What is 90 Ball Bingo?

90-ball Bingo, also sometimes referred to as ‘housie’, is the single most popular and played variant of Bingo in the UK, and possibly worldwide. Playing 90-ball Bingo similarly to the other variants, 75 ball Bingo and 80 ball Bingo. Here’s our guide to get you up to speed with 90-ball Bingo.

A quick intro to Bingo

The game starts off with a gamecard. This can be an actual card if you play in a bingo hall, but if you’re playing online bingo, it’ll be an interact virtual card displayed on screen.

The gamecard has a random selection of numbers that go as high as the game being played (so you’ll have a mix of numbers up to 90 in 90-ball Bingo). You can play with multiple gamecards at once, which although slightly harder, does increase your chances of winning.

The numbers called are traditionally written on little balls that a ‘bingo caller’ takes out of a spinning container or air-driven box that mixes the balls up. But in online bingo, this is all done using software.

As the numbers are called, mark off, or ‘daub’ ‘dob’ or ‘dab’ the numbers on your gamecard that match with the numbers that are ‘called out’ as the game progresses.

The aim of the game is to create various shapes on your card, using the numbers, as you mark them off. Make a line from one side of the card to the other, and you’ll win a smaller prize. The same may go for four corners, depending on the game. But the big prize comes when you mark off every number on your gamecard – and this is where you shout ‘BINGO’ and claim the big winnings!

About 90-ball Bingo

In the 90-ball Bingo variant, gamecards are split up into 3×9 grids, with each line of nine consisting of five numbers and four empty spots. There are six separate grids of 3×9 on each card. With five numbers per line, and three lines per grid, with six total grids, players are left with the 90 numbers which make up 90-ball Bingo.

Playing 90-ball Bingo online has become very popular, simply down to the fact it can be played much like it would be in real life. With just a smartphone, or even a tablet for computer for a larger screen, players can bring the joy and excitement of bingo into their own homes. Add in the opportunity to win not just the standard game prizes, but larger jackpots too,

Play 90-ball Bingo and other Bingo games at William Hill Vegas.

How to play 90-ball Bingo

After purchasing your Bingo card, find the game you want to join and wait for the next one to start. This will be a maximum of a couple of minutes in online games, and you’ll usually jump straight into the action. You can find key information, such as the number of players, potential pay-outs and the winning pattern needed in the ‘info’ bar.

Once the game starts, the fast and furious fun begins. Each number which is called will appear at the top of the screen (you really won’t miss it). If you have that number on your gamecard, then you will need to ‘daub’ the number, to mark it off and start building your lines or aim for a full house.

This will be done automatically unless you switch over to manual entry. But even if you miss a number, a winning card is a winning card, and you are guaranteed a payout if you have a winning combo, regardless of if you miss a number, daub off the wrong number, or the game disconnects.

In 90-ball Bingo, the game will carry on until all prizes have been won. Payouts are typically given for the first and second lines, as well as the full house prize. The game itself is easy to play, especially if you have prior Bingo experience, although this will have no impact on your chance of winning compared to a complete beginner.

Read our full bingo guide here.

How to win 90-ball Bingo

There are only three ways to win in 90-ball Bingo, and you could even win all three prizes in one game! The first way to win is with a ‘line’, which means you’re the first player to complete a full row of numbers. The second way to win is with two lines, which consists of two complete rows of numbers.

The final way and most exciting way to win is to complete a ‘Full House’, which requires the player to complete three rows of five, also known as all 15 numbers on a ticket. This pays out the most prize money, based on the number of players, potential jackpot and also the cost of your ticket.

As mentioned, if this all sounds confusing, you really don’t need to worry, as the software will mark your numbers off for you and tell you if you’ve won!

90-ball Bingo game card layout

In the 90-ball Bingo variant, cards are split up into a 3×9 chart of numbers, with 5 numbers and four empty boxes on each row.

The lines are split into 9 columns:

• Column one: 1-10
• Column two: 11-20
• Column three: 21-30
• Column four: 31-40
• Column five: 41-50
• Column six: 51-60
• Column seven: 61-70
• Column eight: 71-80
• Column nine: 81-90

Each card consists of 6 tickets of 3×9 grids, totalling 90 numbers in total due to the empty boxes.

The price of the card is visible in the bottom left of your card.

Top tips for bingo players

Although playing 90-ball Bingo online uses random generation, there are some tips and general strategies you can use that could increase your chance of winning:

Pick your own cards

Selecting your own card with an even distribution of high and low numbers maximises your chances of winning compared to using the card that the computer randomly selects for you.

Look out for offers

From time-to-time William Hill will offer special prizes for players. Another offer may be taking part in any other promotional activities at the time, this will also boost your chances of winning with any free bets you are given.

Have fun

The whole point of Bingo is to enjoy the thrill of your card filling up. Go with the flow, chat to fellow players, and don’t get disheartened if you don’t win this time. You could scoop a big prize the next time you play.

If you find that playing Bingo isn’t fun anymore, or you’re trying to win back money you’ve lost, take a break and learn more about the ins and out of gambling, and the support available if gambling begins to feel like a habit rather than a fun hobby.

Now you’ve mastered 90-ball Bingo, find out how to play 75-ball Bingo or 80-ball Bingo.

Play 90-ball Bingo online with William Hill

You’re clued up on the game, you’ve got some free time, so now it’s time to put the theory into practice and play a few games of Bingo! The good news is we’ve got a huge selection of online Bingo games at William Hill, including 90-ball Bingo.

Just sign up if you haven’t already, choose your deposit, select your game and gamecards, and jump into the action. You can even chat with like-minded players in the game chat or play completely free if you aren’t ready to play with real money just yet.

Learn more and try out our William Hill online bingo games today.