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Casino 28 July 2025

Everything You Need to Know!

Ultimate Guide To Bingo & Bingo Calls

Image of a happy man ona. yellow background with the text 'Ultimate guide to bingo and bingo calls'

Ultimate Guide To Bingo:

THE HISTORY OF BINGO

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There are various theories about where the bingo that we know and love today originated. The most popular belief is that it began life as the “Il Gioco del Lotto d'Italia” in Italy in around 1530. However, this version of bingo had more in common with today’s lotteries than modern-day bingo. Players would choose their numbers from 1 to 90 and mark them off as they were drawn. The winner was the first person to have all of their numbers chosen.

By the late 1770s, bingo had grown in popularity—especially amongst the aristocracy in France. The French version, “Le Lotto,” is more similar to today's game as it introduced cards with horizontal rows and vertical columns. The first person to complete a horizontal row was crowned the winner.

Bingo continued to grow in popularity, and by the 1920s, it had become a staple in carnivals and fairs across the United States—however, it was not yet called “Bingo.” Instead, the game was referred to as “Beano,” as that is what players would shout out when they had completed a row.

A toy salesman named Edwin S. Lowe is credited with rebranding “Beano” to “Bingo”. The legend goes that he overheard someone excitedly shout “Bingo” rather than “Beano” during a game. Lowe thought that this sounded better, and thus, “Bingo”, as we know it today, was born!

Lowe’s impact on bingo did not stop there. Before long, he teamed up with a mathematician named Carl Leffler and set about increasing the game's limits. Together, they worked to increase the number of unique bingo cards, which in turn increased the game's possibilities.

These developments did not go unnoticed in the UK, where bingo became an extremely popular pastime in the 20th century. The 1960 Betting and Gaming Act allowed bingo to be played commercially, which allowed the formation of hundreds of bingo halls across the country. Today, there may be fewer halls in the UK, but the game has lost none of its appeal as it has seamlessly adapted to the digital age, allowing players to enjoy the same social experience from the comfort of their own homes.

GETTING STARTED WITH BINGO: RULES AND STRATEGIES

Bingo can be a fun, engaging game that is equally accessible to beginners and veterans alike. If you are just getting started and you are nervous about how to get started, don’t worry! The basics of the game are simple, whether you are playing bingo online or making the trip to your local bingo hall.

BINGO RULES

In bingo, you are given a card that is usually divided into five vertical columns. On your card will be a selection of numbers, ranging from 1 to 75, 85, or 90, depending on the game. The numbers are drawn by machine at random, and your mission is to match the numbers on your bingo card to the numbers being called out.

When you have a number is called out, you just need to mark the corresponding number on your card. You are a winner if you can complete a winning pattern in a vertical, horizontal or diagonal line. If you are playing at a bingo hall, you must shout “Bingo!” to declare yourself a winner. When you play online bingo, the process is mostly automated, so you don’t need to worry about missing out.

BINGO STRATEGIES

It is important to remember that bingo is a complete game of chance, so there is no surefire strategy to guarantee a win. There are, however, a couple of strategies you can use to help you increase your chances of winning.

The first strategy is simple: play with multiple cards. By playing with more than one card, you automatically increase your chances of winning. If you follow this strategy, you can also try to ensure that your different cards have as many different numbers as possible to give your odds a further boost.

A second strategy is to look for games that have fewer players. If you have less competition, then you will increase your odds of winning – however, you also need to keep in mind that smaller games of bingo usually have a smaller prize pool.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF BINGO

The rules mentioned earlier apply to all forms of bingo, but there are some fun varieties of the classic game that you can try to see which you like the most. Here is a closer look at three of the most popular types of bingo, all of which are available in Lottoland Online Bingo Lobby!

CLASSIC BINGO (75-BALL BINGO)

This is the most popular version of bingo. In 75-ball bingo, players are given a card with 25 numbers spread across a 5x5 grid. Players mark their numbers as they are called out, hoping to complete a vertical, horizontal or diagonal line. The game continues until a winner is found.

90-BALL BINGO

As the name suggests, this version of bingo played with 90 balls. To play, players are usually given 27 numbers on a 3x9 grid, and they are usually limited to playing with a maximum of 6 cards at once. There are a few different ways to win 90-ball bingo, including getting a “full house” or completing one or two lines.

