Bingo is played internationally, meaning people from all backgrounds and cultures get a piece of the game’s action, especially now that the game has significantly moved away from halls and clubs to the online bingo space.
The interaction of bingo games with gambling enthusiasts from all over the world creates the need to tweak certain aspects of this popular pastime and, in the process, allows room for myths and controversies surrounding bingo to crop up.
You’ve probably come across some of the squabbles that people have about this popular game. Some believe it’s a game meant for oldies, particularly retired moms and grannies. Others hold the unwarranted assumption that the game tends to be rigged, and calling bingo or full house and winning the prizes, let alone jackpots, is a far cry from reality.
We are about to make justifiable claims to dispute the above and other myths that most folks associate with this longtime gambling favorite and halt the pathetic confusion of these bingo misconceptions.
Bingo Is a Scam, Unsafe, Illegal
As much as this misbelief is false and unfounded, we see and understand why some people are too quick to conclude that the game is a deceptive scheme meant to trick them out of their hard-earned money.
Virtually all online gaming firms, whether online or not, have gambling services licenses and legal accreditation. They also have a set of gambling rules and regulations they must abide by regardless of what the sites’ operators want or think. The law is the law.
So don’t let the fact that online scams are on the rise and getting sophisticated by the day deter you from having a swap at a bingo game for as little as 10p or lower for play cards and tickets at that gaming site that you’ve been eyeing.
It’s a Game for Old Women
Really? Don’t tell us that’d fall for this myth in the 21st century when we’re living in the age of technology and the Internet of Things (IoT). Between the old guys and the young Turks, who mostly spend their time online? And more importantly, who of the two age demographics just so happens to be savvy?
There was a time when most game players were oldies, but that has since changed. Most traditional bingo halls and clubs all over the UK have had a facelift and are now attracting more and more millennials. Plus, online bingo games have had a dynamic shift to online gaming platforms over the last decade and a half.
Besides, the 2021 annual Which Bingo report says differently:
- 52% of online players are female.
- 80% of online players are within the range of 25-54 years.
Still, more women than men play the game, but there are just as many millennials and Gen Z players as old folk playing a 75-ball, 80-ball, or 90-ball game now and then.
The Games Is Rigged
iGaming sites dedicate an entire clause in their terms and conditions to explaining the logic behind their return to player (RTP) rates or percentages. Each game has an RTP that you can use to calculate possible winnings should you hit anywhere between a 1-5-line win or call a full house in your 75-ball session.
Additionally, gaming/ online bingo sites have random number generators (RNG) that randomly choose the numbers to call during any standard bingo game or variations such as Slingo, 52-5 ball, 30-ball speed game, and any other version of the numbers games that you’ll find on the online gaming site.
What’s more, the RTPs and RNGs have independent audits and certification by third-party gaming system testers such as e-Commerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance (eCOGRA), iTech Labs, and Technical Systems Testing (TST). So it’s practically impossible to game the system, making this assumption untrue.
The Game Is Losing Its Social Aspect
Most players no longer visit halls or social clubs for a 90-ball session and instead log into gaming accounts on their favorite online gaming sites at home on desktop PCs or the go on mobile devices.
You would be mistaken to think that conventional halls’ close-knit bingo community and social atmosphere are dead. If anything, it’s become more vibrant since online gamers have networks and very active communities.
Bingo player must also check into rooms to access the games while they play bingo online. The rooms have features that enable chatting with room hosts and other online players and even private chatting between punters for enhanced privacy. You won’t just be staring at a screen during the entire gameplay and can actually engage in some fun social interaction activities in between games.
You Can Control Your Winning or Losing Streak
There’s no telling whether you’ll end on the red or green every time you play a bingo game. While there are some tricks you can use to increase your chances of winning games or at least end your losing stint by playing in rooms with a small number of participants, playing free games, or playing speed games, you can’t control the outcome of bingo games.
Don’t fall for some outrageous strategies such as buying tickets with median numbers and other statistical methods like the Granville and The Tippet strategies that haven’t even been scientifically proven yet.
Bingo is purely a game of chance, and luck, and anything can happen when the caller takes the stage at the podium in your local hall or when that automatic daub starts crossing off numbers on your online gaming site account.
There you have it. A collection of some of the most common bingo myths there is out there. Don’t get caught up in the hype. Always fact-check what you hear about different variations of the numbers games lest you fall victim to these and more ridiculous bingo fallacies.
Citation references
https://www.topbingowebsites.co.uk/faq/myths/
https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/
https://www.whichbingo.co.uk/reports/2021/WB_Annual_Report_2020-2021.pdf