When you buy through affiliate links in our content, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn If you want to learn more about the odds of winning bingo and how to calculate the probability of success in the game, this guide is for you. Here, we cover everything you need to know about bingo odds, probability and how to calculate it, and how the odds compare to other popular casino games.
The Basic Rules of Bingo
Before we get started with the nitty gritty details surrounding bingo odds and the chance of winning bingo, let’s first take a quick look at the basic bingo rules:
- American Bingo, or 75-ball bingo, provides players with a card with a 5×5 grid, filled with 24 numbers and a “free space” in the center of the board.
- The word “BINGO” is spread out across the top of the bingo card. Each letter of the word corresponds with a set of numbers. Five numbers drawn randomly from each grouping sits in a column below each letter as follows:
B column contains five random numbers between 1 and 15.
I column contains five numbers between 16 and 30.
N column contains four numbers (with one black space) between 31 and 45.
G column contains five numbers between 46 and 60.
O column contains five numbers between 61 and 75.
- The person or computer that generates the bingo numbers is the Caller.
- If a number on a bingo player’s card is called, they daub it off (mark it off).
- Players must aim to cross off numbers in a specific pattern to win bingo. There are several patterns available but the most popular winning ones include:
Single Line – Where a player daubs off five numbers in a row either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.
Double Line – A player daubs off two complete lines either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.
X – Two complete diagonal lines which create an “X” on the bingo card
Blackout – Also called a full house, where players daub off all numbers on their bingo card.
- When playing bingo, each number will only be called once.
- Once a player has reached bingo, the game is cleared, and a new game begins.
Keen to dive straight into the bingo action? Visit Wild Casino.
Bingo Odds – What is Your Chance of Winning Bingo?
There are two factors that influence bingo odds:
- The number of cards in play
- The number of balls drawn
The more bingo cards you play, the greater your odds of winning bingo. But the more overall cards there are in play, the lower your chances of winning. However, the version of bingo you play will also influence the odds. So, let’s take a closer look at each of these aspects in more detail.
Bingo Odds – The Cards
So, here is the million-dollar question regarding bingo: does buying more bingo cards increase your chances of winning?
And the answer? A firm yes. The more bingo cards you buy, the greater your odds of winning at bingo.
Let’s say, for instance, you play using a single bingo card, and there are also nine other people playing, also with a single card each. In this case, you have a 1 in 10 chance of winning bingo. But, if you play using 11 bingo cards, your odds of winning go up drastically to 10 in 20.
If you are learning how to play bingo online, you will find that the site often highlights how many cards are in play for your current game. Players will discover this information is handy as it makes it easy to precisely calculate your odds of winning bingo. You can use a bingo odds calculator to help you here.
Additionally, you can use this information to see how many bingo cards you should take to boost your chances of winning. If the other players only have a few bingo cards in play, you won’t need to buy many to improve your odds. But if there are numerous players with many cards, you may want to buy more than a few to increase your chances and gain the upper hand.
So, remember, the more bingo cards you have, the greater your odds of winning. However, to buy more cards you will need a bigger bankroll. Only ever spend what you can afford to lose as there are no guarantees of a win, even when you play at the safest online casinos.
Bingo Odds – The Calls
In bingo, “calls” refers to a number that comes up, and the caller then announces it or calls it out. Each bingo card has a set number of potentially winning calls. The caller will call out the numbers picked randomly from a spinner, or created by a random number generator (RNG) if you’re playing online.
In 75-ball bingo, 75 calls or numbers can be called. Similarly, in 90-ball bingo, there are 90 calls. These two bingo games have several winning patterns and combinations. In most cases, your odds of winning bingo will increase as the game advances. This is because there are fewer numbers left to call.
For example, on the 10th call, your odds will be low. However, by the 40th call, your odds increase significantly. Additionally, it is important to remember that the winning patterns you opt for will also affect your odds of winning at bingo. The rule of thumb here is that the simpler the pattern, the greater your chances of winning more quickly.
An example here is the simple line vs the Z pattern. You have the same chances of winning the simple line in 18 calls as winning the Z pattern on the 43rd call.
Another common question that falls in line with calls is what is the most drawn bingo number? Since each number is only represented once, in 75-ball bingo, each number has a 1 in 75 chance of being drawn. Since the odds here are equal for all numbers and they are chosen at random, no one number is drawn more readily than another.
Bingo Odds – Players
Besides using the number of cards to calculate your bingo odds, you can also make a similar determination by looking at the number of players participating in a game. If there are more players, there are more cards in play, which means you will need to have more than one bingo card to boost your odds of winning. However, if there were fewer players, your odds would shoot up. But remember, more players create a bigger jackpot to win.
