Can you really trust online bingo sites? Sure, you entrust them with your details and banking information and believe that the gaming site will respect your privacy. At the same time, you navigate the gaming platform and play various games in the catalogue.
But can you really trust that you’ll get a reward for being a loyal punter and wagering your cold hard cash on real money gameplay and bonus plays?
That’s a question that lingers in most bingo players’ minds, and for a good reason. In 2009, shocking news hit the headlines when one of Gala bingo’s callers got caught up in a £10,000 bingo scam leading many to believe massive rigging schemes were happening behind the scenes at online gaming sites. It was an isolated case and didn’t warrant the generalization that ensues whenever the topic of online games rigging comes up.
Several reasons could make people assume online gambling games are rigged. Among them:
- Being banned from free game rooms for playing excessively or expending the maximum allowable free room tickets
- Not fulfilling bonus play wagering requirements or failure to comply with the set withdrawal policies.
- Some players strongly believe games are rigged because they’re on a losing streak. One of their winning strategies doesn’t seem to work, or they notice that certain players almost always win the games due to the heavy depositor effect and buying of multiple tickets.
Bingo games aren’t rigged. And we’ll tell you why in less than 1000 words. Next time you talk about rigged online games, remember that:
Gaming Sites Have Licenses and Strict Gaming Services Regulations
The legality of a gaming site should be the first thing you check when you visit their online portal. They should have the licensing details, including regulatory body and registration number, at the bottom of the home page or somewhere in their terms and conditions literature.
The lack of these deets should be a red flag. A license by the UK Gambling Commission for UK sites should assure you that the online games have audits and meet the Commission’s checklist for fair games.
By law, UK sites must publish the return to player (RTP) rates that help punters determine their possible winnings long before they place bets, so ensure that the gaming site’s licensing status check-outs. We’ll touch on RTPs deeper later on in this guide.
You Can Join Bingo Forums and Ask About a Site’s Games
Bingo forums and communities are an eye-opener. You’ll meet punters at different online gaming levels, from the novice, the intermediate to the seasoned pros who’ve played all game variations and sampled various top gaming sites.
The forums are the best place to snoop around and enquire about gaming sites whose games you believe are fixed.
There’ll probably be information already shared in the discussion threads about your concerns about fixing a particular site’s games against players. Or you can go ahead and start a new discourse in case a pro-player has some further details. It’s the quickest way to establish the reputation of an iGaming site’s fair play among fellow active online gamblers.
Random Number Generators (RNGs) and Return to Player (RTPs) Rates Actually Work
RNGs are a thing. Online gaming sites wouldn’t be able to operate without them. Unlike conventional ball cages in bingo halls, the number generators work by generating random numbers.
They’re run by computers and use MD5 128-bit encryption technology algorithms to ensure the chances of hackers compromising the algorithms are slim. So the drawing of numbers is as random as it gets, and no player can predict the next call during a numbers games session.
RTPs also play a role in debunking the misconception that online games are rigged. Each game has an RTP. Some rates can be as high as 100%, while others are lower. Although associated mainly with slots, RTPs are a common feature in nearly all online games.
For example, if a numbers game has a return to player rate of 95%, a line or house win earns the punter 95% of the wager amount placed. A wager of 1£ would pay you 95p. The rest goes to the site as part earnings and part lease fees to the game provider.
It Could Be That Your Strategy Isn’t Working
For starters, bingo is a game of chance, and no “strategy” ever really works. Strategy or not, 99.9% percentage of your wins will be out of pure luck.
Some people like to use statistical theories such as buying tickets with an equal amount of even and odd numbers on the card. But what about sites that don’t allow you to select a card and instead auto-assign you one when you pay to join a scheduled game in a particular room. In any case, these are unfounded stochastic tendencies that are yet to be proven.
You may ask: “Why are some players overly recording wins?” Some bettors seem to win more than others because they:
- Employ the heavy depositor effect by buying more tickets or pre-buying tickets to secure a slot in high stake, high-value numbers games.
- Participate more in regular promotions, tournaments, and prize pool games
- Make more card purchases, meaning they activate more bonuses and can afford more entries to different games
To answer your question, bingo games aren’t rigged, but your mind might be. Take a step back and think about all the justifiable claims we’ve made in the guide above. And do yourself a favour, stay away from all that ridiculous grapevine that bingo games are fixed or that you can cheat the RNGs.
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