Join Now
Bingo. One of the all-time classic games. It’s simple from afar – the balls come out, you mark your card, you (hopefully) win! But there’s a lot more you should know before you play bingo online.
That’s why we’ve put together this super helpful glossary of bingo terms and slang. So you can learn all the bingo lingo and obtain all the info before grabbing your dauber.
Admission Packet
The minimum number of cards a player needs to purchase to take part in the bingo game, usually anywhere between six and 12 cards.
Bingo
What this is all about!
Bingo Ball
Simply a numbered ball dispensed during a game of bingo, ranging from 1 up to 90 – depending on the bingo variant. 60-ball and 75-ball bingo are other commonly seen games.
Bingo Board
The card with a grid of numbers used to play bingo.
Bingo Machine
The device where you’ll find the bingo balls, the blower and a ball tray – there to collect the balls once called.
Bingo Booklet
A group of different colored, numbered bingo sheets grouped together containing the same number of faces (ON's) to be played for each game at a bingo session.
Blackout
A pattern where you must cover all spots on your bingo card to win
Blower
A forced-air device that mixes up the bingo balls and “blows” them to the caller
Bonanza Bingo
A progressive coverall jackpot usually played as the 13th game of the session.
Caller
The person calling out the numbers
Card
Your route to success! Your card contains 24 numbered spaces and one free space with which you play BINGO. The numbers are assigned at random on each card and are arranged in a 5x5 format.
Card Minding Device
A device connected to equipment used to conduct a game of bingo, allowing a player to store, display and mark a bingo card face.
Consolation Prize
A prize given to either the second person to hit bingo or if nobody gets bingo during a progressive game
CoverAll
A bingo game where the objective is to — yep, you guessed it — cover all the numbers on your ticket.
Cut
Indicates the direction in which a sheet of bingo faces will be cut from the master sheet, and can be square, horizontal or vertical.
Dauber
A special pen-like ink marker used to mark off numbers on a bingo card. When playing online, the daubing will usually be done automatically.
Early Bird Game
A bingo game played before the main session begins
Face
The individual bingo sheet, containing 24 numbers and the free space in the middle.
Flash Board
The display board that displays the bingo numbers called
Free Space
The free bingo space in each game, considered called and usually found in the middle of your ticket.
Hard-Way Bingo
A bingo win achieved without using the free space in the middle
Instants
A game where a player can win immediately after buying a ticket
Jackpot
The main prize awarded for winning a game of bingo
Lucky Jar or Cookie Jar
A progressive jackpot triggered by the “money ball”
Minimum Buy-In
The minimum amount you need to pay for a bingo card in any given game
Money Ball
A number is randomly drawn before the game. If a bingo that doubles a player’s winnings if bingo is hit on that number
Moonlight Bingo
Late-night bingo! A session played at night, usually from around 10pm.
Multiple Winners
When two or more players win at the same time. When this happens, the cash prize is split evenly between them. For example, five winners in a $500 game will receive $100 each.
Nicknames
A way of announcing the bingo balls with an amusing alternative name. This isn’t common in online bingo, but the nicknames are legendary in British bingo in particular.
Ons
Referring to the number of bingo faces per sheet. A “6 ON” would have 6 faces per sheet, for example.
Pattern
A shape you need to cover on your card with called out numbers. Basic patterns include lines in a horizontal, vertical or diagonal direction – but it could be ANYTHING!
Payout
The percentage of sales paid out by the house
Postage Stamp Pattern
Getting four numbers to form a postage stamp (a 2 x 2 grid) in any of the four corners.
Progressive Game
A game with a designated jackpot that, if not won, is carried forward into subsequent games.
Progressive Jackpot
A jackpot that gets bigger until it is won, building with every entry. There is usually a separate buy-in for progressive jackpot games.
Pull Tab
Also known as break-opens or pickle cards, games played with paper tickets containing hidden symbols or numbers.
Raffle
A game of chance in which a participant must purchase a ticket for a chance to win a prize, drawn at random.
Series
The number of unique faces that a single set contains. A 9000 SERIES has 9000 unique faces, for example.
Session
A schedule of consecutive bingo games that lasts multiple hours. Morning, noon or night – whatever works for you.
Six-pack, Nine-pack
A pattern consisting of a block of either six or nine numbers
Special
A unique game often played with a different set of cards than the pack purchased at admission.
Speed Bingo
A variation of bingo, with fewer numbers and a faster pace.
Split Pot
A bingo game in which the winner splits the pot with the bingo hall or house. For example, the winner might get 60% and the house would keep 40%.
Turbo
An electronic dauber system used to play multiple packs at once, allowing a player to play more cards electronically.
Ups
The number of sheets that make up your bingo book. For example, a 6 UP indicates that the book has six cards.
Validation
An additional fee paid to qualify for a larger jackpot
Wild Number
A number that can be used to replace or represent any number in a pattern
Wrap Up
The final game of a bingo session