30-BALL BINGO

The 30 ball. speedy version of bingo is probably the simplest of the variations. Here, there are 30 balls that players will attempt to mark off their card, which is made up of a 3x3 grid. On the grid, only numbers 1-10 are found in the first column, numbers 11-20 are in the second column, and 21-30 are only found in the third column. This structure means the games are fast and easy to play.

BINGO CALLS

As mentioned earlier, bingo is a simple and easy game to play. However, there is one aspect of the game that can be “Unlucky For Some”: the bingo lingo! That’s why we have made a glossary of all 90 bingo calls, so you can “Jump and Jive” like a “Man Alive”!

Bingo Calls
Number Call Meaning
1 Kelly's Eye One of the calls that we are uncertain of its history, but it possibly refers to the helmet of Ned Kelly, which resembles the number 1.
2 One Little Duck A visual reference as, of course, the number 2 looks like a duck!
3 Cup of Tea Rhymes with "three"
4 Knock at the Door From the famous nursery rhyme: "One, two buckle my shoe; three, four knock at the door"
5 Man Alive Rhymes with "five"
6 Half a Dozen 6 is half of a dozen (12)
7 Lucky For Some 7 is historically regarded as a lucky number
8 Garden Gate/One Fat Lady One of a few numbers that has different calls. Occasionally, it is referred to as "Garden Gate," which rhymes with 8. On other occasions, it may be referred to as One Fat Lady due to the number 8's resemblance to a curvaceous lady.
9 Doctor's Orders During World War 2, doctors prescribed a laxative pill named "Number 9".
10 [Prime Minister's] Den Refers to 10 Downing Street, the home of the Prime Minister. This will change as the Prime Minister changes, so what was once "Rishi's Den" is now "Keir's Den"
11 Leg's Eleven Named as such because the number 11 looks like a pair of legs
12 One Dozen A dozen is made up of 12 items
13 Unlucky For Some 13 is famously considered to be an unlucky number
14 Valentine's Day 14 February is Valentine's Day
15 Young and Keen Rhymes with "fifteen"
16 Sweet Sixteen "Sweet Sixteen" is a milestone birthday
17 Dancing Queen Abba's disco classic, Dancing Queen, is about a dancer, young and sweet, aged just 17
18 Coming Of Age 18 is considered to be the year adulthood begins
19 Goodbye Teens 19 is the last year of being a teenager
20 One Score/Getting Plenty Another number that has different calls. One score is 20, while "twenty" also rhymes with "getting plenty"
21 Royal Salute The traditional military salute has 21 guns fired.
22 Ducks On The Pond 22 looks like two ducks. If you hear this call, the crowd are expected to respond with "Quack! Quack! Quack!"
23 The Lord Is My Shepherd Psalm 23 in the Old Testament opens with these words
24 Two Dozen Twelve equals one dozen, so twenty-four equals 2 dozen
25 Duck And Dive Rhymes with 25, but also 2 looks like a duck, and 5 looks like an upside-down duck diving in water
26 Half A Crown Refers to the old British currency. Half a Crown was the equivalent of two shillings and a sixpence, also called 2 and 6.
27 Duck And A Crutch "2" looks like a duck, and "7" looks like a crutch
28 In A State In cockney rhyming slang, getting into a "two and eight" is getting into a state.
29 Rise And Shine Simply rhymes with twenty-nine
30 Dirty Gertie Refers to, and rhymes with, an old military song called "Dirty Gertie from Bizerte"
31 Get Up And Run Rhymes with "thirty-one"
32 Buckle My Shoe Rhymes with "thirty-two"
33 All The Three's 33 is the bingo number with the most threes
34 Ask For More Rhymes with "thirty-four"
35 Jump And Jive Rhymes with "thirty-five" and is a famous dance move
36 Three Dozen Three dozen is made up of 36 items
37 More Than 11 Not just mathematically insightful but also rhymes with "thirty-seven"
38 Christmas Cake Cockney rhyming slang
39 Steps Refers to the 1935 film, "39 Steps"
40 Life Begins Refers to the old adage, "Life begins at 40"
41 Time for fun Another rhyme
42 Winnie The Pooh Another rhyme, this time referencing the famous children's book.
43 Down On Your Knees A rhyme inspired by the popular phrase used by soldiers during war