Bingo games, whether you play online at the best gambling sites or in person at brick-and-mortar casinos, typically have progressive jackpots that increase in size as more players join the game. If you are looking to play bingo to win a profit, it becomes essential to strike a balance between the jackpot value and the number of players participating.
As a result, the best option is to find a moderately populated bingo game with a relatively large prize, but your chances of winning are still good.
Bingo Odds – The Games
One way to get around the problem of more players boosting the jackpot but lowering your odds is to participate in multiple bingo games. If you participate in several games with a moderate number of players, you diversify your bets and improve your chances of winning.
But keep in mind that to do this, you will need to wager more bets and spend more of your bankroll. So, we recommend using responsible gambling practices and sticking within your allotted budget.
Bingo Patterns and Their Odds
To win bingo, you’ll need to complete a predetermined pattern on your bingo card. While there are tons of these available (300+) the simpler patterns tend to yield better odds. We discuss the most commonly used bingo patterns and their odds below.
Single Line Pattern
This pattern requires players to daub five adjacent numbers on their bingo cards. The line these numbers form can sit vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. A single line pattern is typically the easiest to win in bingo and has a bingo probability of someone winning in the first 41.37 calls.
Double Line Pattern
Here, a player must daub two complete lines of five numbers either diagonally, vertically, or horizontally. In this case, on average, a player will win a double line pattern game in 50 numbers or calls.
Four Corners
This pattern requires players to daub all four numbers located in each of the corners of their bingo cards. Since this pattern only offers four possible numbers for players to mark off, the odds here are more extensive, and on average, a player will only win this pattern on the 74th or 75th ball.
Blackout / Full House
A blackout requires a player to cross off all 24 numbers on their bingo card. However, the odds of winning bingo on a blackout before the first 15 calls is impossible, and typically on a game of 75-ball bingo, it takes around 72.96 calls for a player to get bingo on a single card.
Bingo House Edge and Theoretical Advantage
Online and land-based casinos apply a house edge to most of their games, including bingo. The house edge refers to the odds advantage or average gross profit the casino will make from each bingo game it offers. By applying a house edge, a casino can collect a commission for providing a game and make a profit.
However, the lower the house edge, the better for the players, as they will receive better returns on their bets. In most cases, the house edge applied by a casino to a game of bingo rests between 2.5% and 11%. The house edge is one of the first things to consider when implementing bingo strategies.
The odds the casino offers are not considered “true odds” as they include the house edge. For example, if you wagered a $10 bet and the casino paid out $10 as a win, that would be true odds. However, it is more likely that the casino will pay out $9.50 for a win, which leaves the casino with a theoretical advantage of 2.5% over its players.
Knowing what the house edge of a bingo game is will also help you calculate the bingo payout rate. For example, if there are 50 tickets sold for a bingo game at $5 each, the total sales here would be $250. But, if the house edge is set at 2.5%, then the prize would be $243.75, with the house taking $6.25 in profits.
Total tickets x price per ticket = total jackpot.
To work out your cut:
Total jackpot – (total jackpot x house edge percentage) = your bingo payout rate.
Remember that a brick-and-mortar casino has greater overheads than the best offshore online casinos, and for this reason, they generally apply a slightly higher house edge than their online counterparts. Either way, a bingo payout calculator will help you determine your potential payout depending on the house advantage, number of players, and ticket value.
How Do You Calculate Bingo Probability?
Since multiple variables go into calculating bingo probability, it is best to use an online bingo probability calculator to determine the bingo odds of winning for that particular game.
Bingo Probability Based on the Number of Cards
The odds of winning at bingo differ according to the number of bingo cards in play for a specific game and the number of balls the caller draws.
Here, you can use a bingo probability calculator to determine the odds of winning, or you can use this simple equation:
To calculate the odds of winning bingo for a particular game, divide the number of cards you play by the total number of bingo cards in play.
Your cards / total cards in play = odds of winning.
For example, if there are 100 bingo cards in play in a game and you take 10 cards, you have a 10 in 100, or a 10% chance of winning.
Play bingo with a progressive jackpot at Bovada.
Bingo Probability Based on the Number of Balls Called
Another way to look at bingo probability is the predicted number of calls before a player wins. This centers predominantly on the number of players participating in a bingo game. The more players there are, the faster the game will be.
For example, it takes 25 calls to get a blackout when there are 10 players. However, it takes 15 calls when there are 100 players and only 10 calls for 1,000 players.
Again, these depend on the number of players participating in a bingo game, making a bingo probability calculator handy.
Bingo Odds and Probabilities Charts
Since there are various ways to look at bingo probability we have a few bingo odds charts that may make working out your own bingo odds of winning easier the next time you play a game.
