How to Play Bingo: Rules, Calls and a Free Number Caller
Bingo is one of the easiest games to run for a class, a family night or a party: everyone gets a card, someone calls out random numbers, and the first player to complete a pattern shouts "Bingo!". The only tricky part is calling the numbers fairly, with no repeats and no forgotten numbers. Here are the rules of the two main versions, how to use a free online caller, classroom variations and where the game came from.
75-Ball Bingo (the American Version)
Each card has 5 columns headed B, I, N, G and O, with 5 squares in each. Every column takes numbers from its own range:
| Column | Numbers |
|---|---|
| B | 1 to 15 |
| I | 16 to 30 |
| N | 31 to 45 (centre square is a free space) |
| G | 46 to 60 |
| O | 61 to 75 |
The caller announces each number with its letter, for example "B 7" or "O 64". Players mark it if it is on their card. The usual winning pattern is a full line of five, across, down or diagonally, and the free space counts. For a longer game, play for four corners, an X, or a full card (blackout).
90-Ball Bingo (the British Version)
In Britain and much of Europe, bingo uses 90 numbers and tickets with 3 rows and 9 columns. Each row has 5 numbers and 4 blank squares, so a ticket holds 15 numbers. A game usually has three prizes in turn: the first player to complete one line, then two lines, then all 15 numbers, the "full house".
British callers are famous for rhyming nicknames, such as "Kelly's eye, number one", "legs eleven" for 11, "clickety-click" for 66, "two fat ladies" for 88 and "top of the shop" for 90. In Italy the same 90-number game, tombola, is a traditional Christmas family game.
How to Call Bingo with a Random Number Generator
You do not need a cage of balls. The Random Number Generator can produce the whole calling order in one go:
- Set From to 1 and To to 75 (or 90 for the British version).
- Set How many to 75 (or 90) and keep No repeats ticked.
- Press Generate. You now have every number exactly once, in a random order.
- Call the numbers from left to right. For 75-ball, add the letter: anything from 1 to 15 is B, 16 to 30 is I, and so on.
- When someone shouts "Bingo!", note how many numbers you have called, press Sort and check their card against the called numbers.
Because the list is drawn before the game starts and nothing repeats, nobody can accuse the caller of picking favourites, and a number can never be called twice.
Making Cards
For 75-ball bingo, give each player a 5 by 5 grid and have them fill each column with any five different numbers from its range, leaving the centre free. Every card ends up different. For young children, a 3 by 3 grid with numbers from 1 to 30 is quicker, as in the number bingo in our random number generator games.
Classroom Variations
- Times-table bingo: students fill their grid with answers, such as 12, 18 or 24. You call the question, "3 times 6", and they mark the answer.
- Vocabulary bingo: students write words from the unit in their grid. Put the same words in the Picker Wheel and spin to call the definitions.
- Language bingo: call numbers in the language the class is learning. It is a painless way to practise listening to numbers.
- Picture bingo: for young children, use pictures of animals or colours instead of numbers.
More ideas in the same spirit are in our guides to classroom games with a random picker and kids party games.
A Short History of Bingo
Most histories trace bingo to the Italian state lottery, Il Gioco del Lotto d'Italia, usually dated to the 1530s. A game of numbered cards called le lotto was played in France in the 18th century, and in the 19th century lotto-style games were used in Germany and elsewhere to teach children spelling and arithmetic.
The American name has a well-known origin story. Edwin S. Lowe, a New York toy salesman, said he saw a game called "beano" at a carnival near Atlanta in 1929, where players marked their cards with dried beans. Back home he played it with friends, and one excited winner shouted "bingo" instead of "beano". Lowe sold it as Bingo, and the name stuck. The story comes from Lowe himself, so treat the details with some caution, but his company did make the game widely known in the United States.
People still have favourite numbers they hope to hear called, but every number has exactly the same chance. Our article on lucky numbers explains why.
FAQ
How do you play bingo?
Each player has a card of numbers. A caller announces random numbers one at a time and players mark any they have. The first player to complete the agreed pattern, such as a full line, shouts Bingo and wins after their card is checked.
What numbers go in each column of a 75-ball bingo card?
B has 1 to 15, I has 16 to 30, N has 31 to 45 with a free space in the centre, G has 46 to 60 and O has 61 to 75.
What is the difference between 75-ball and 90-ball bingo?
75-ball bingo, common in the United States, uses a 5 by 5 card and is usually played for a line or a pattern. 90-ball bingo, common in Britain, uses tickets with 3 rows of 5 numbers and has prizes for one line, two lines and a full house.
Can I use a random number generator as a bingo caller?
Yes. Set the range to 1 to 75 or 1 to 90, set How many to the same number and keep No repeats ticked. You get every number once in a random order to call from.
Where does the name bingo come from?
According to the story told by toy salesman Edwin S. Lowe, the game was called beano at a 1929 carnival in the United States, and a winner who shouted bingo by mistake gave it its new name.