44 Droopy Drawers Another rhyme, this time referring to saggy underwear
45 Halfway There 45 is halfway to 90
46 Up To Tricks More rhymes
47 Four and Seven This one probably doesn't need an explanation!
48 Four Dozen Four dozen equals forty-eight
49 PC Refers to a BBC Radio series titled "The Adventures of PC 49". The appropriate crowd response here is "Evening All"
50 It's A Bullseye! Refers to the score in darts.
51 Tweak Of The Thumb Another traditional bingo rhyme
52 Weeks In A Year There are 52 weeks in a year
53 Here Comes Herbie Herbie the Love Bug was a car in a movie that wore the number 52. Upon hearing this, you may respond, "Beep, beep, beep!"
54 Man At The Door A bingo rhyme
55 All The Fives 55 is the bingo number with the most five's
56 Was She Worth It? In old British currency, a marriage license used to cost 5 shillings and a sixpence (5 and 6). The crowd may respond with, "Worth every penny!"
57 Heinz Varieties Refers to the 57 varieties produced by the food company Heinz
58 Make Them Wait Rhymes with "fifty-eight"
59 Brighton Line There is a Number 59 bus that runs from Brighton to Shoreham-on-Sea
60 Grandma's Getting Frisky A rhyme, and also referring to the age that women used to be able to retire at.
61 Baker's Bun Another traditional bingo rhyme
62 Tickety-Boo Rhymes with "sixty-two"
63 Tickle Me Another bingo lingo rhyme
64 Almost Retired A reference to the age that British men used to be able to retire at (65)
65 Old Age Pension The former age at which men in the UK were eligible for state pension
66 Clickety Click Rhymes with "sixty-six"
67 Stairway To Heaven Another simple rhyme
68 Pick A Mate Rhymes with "sixty-eight"
69 Any Way Up This refers to the fact this number reads the same upside down.
70 Three Score and Ten An old way of counting. Three score is 60, plus 10 equals 70
71 Bang On The Drum Rhymes with "seventy-one"
72 Six Dozen Six dozen contains 72 items
73 Queen Bee Another rhyme
74 Hit The Floor Rhymes with "seventy-four"
75 Strive And Strive Another traditional bingo rhyme
76 Trombones "76 Trombones" was a popular song from the musical "The Music Man"
77 Sunset Strip Refers to the popular TV show, "Sunset Strip"
78 39 More Steps Refers to number 39 above (39 + 39 = 78)
79 One More Time Bingo rhyme
80 Eight And Blank An eight and a zero gives us 80
81 Fat Lady And A Walking Stick As 8 resembles a curvaceous lady, and 1 looks like her walking stick.
82 Straight on Through Another bingo rhyme
83 Time For Tea A popular bingo rhyme
84 Give Me More Rhymes with "eighty-four"
85 Staying Alive A rhyme and a reference to the popular Bee Gee's song
86 Between The Sticks A football-themed rhyme
87 Torquay in Devon Another rhyme, geography-themed this time
88 Two Fat Ladies Building on the theme from Number 8
89 Nearly There 89 is the penultimate number in 90-ball bingo
90 Top Of The Shop 90 is the highest/top number in 90-ball bingo

MODERN BINGO CALLS

Now, you may have noticed that many of the traditional bingo calls used in IRELAND have become a little dated. That's why in today's bingo, many games will have modern bingo calls for a more modern audience. That's not to say that the traditional bingo calls have been abandoned entirely - far from it! However, here are a select few of the modern, pop-culture-inspired bingo calls that you may hear from time to time.

Modern Bingo Calls
Number Call
6 Little Mix
8 Tinder Date
17 Selfie Queen
22 I don't know about you (but I'm feeling 22)
24 Lads On Tour
25 Adele
27 Hipster Heaven
32 Jimmy Choo
48 Tag a mate
88 Wills and Kate
39 Love Island Time
49 Amazon Prime

LOTTOLAND BINGO

At Lottoland, we are famous for our selection of international lotteries, world-class sports betting and unbeatable selection of online slots, and now, in our  Bingo Lobby, you will also find an array of some of the world’s favourite types of online bingo games. We’ve got 30, 75, 80 and 90-ball bingo games waiting for you, as well as “The Vault” – a weekly game with €5 million up for grabs!

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