If you are looking for a table that will show you the bingo odds of how many calls it takes for a player to mark off a specific number of squares on their board, then the below table will come in handy. However, take note that these figures only apply to a single pattern at a time.
| Number of Daubs or Squares Marked Off | Expected Calls |
| 1 | 38 |
| 2 | 50.666667 |
| 3 | 57 |
| 4 | 60.8 |
| 5 | 63.333333 |
| 6 | 65.142857 |
| 7 | 66.5 |
| 8 | 67.555556 |
| 9 | 68.4 |
| 10 | 69.090909 |
| 11 | 69.666667 |
| 12 | 70.153846 |
| 13 | 70.571429 |
| 14 | 70.933333 |
| 15 | 71.25 |
| 16 | 71.529412 |
| 17 | 71.777778 |
| 18 | 72 |
| 19 | 72.2 |
| 20 | 72.380952 |
| 21 | 72.545455 |
| 22 | 72.695652 |
| 23 | 72.833333 |
| 24 | 72.96 |
However, if you are looking for a bingo probability table that covers your chances of winning according to the number of calls, then take a look at the following odds chart.
Keep in mind that there are 50% odds that a single bingo card will need 41 calls to complete bingo. However, there is a 90% chance that a player will complete a single bingo card in 54 calls. The chart that follows is based off the premise that there is only a single bingo game being played.
| Number of calls | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 | 55 | 60 | 65 |
| Probability | .00002 | .0008 | .0059 | .0229 | .0640 | .1436 | .2719 | .4456 | .6401 | .8144 | .9322 | .9859 | .9990 |
But it is essential to remember that, generally, a bingo game involves more than one card per player. This introduces a far more complex set of equations and formulae, making it best to use a bingo odds calculator.
However, you can find a table below that highlights the number of calls required when a specific number of cards are in play for a straightforward game of single line bingo.
| Number of Calls | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | 28 |
| 10 Cards | .00003 | .0025 | .0195 | .0761 | .2037 | .4142 | .6654 |
| 50 Cards | .0002 | .0127 | .0921 | .3179 | .6627 | .9207 | .9943 |
| 100 Cards | .0004 | .0243 | .1708 | .5207 | .8750 | .9919 | .9999 |
Bingo Odds Examples
While using the tables above can be handy in determining bingo odds, a bingo calculator that you can find online will make calculating the values you are looking for much simpler.
However, you may find yourself needing a quick answer, so to help you out, we calculated some of the most frequently asked bingo odds and offer you the answers below:
| Bingo Query | Odds |
| What are the odds of winning bingo in 15 numbers? | .0059 |
| What are the odds of winning bingo in 5 numbers? | .00002 |
| What are the odds of getting bingo in 4 numbers? | 0.0000032910 |
| What are the odds of bingo blackout in 60 numbers? | 0.00139853398623526000 |
| What are the odds of getting a blackout bingo in 54 numbers? | 0.00005441157174291290 |
| What are the odds of bingo blackout in 52 numbers? | 0.00001654020524679740 |
| What are the odds of bingo blackout in 50 numbers? | 0.00000471508113370243 |
As you can see from the questions asked and answered here, the more numbers that are called, the greater your odds of winning at bingo.
Searching for advanced bingo titles online? Play at Wild Casino today.
Bingo Odds Compared to Other Casino Games
When considering bingo odds versus those offered by other table games offered at an online or land-based casino, those provided by bingo are among some of the less favorable.
There is a lot that goes into calculating the odds of winning bingo, like the number of cards in play and the number of calls. You can always use an odds calculator to help you figure out the probability of winning a casino game like those listed below.
Alternatively, you can read through our article on the casino games with the best odds for a more in-depth overview.
| Casino Game | House Edge |
| Bingo | 2.5% – 11% |
| Baccarat | 1.06% – 1.24% |
| Blackjack | 0.43% – 2% |
| Roulette (Single Zero) | 2.7% |
| Roulette (Double Zero) | 5.3% |
| Craps | 1.36% – 1.41% |
| Ultimate Texas Hold’em | 2.20% |
| Pai Gow Poker | 2.84% |
| Video Poker | 0.05% – 2% |
| Video Keno | 8% – 15% |
| Slots | 5% – 15% |
FAQs
What are the odds of winning bingo?
What are the odds of winning online bingo?
Is bingo a game of luck or skill?
Is bingo 100% luck?
Affiliate Disclosure: Techopedia may receive advertising commissions for visits to a suggested operator through our affiliate links, at no added cost to you. However, all our recommendations are unbiased and follow a thorough review process. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly and you must be of legal gambling age.
