With so many bingo games and variations, it can get hard to know exactly how many squares a bingo card has, and how many squares are numbered on each bingo ticket.
If you’re new to the world of bingo and would like to learn all about it, you have to start with the basics, including knowing how many squares a bingo card has and much more. Don’t worry because we’ll be discussing them in this article. If you’re interested, read on!
Table of Contents
How Many Squares Are On A Bingo Card?
The game of bingo is a fun and entertaining way to spend your leisure time. You can play bingo at home or at the venue where you enjoy a good night out. It is also a great place to make new friends and find excitement.
Generally, there are two most common types of online bingo: American and British bingo. They differ in the number of squares each bingo card has.
British Bingo
The 90-ball bingo game is most popular in the UK. In this type of bingo game, there are 27 squares with numbers ranging from 1 to 90. The bingo cards are bought in strips of six. It means that when you only purchase one strip, you only have a one in six chance of winning in a 90-ball bingo game.
However, buying all six strips also does not guarantee a win. All bingo tickets are random, and therefore each ticket gives an equal chance of winning.
| BRITISH BINGO | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | 11-20 | 21-30 | 31-40 | 41-50 | 51-60 | 61-70 | 71-80 | 81-90 |
| 3 | 31 | 41 | 71 | 82 | ||||
| 13 | 36 | 48 | 62 | 75 | ||||
| 19 | 25 | 59 | 65 | 77 | ||||
American Bingo
In 75-ball bingo, there are 25 squares in total. The bingo cards are individual, unlike in a 90-ball bingo game, which means that your chance to win does not increase even if you buy more tickets. It can also be possible that you’ll mark off the same numbers, which is why it takes longer to finish.
The 75-ball bingo variation is by far the most popular in the US. Even though there are fewer numbers than with 90-ball bingo, many players find it more challenging than the British variant.
| BINGO | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-15 | 16-30 | 31-45 | 46-60 | 61-75 |
| 7 | 26 | 31 | 49 | 63 |
| 2 | 17 | 44 | 54 | 72 |
| 14 | 15 | FREE | 50 | 75 |
| 9 | 23 | 36 | 44 | 68 |
| 6 | 30 | 39 | 60 | 61 |
80-Ball Bingo
In 80-ball bingo, a card or ticket has 16 squares, all of which are numbered. The ticket contains four rows and four columns, with each column containing a range of numbers as follows:
- First column for numbers 1-20
- Second column for numbers 21-40
- Third column for numbers 41-60
- Fourth column for numbers 61-80
With 80-ball bingo, you must obtain one of the following winning patterns:
- Singe Line
- horizontal
- vertical
- diagonal
- Four Corners
- Inner Square
- Two Lines
- Three Lines
- Full House
| BINGO | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-20 | 21-40 | 41-60 | 61-80 |
| 2 | 21 | 42 | 65 |
| 7 | 29 | 48 | 69 |
| 10 | 33 | 57 | 74 |
| 18 | 40 | 59 | 76 |
30-Ball Bingo
In 30-ball bingo, a card or ticket has only 9 squares, all of which are numbered. The ticket contains three rows andthree columns, with each column containing a range of numbers as follows:
- First column for 1-10
- Second column for 11-20
- Third column for 21-30
In order to win a game of 30-ball bingo, you must cover all the numbers on your ticket. The main goal here is speed as there is only a single winning pattern alongside a very low number of balls. It is also called the “express bingo” due to how short games last.
| BINGO | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | 11-20 | 21-30 |
| 4 | 12 | 21 |
| 8 | 14 | 26 |
| 10 | 19 | 29 |
How Many Rows & Columns On a Bingo Ticket
Now that you know the number of squares in American and British bingo, let’s talk about the number of rows and columns each ticket has.
British Bingo
The 27 spaces in a 90-ball bingo game are divided into nine columns and three rows. Each of the three rows has five numbers with four blank spaces. Additionally, each of the nine columns contains three numbers and are arranged in the following format:
- Numbers 1 to 9 on the first column
- Numbers 10 to 19 on the second column
- 20 to 29 on the third column
- Continues until the last column contains numbers 81 to 90.
American Bingo
A 75-ball bingo game with 25 spaces is divided into five columns and five rows. The middle square is left blank and is termed the free space that can immediately be marked off.
Each number in all five columns corresponds to the letters B-I-N-G-O. They are arranged in the following format:
- The first column has numbers 1 to 15
- The second column has numbers 16 to 30
- The third column has numbers 31 to 45
- The fourth column has numbers 46 to 60
- The fifth column has numbers 61 to 75
What is “Free Space” On a Bingo Card?
The free space is commonly the middle square in all bingo cards. It’s called free because players can immediately mark it as a bonus, making the game a little bit easier for you to win. It also makes it fairer for all players because putting a number on this space can give others an unfair advantage.
How Is Each Square’s Number Assigned?
On a standard bingo card with 25 spaces, the numbers are assigned randomly on each ticket. Typically, numbers are placed in five columns and five rows and are assigned to the letters B-I-N-G-O.
As mentioned earlier, you have more chances of winning when you buy more strips in a 90-ball bingo game because the numbers are assigned so that they are not doubled on two bingo strips.
If you are a beginner in bingo, learning how many squares each bingo ticket has can help you decide what type of bingo game you’ll want to try out. Remember that the number of squares, rows, and columns differ in American and British bingo.