If you are a bingo enthusiast like me, the chances are that you have played in person at a bingo hall at one point in your life. Alternatively, you might visit these venues regularly or just whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Others may have never experienced playing bingo in person and may have instead played online bingo on one or more of today’s most trusted sites. Some of you may have tried both, as I have.
You may have noticed that playing bingo online on a legally permitted website and playing in person at a bingo hall offer a fun experience but are completely different.
With that in mind, I will start by taking a closer look at some of the main differences I have noticed between online and offline bingo and comparing the two before revealing why these days I prefer playing online bingo on several world-class sites.
What Are The Main Differences Between Online And Offline Bingo?
The most obvious difference between online and offline bingo is that online bingo is played on a handful of fully licensed and regulated real money gambling sites, which can only be accessed by players aged 18 or above.
You can play at bingo sites using any decent Wi-Fi/internet-connected smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer, and the games can usually be launched instantly in most web browsers, such as Firefox, Google Chrome, Explorer, Safari, Vivaldi, Edge, and Opera.
All of the bingo sites I have joined over the past decade were analyzed on this page here (askgamblers.com/casino-games/online-bingo) where the dedicated researchers have carefully handpicked each site and expertly analyzed each site and the bingo games and bonuses that are offered.
Offline bingo is usually played in a land-based hall with tables and chairs for anywhere from 20 to 50 or more people. Bingo hall sizes vary, depending on how many people in that area typically play bingo regularly.
For example, in a small village, the local hall may only be able to seat up to 50 people, whereas a dedicated bingo hall or land-based casino in a built-up residential area in a major city may seat up to 1,000 people.
Although both options have similar gambling experiences, one is played over the internet, and the action is viewed over a device screen/monitor. The online bingo action is usually computer-generated or presented to you by a professionally trained live dealer.
When playing online, you don’t see anyone else playing. Instead, you can see a list of players’ names, but the good news is that most bingo sites also allow you to chat with the live dealers and those other users using the interactive chat messaging feature.
In real-life bingo, the person is sat next to you, and you can interact with them in person. In other words, although online and offline bingo offers a fun social experience, it’s still more of a solitary experience online because you are not actually there in person and can’t see any other users.
Why I Think Playing Online Bingo Is Better Than Playing At A Bingo Hall Or Casino
One of the things I like most about playing online bingo instead of playing at a bingo hall is the convenience of playing from my smartphone. I don’t have to worry about getting dressed and then driving down to my nearest bingo hall.
Instead, I can whip out my smartphone at any time of the day, wherever I may be, to play a range of computer-generated and live dealer bingo variants from multi-award-winning software providers with high or above-average RTP% payout rates.
In just a few taps or clicks, I can play 75, 80, or 90-ball bingo from as little as £0.05 or £0.10 per ticket. I also love that most of the bingo sites I have joined have video bingo games and progressive jackpot bingo, not just regular 75, 80 or 90-ball bingo variants.
Today’s most trusted bingo sites that I have joined also have excellent cybersecurity measures, such as 2FA login measures and 128-bit or higher SSL encryption.
What Are The Most Popular Online Bingo Games to Play in 2024?
In my ‘expert’ opinion, after having played countless computer-generated and live dealer bingo games, I would say that my favorite games are the new live dealer bingo games from award-winning providers like Evolution Gaming and Pragmatic Play.
Hit tiles include:
- Live Vegas Ball Bonanza (Pragmatic Play)
- Live Mega Ball Big Baller (Evolution Gaming)
- Live Monopoly Big Baller (Evolution Gaming)
I also love playing online bingo from Playtech, Games Global, and Relax Gaming. Examples include Immortal Romance Bingo, Don Bingote, Break da Bank Again Video Bingo, and Thunderstruck II Video Bingo.
Playing online is much faster paced, which I like, meaning I can squeeze more hands into a typical session. The prizes tend to be much bigger online, and I like that I can still interact with other people in real-time, although I’m not actually physically present with those other players.
Conclusion
The other thing I like about playing online on trusted bingo sites is that my favourite websites have a range of safer gambling tools, meaning I find it easy to stay within my budget by being able to set session time reminders, daily, weekly or monthly deposit limits, and win/loss/spending caps.
This isn’t something you can typically do at a land-based bingo hall, which is why I prefer playing online. I know I will never spend more than I can afford thanks to these responsible gambling player control limitations.
