Bingo Glossary and Terms | Free Bingo Sites Guide

Bingo Glossary | Terms

Blackout - (Also, Coverall) A pattern where you must cover the whole card to win.

Bonanza - A progressive coverall Jackpot that is usually played as the 13th game of the session. Forty-five numbers are drawn before the session and players mark them on separate cards and set aside. There is an additional fee to play this game, usually $1. The countdown begins at 48 numbers or less and go up one number per week to 52 numbers or until won. The amount of the jackpot is determined by card sales for that game.

Caller - The person who calls out the bingo numbers.

Chat Room - A lot of bingo sites have chat rooms where you can chat with other players who are online at the same time.

Coverall - (Also Blackout) A pattern where you must cover the whole card to win.

Dauber - Bingo dauber is ink-filled bottle/pen with a foam tip on it used to mark called numbers. When you touch the bingo card with the foam tip it marks the square. (See picture above)

Early Bird Game - A bingo game that starts earlier than another regularly scheduled game.

Free Space - The center square of the card. It's like a Joker. You get it free every game and it counts towards your winning pattern.

Game Board - The display board above your card(s) that shows you the balls in play.

Game Room - Some online games divide the players into game rooms.

G.T.I., T.E.D. - An electronic dauber system used to play multiple packs at once. These usually require a rental fee and only one is allowed per player.

Hardway Bingo (Hard-way Bingo) - Bingo in a straight line without the use of the free space.
Jackpot - A big prize usually awarded for achieving a difficult pattern, such as a blackout, within a specified number of balls.

Top Of The Hour Jackpot - Special bingo games with high jackpot prizes which take place on the hour, every hour, over a specified time period.

Minimum Buy-in - The least amount you must spend to be eligible for prizes.

Money Ball - A number drawn before the game that will double a player's winnings if bingo is hit on that number.

Pattern - The shape you need to cover on your card with called out numbers, usually it is a straight line.

Progressive Jackpot - A Jackpot that gets bigger until it is won. There is usually a separate buy-in for Progressive Jackpot games.

Rainbow Pack - A paper pack that allows players to play for three or four different prize denominations at once.

Six-pack, Nine-pack - Six or nine numbers in a block on one card.

T.E.D., G.T.I. - An electronic dauber system used to play multiple packs at once. These usually require a rental fee and only one is allowed per player.

Validation - Eligibility required to win additional jackpot amounts. Price varies by number of cards played.

Wild Number - Usually played on a double bingo that leads into a triple bingo. The first number out of the hopper determines the wild number; for example, if 42 is drawn, all numbers ending in 2 should be marked off.

Money Ball - This is a bonus number selected before the game starts that will double a player's jackpot if their bingo is hit on that number. I have never won with the money ball. It seems very rare.

Card - The bingo card consists of 24 numbered boxes and one blank space in the middle (the FREE square). The squares are arranged in 5 columns, by 5 rows. The columns are labelled across, B,I,N,G,O. With the numbers in column B always between 1 and 15, those in column I between 16 and 30, and so on. During the game up to 75 bingo numbers are called out. The player crosses off each number on their card as it is called out. The object of the game is to complete a pattern of numbers on the card, or fill the whole card in a coverall, or blackout game.

Free Square - The middle square of the bingo card is always known as the FREE square, like a wildcard number.

Payout Percentage - This is the percentage of sales that are paid back out in prizes by the House. Online bingo normally payouts out at around 70%.

Sign Up Bonus - Most online bingo games offer their users a sign up bonus. This is to encourage players to sign up. It is usually 100% of the first deposit. So if you deposit $100, you get an extra $100 credited to you account. You will not be able to cash out your bonus money.