Bingo Wars – US vs UK Bingo’s popularity has grown over the past few years in both the United States and the United Kingdom. This growth has only been aided by the ongoing trend for free online bingo. However many people do not realise that the two games, while similar in theory are actually quite different in practice. The use of the internet allows gamers to access bingo games across the world, which is exactly why it is important to understand the differences between the two games. Essentially the basic ideas are the same. A caller/machine picks numbers at random while the players mark off the selected numbers on their game cards until all numbers have been marked off and there is a winner. However there are defined variances between the US and UK games. The US plays a 75 Ball game. Players have a card with 24 numbers (plus 1 free square) to mark. The US game has only 75 numbers and allows players to mark multiple cards. Each of these cards is unique, which is different to the UK game where multiple cards are issued in strips. Because all the cards are unique this lends to the US game being played much slower, as there may be duplicate numbers on multiple tickets. Unlike the UK game the numbers are also called with a corresponding letter indicating what column/line the number is on. To win the game players must be the first to complete a pattern determined at the beginning of each game by the caller (which can also include lines like the UK game). These patterns can be letters, diagonals, stars or corners. A clear benefit of this style of playing is that it makes for an unpredictable and exciting game. The US version also has a “cover all” game where the winner needs to mark all numbers on their card. In the UK, of course, this is known as a “full house”. In contrast to the US game the UK use a 90 ball version and encourage multicard players by issuing cards in strips. 6 consecutive strips will not have the same numbers. This means that players playing 6 strips will be able to mark a number on each of their game cards as each ball or number is called. The UK game is very fast paced. Unlike the US game, players are aiming to complete either one or two horizontal lines. Alternatively, as previously described, players can call a full house. Each of the games versions has their own merits but whether you enjoy the fast pace of the UK game or the intricacies of the US version one thing is clear: it is a game universally appreciated with bingo being enjoyed across the world.