How to Host a Bingo Night at Home

If you’ve ever visited your local bingo hall, the chances are that you’ve heard something along those lines before.

There’s a fun atmosphere at bingo games, no matter whether it’s a small group or you’re playing in a large venue. 

Bingo is such a simple game that it’s easy for everyone to enjoy. Match the numbers and try to beat everyone else - there’s nothing more to it!

Here at Foxy, we're big fans of bingo, and it's not hard to see why it's been around for so long. If you're thinking of hosting a game at home for your friends and family, we've got a few tips to help things go with a swing.

The aim of the game is always to get all the numbers on your card marked off, and that doesn't ever change. But there are still different versions of bingo that can dramatically change the style of play.

If you don't enjoy long-winded games and prefer lots of snappy, shorter rounds, then you might like to play 40-ball bingo. Players have a 2x4 grid on their card, and there are just 40 balls that can be drawn.

On the flip side, if you love the suspense of a longer game with the opportunity to win mini prizes as you go along, one of the bigger bingo games might be just up your street.

Choose from: 

●     75 ball bingo - 5x5 grid

●     80 ball bingo - 4x4 grid

●     90 ball bingo - 3x9 grid

As you play through these games on your way to winning a full house - hopefully! - you might also be able to play for prizes for winning one line, and then two lines. This gives more people the chance to win. 

Once you've decided the type of bingo game you want to play, you can download the cards. There are many different bingo cards online so just choose the ones that correspond with the number of balls you've picked.

A final word of warning: some people might like to play more than one card at once. If you’re going to allow that in your game, make sure you download enough tickets for everyone without running short!

A good bingo game goes with a swing, with confident bingo calls who don't stutter, stall or forget what they're doing. So to play your part in creating a relaxed atmosphere, you'll need to have your bingo equipment all prepped and ready. 

This means having a means of tumbling the numbers around and pulling them out quickly. A tombola cage is probably one of the best and economical solutions, allowing you to draw each number in good time.

As an alternative, you could use a random number generator; lots of these apps are available for free online. To use this instead, you won't need any special equipment other than what you've probably already got in the house: a laptop, smartphone or tablet device.

Setting up everything for a bingo game is pretty straightforward, but the legal position is a bit more complex. The law sets out very clearly how and when you can arrange bingo games and what you can charge - even if you're just hosting friends in your home. 

There are several legal restrictions, which includes - but isn't limited to - not being permitted to charge any fees, even if you want to raise money for charity.

This could leave you seriously out of pocket or scupper your plans for a charity event. To avoid getting bogged down in all the legal ins and outs, you might find a social event easier to host. You'll still be playing bingo, but none of the legal responsibilities will lie with you.

Joining an online bingo room means that you are absolved of any of the hassle of organising the games, getting the equipment or trying to check all the laws. The bingo site will hold all the relevant permissions and all the liability.

Here at Foxy Bingo, we're always ready for a game so just check in with your friends when you're ready to play! And of course, if there's any reason why you can't all be together in the same room, you can still play together in the same online bingo room too! Now that's what we call a win…

If you like the sound of playing bingo online with your friends, take a look at our guide on how to play bingo online before you play!