room game.

75 Ball Bingo

75 ball bingo is the favourite bingo type amongst our American cousins. It uses 75 numbers but this isn’t what makes it stand out. Of all the different types of bingo games, 75 ball bingo has the biggest cards, using a 5x5 grid.

This grid gives players 25 squares, though the centre one is left empty, leaving you with 24 numbers to match to get a house. This makes filling your card much harder, offsetting the benefits of having fewer balls to draw. However, 75 ball bingo gives players more chances to win thanks to the many different win patterns the larger grid allows.

There is no definitive list of patterns so you will find that it varies from game to game, so you’ll want to check what patterns are being used before you buy your first ticket. There are the standard ones you’ll find in other bingo games, such as lines, frames, and a full house, as well as more unique ones.

These unique and more intricate win patterns include a pyramid of numbers, an arrow pointing in any direction, letters of the alphabet, numbers, and even the shape of a wine glass.

If you’ll have a ball making these different patterns, then you can check out our 75 Ball Room game.

Speed Bingo

Speed bingo is the fastest of all the different types of bingo. There are a few different variants within this category, with varying numbers of balls used. The two options you can find here at Pink Casino are Zoom Room 30 Ball Speed Bingo and Bingo Blast, which uses the full 90 balls.

The way these games achieve their speed is by drawing numbers more quickly, with a win possible in just seconds. You don’t need to worry about missing these quick-fire numbers though, the game will automatically match any that you have on your cards.

The 30 ball bingo games also contribute to their speed by having fewer numbers in play. A smaller pool to pick from means a house will be achieved more quickly since there are 66% fewer balls to draw.