All UK Bingo Rooms

UK Bingo History

UK Bingo gained it’s popularity in 1960 when parliament passed the Gaming Act. At that time bingo was allowed to be played in a “Members Only” environment. Eric Morely, a name synonymous with the Miss World pageant is responsible for transforming bingo halls. Morely saw an opportunity to replace the now empty theaters and dance halls caused by the notoriety of television. Unlike bingo halls in the US, bingo halls were reinvented with more elegant and lavish halls in the UK. Bingo was an accepted venue of entertainment by Britain's Gaming Commission. One most likely reason is the social setting and community gathering that made this considered a social hobby.

UK Bingo

Unlike the traditional 75 ball bingo played in the US, Britain is played with 90 balls. A significant difference is the bingo card or as called in Britain “ticket” itself. The tickets are arranged in 3 rows and 9 columns. There is no free space (square), with each row containing 5 squares numbered from 1 – 90, while the remaining squares are left blank. The bingo calling board differs from the 75 ball board and is unique in its set up. Arranged in 6 rows of 15 numbers each, giving a total of 90 possible numbers.

Online Bingo

UK Bingo sites bring with it a style and flavor all it’s own. One such approach is the unique way that numbers are called. The UK incorporates culture and local tradition as the caller adds a dimension of fun with each number called. One example is London’s historical “Brighton line” name used for the number 59. This was the original engine number used on the London-Brighton route. Nicknames are derived from Cockney rhymes and slang, as in “Dirty Gertie” when the number 30 is called. Another great aspect to online bingo is the the multiple prizes won in each round. There are 3 levels of winning: One line in a horizontal row, two lines in a horizontal row and a “full house” pattern that marks off the numbers of the ticket. This adds more excitement to the player bringing more opportunities to win!

UK Bingo’s Popularity

There is currently over 3 million people who play bingo in the UK. The attendance in bingo halls has superseded spectator sports, making bingo one of the most successful pastimes in Britain. The first official online bingo site was launched in 2003. The popularity since it’s online conception has grown to millions of players. The UK is one of the fastest growing online markets in the industry. Contrary to popular belief 90% of online players are under the age of 50. Bingo is one of the most leisure past times for women between the ages of 20 and 25 in the UK. The online growth for playing bingo is a market that will surely expand and is growing at a rapid rate.

Below is a list of all UK online bingo sites and links to detailed reviews of each.