American Bingo

    Bingo: A Popular American Tradition

    Bingo is a widely practiced American pastime, embraced not only by social groups but also supported by many churches, as it often serves as a means to raise necessary funds. Typically held away from the busy city environment, bingo events gather individuals with similar social backgrounds and interests. Since the cost is usually just one dollar per card, bingo is considered a form of low-risk gambling and poses minimal financial risk to its participants.

    How the Game is Played

    Bingo shares similarities with tic-tac-toe in terms of gameplay. A grid (commonly 3x3) is prepared and filled with words or numbers. One player reads out three randomly selected words, and the other players mark the corresponding squares in the order they are announced. If the marked words form a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line, the player calls out “Bingo!” to indicate a win.

    Official Bingo Rules

    A traditional Bingo card consists of a 5x5 grid, totaling 25 squares. The center square (third row, third column) is a free space and does not need to be filled. Each column contains numbers from a specific range:

    - Column 1 (B): 5 numbers from 1–15

    - Column 2 (I): 5 numbers from 16–30

    - Column 3 (N): 4 numbers from 31–45 (excluding the center free space)

    - Column 4 (G): 5 numbers from 46–60

    - Column 5 (O): 5 numbers from 61–75

    This makes for a total of 24 numbers per ticket (excluding the free cell). Bingo tickets are sold individually, and while players can join multiple game sessions, the game does not support multi-betting on a single card.

    Game Prizes and Winning Patterns

    First Prize

    The first prize is awarded to a player who marks all 16 outer-edge numbers of the 5x5 grid. If any 32 of the 75 possible numbers (1–75) are randomly drawn and they include those 16 outer numbers, the prize is won.

    Second Prize

    There are two possible patterns for the second prize:

    1. Diagonal Cross Pattern:

    The numbers in these positions:

    (0,0), (0,4), (1,1), (1,3), (3,1), (3,3), (4,0), (4,4)

    2. Plus (+) Cross Pattern:

    The numbers in these positions:

    (0,2), (1,2), (2,0), (2,1), (2,3), (2,4), (3,2), (4,2)

    To win the second prize, any 8 of the selected winning numbers must match the corresponding 8 positions on the player’s card for either the diagonal or plus pattern.