Bingo is a popular game not just in gambling halls but also in many households. It can be enjoyed as a family bonding as much as it is a fun gambling game. People love this game because it’s a good past-time, sociable, and its rules are easy to follow, even for novice players.
Since you have no control over the results and you have a set of rules to follow, is bingo a game of chance or a game of skill? Since the origin of the game of bingo, it has always been a lottery-like game and has therefore been considered gambling.
Short Answer
Bingo is a game of luck and chance due to the fact that bingo players cannot influence the outcome of the game through any skill. Indeed, numbers are called randomly and these are what decide the winner.Obviously, if you ask bingo players, they will tell you that bingo is a game of skill. Playing bingo is considered a game of chance by all definitions.
Table of Contents
Bingo Explainer
Bingo is a game of probability played with cards imprinted with random numbers, in which you’ll mark off if called by the announcer or bingo caller.
There are several variations of bingo games but among the most popular are the 75-ball bingo played in the United States and Canada, and the 90-ball bingo for the British version.
In 75-ball bingo, cards contain 25 (5 by 5) squares. Each square is randomly numbered except for the one in the middle which is a free space. The US version literally spelled out B-I-N-G-O in each row of the card. You can call bingo if you complete a single line diagonally, horizontally, or across.
Meanwhile, the British bingo card contains 9 boxes for each row of 3. Each row contains 5 numbers, meaning there are 15 numbers for the whole card. You need to mark all the numbers in any row/line completely to win.
Your luck is determined by the numbers drawn by the bingo caller and the winning bingo combination you form. That’s why you have to be attentive to the numbers being called and attract enough attention by shouting “bingo” or “here” if you’re able to complete a line. You may lose your chance if you cannot call bingo right before the bingo caller announces the next number.
Now that you know bingo basics, let’s discuss what makes it a game of luck or skill.
Is Bingo a Game of Chance?
In bingo, probabilities are the name of the game. You’ll have no control over which numbers will be drawn or if your card will contain such numbers, whether it’s a traditional bingo wheel or through a random number generator used online.
Even though you may choose the cards containing the numbers you want, that wouldn’t mean your chances of winning will increase. Some people love holding on to their “lucky” numbers, such as significant dates in their lives like their birthday or wedding anniversary.
No matter how you choose the “right” numbers for you, the course of the game will remain the same. The results are always random and you can never determine the results before the game.
But there’s one bingo strategy other players do to increase their odds of winning, it is by playing with more cards. However, this strategy is discouraged for beginners as they may lose focus and get confused with the numbers.
Meanwhile, your chances can get slim if more people play with you. Thus, you are likelier to win small-group bingo games than large-scale bingo events.
Is Bingo a Game of Skill?
Despite being regarded as a game of luck, bingo also has skill elements to it. For starters, not understanding the rules, regardless of how simple they are, will lead you nowhere through the game. These rules are your foundation so you would know when to and not to call bingo!
Aside from that, you also need focus and attention. Great focus and attention are significant as you must look closely at your card/s while simultaneously listening to the announcer. Any veteran bingo player knows that concentration is your key to not miss any number or your chances of winning. That requires some brain exercises, as well as mind and body coordination.
If you take your bingo gaming to the next level, you should also be flexible and adaptive. Not only there’s a bunch of bingo variations out there, there are also different platforms. If you’re used to playing at bingo halls, there may be some changes as you switch to online bingo. Of course, you can’t expect a bingo caller to show up at your back if you’re facing your screen to play.
However, online sites are easier to learn as they’ve introduced new ways a player can play the game. If you want accuracy, you can turn on the auto-dab option on bingo sites to ensure your win, but if you want more authentic bingo hall gaming, you can do it manually.
You should still form some skills playing bingo, though luck will be the deciding factor in the end. So, if you want to have some brain exercises and challenge your auditory attention, go to the nearest bingo hall or sign up to legit bingo sites online.