To play online bingo there is only one definite requirement, it is not your bingo dabber, although keep your lucky mascot handy if you have one. The biggest requirement is a PC! Be it a laptop or a desktop you won’t get far in the world of online bingo without it.
With this guide we will even have the complete novice completely conversant with online bingo by the time we say “BINGO”!
Most sites will run on any PC that you buy in today’s market place but these are a rough guide to the requirements to play online bingo.
- Flash 7 plugin – (If it isn’t already installed on your PC and you visit a site that requires it they will generally provide a safe link from where you can download it)
- Pentium II Class PC (min. 233Mhz) – we know this looks technical but this is inbuilt in today’s PC’s
- 64 MB Ram – PC’s in today’s market generally have a minimum of 512MB installed already
- Internet Explorer 5.5 or above or Mozilla Firefox 1.0 – again, these are installed on PC’s as part of the normal operating system
- 56K Internet connection – if you have less than this – give up now!
How To Choose A Bingo Site Online
These are a few suggestions as to how to decide which site to play at :-
- Do they play the games you want to play? i.e 75 ball and 90 ball
- What are they funding and withdrawal options? How long does a withdrawal take to process?
- Does the site provided 24/7 support to its players?
- Does the site offer a welcome bonus so I can try the site first? Is there a free bingo room available?
- What awards, if any, has the site won?
- What are the big prizes on the site?
All of the above information should be easily accessible from the site’s home page. If it isn’t then it probably isnt a very reputable site.
Registration
Once you have choosen a site to play at you will need to complete the required registration process. On all sites this is a fairly painless process. Details required are basic information like your name and address, date of birth etc etc. A few sites will ask for you credit/debit card information at registration but they will not take any money from your card until you choose to process a transaction.
Part of the registration process is chosing your Bingo nickname. This is the name you will be known at at the site you are registering with. Fellow bingo players and Chat Hosts alike will know you as this name.
It is advisable to register a valid email address at all times as this is the address where you will receive a validation email (if this is a requirement of the site) and information about upcoming promotions and deals available at the site. Some sites require that you validate your email address before any welcome bonus is credited to your account.
Login
Dependant on the site that you are registering with, this may be done automatically. If not, simply enter your bingo nickname and password that you provided at registration and you will login to the site.
Making a Deposit
If this is your first time depositing at a site then our suggestion would be to deposit in the region of £20. Most online bingo sites offer 100% as a minimum match bonuses on the first deposit (some slightly more). Take advantage of this, the more you deposit the more free money you have to play with.
Security of online bingo sites is on a par with banks, so don’t be concerned that your details are safe. If you want to check out the site security before deposting, this information again should be accessible from the sites home page. Generally it will be found in the FAQ section.
This is an example:
Will my personal details be safe?We take our responsibilities towards our players’ security very seriously and we use the latest technologies to ensure that your banking and personal details are safe with us. This means that before any sensitive data is sent between you and our servers, the data is encrypted before it is transmitted. This makes it impossible for people to crack this code and gain access to your confidential details.
Choosing a room to play in.
In general you will be taken to the “Bingo Lobby” of the site where you will have a list of rooms to choose from. Mostly they will indicate the card prices and time until the next game. Pick your room and off you go to the bingo game.
Entering a room.
Usually on entering an online bingo room you will be greeted by the Chat Host and informed of any chat games that are being played. If you have any questions or are new to the site, let the Chat Host know and they will point you in the right direction.
Purchasing tickets.
This is done differently on various sites. Generally you will have three options :-
- Quick Buy – there will be a section on the site that indicates whether you wish to buy 6, 12, 18 or 24 cards.
- Single Card Purchase – simply click the card/s you wish to buy.
- Auto Buy / Pre Buy – an option to set your preferences to buy a set number of cards for set value games.
Game Play / Options
Online bingo will allow you to decide whether you wish to mark the cards yourself or let the computer do it for you. Whichever option you choose, you will never miss a win as this is automated. The computer, whether you are marking the card yourself or it is being done for you, will always stop the game when a winner is called.
You will, on some sites, be able to set an option where your best card is always first and / or if your cards are marked when you only have three numbers to bingo. These will appear as 3tg (three to go), 2tg (two to go) and 1tg (one to go).
Winning
Let’s hope you are lucky enough to be a winner at online bingo. If you are, you don’t need to do anything! Your winnings will automatically show on your account. This is usually instantaneous but sometimes can take a couple of minutes.
This leads us onto the section we all want to have a reason to use!
Withdrawal of Funds
Online bingo sites will generally have a minimum withdrawal amount. This information is available on the site, it is usually between £10 and £50. You will only be eligible to withdraw funds if you have met the wagering requirements set out in the Terms and Conditions of the site. We cannot recommend enough that you check these before you make a deposit with any brand!
To withdraw funds you will need to visit the bank / cashier on the site, there you will find a button for withdrawal. It may be called something else like “Cashin”. You will then be asked how much you wish to withdraw.
Mostly withdrawals will be refunded to your original deposit method. This is a security measure to prevent money laundering etc.
- Neteller withdrawals will show between 1 hour and 1 day
- Withdrawals to a credit / debit card can take between 3 and 7 working days, dependant on your providers terms and conditions.
Some sites may ask for proof of identity when you first make a withdrawal. Check if this is required prior to making a deposit as you may not be happy to provide the details required.
