What is Bingo? Bingo is a game of chance where randomly-selected numbers are drawn and players match those numbers to those printed on cards. The first person to have a card where the drawn numbers form a specified pattern is the winner and calls out "Bingo!" to alert others to the win. While Bingo has been a popular game in the UK for many years only recently has it made it's way onto the Internet.

A bit of Bingo History. Bingo can be traced back to a game called Lotto, played in Italy in 1530. The bingo name comes from a corruption of the name Beano, the name of a form of bingo played in the United States in the 1920s. Beano was so called because beans were used to cover the numbers.

How do you play? Each bingo player is given a card marked with a grid containing a unique combination of numbers and, in some countries, blank spaces. The winning pattern to be formed on the card is announced. On each turn, a non-player known as the caller randomly selects a numbered ball from a container and announces the number to all the players. The ball is then set aside so that it cannot be chosen again. Each player searches his card for the called number, and if he finds it, marks it. The element of skill in the game is the ability to search one's card for the called number in the short time before the next number is called.

The caller continues to select and announce numbers until the first player forms the agreed pattern(one line, two lines, full house) on their card and shouts out the name of the pattern or bingo. One of the most common patterns, called house in the United Kingdom and Australia and full card, blackout and cover-all in Canada and the United States, simply consists of marking all the numbers on the card. Other common Canadian and American patterns are single line, two lines, centre cross, L, Y, inner square (4 × 4), roving square (3 × 3), and roving kite (a 3 × 3 diamond).

Now that we've explained the game and how to play, read on for the details of the types of Bonuses you can get when you play online.

Now that you've learned how to play Bingo there are a wealth of Bonuses and Free Bingo Money offers out there, we explain the different types of bonuses below and review some great details for some of the UK's more respected Online Bingo Halls.

Sign Up Bonuses are basically Free Bingo Money, when you sign up to you'll get a few pounds to try the games without any risk, often you won't even need to register a credit/debit card to get these bonues. Example of Bingo sites that give these bonuses are Astro Bingo and Virgin Bingo.

Deposit Bonuses are bonuses given when you add real money to your account, generally these are only offered once and are a fixed amount regardless of how much you deposit. Mecca Bingo offer a £10 deposit Bonus to all new members.

Match Bonuses are given when your deposit money, either for the first or subsiquent times. Generally they are a percentage of your deposit, sometimes even 100%, but often have conditions of how many times you must play the bonus before you can withdraw it.

Other Bonuses are provided, these can be things like free gifts given randomly to uses playing for real money on the site, or monthly bonuses to inactive users back to the site. AstroBingo.co.uk often gives away gifts to it's users.

Mecca Games (which you'll probably know from Mecca Bingo on your highstreet), offer a number of different online bingo games which are summerised below. Mecca Games are also giving a £10 deposit bonus to all new members.

MECCA FORTUNE - Make a fortune with our fantastic multi-player bingo game. Select your bingo card of 15 numbers and play against 1-8 contestants. The more opponents you manage to defeat, the more you win.

BINGO-KENO SUPER-JACKPOT - Our most popular game with the Jackpot feature that has made loads of money for several lucky customers.

CASHLINE - In bingo halls around the UK 1,000's of people play Cashline every day. Now you can play the online version with our own caller.

MILLIONAIRE BINGO - The chance to win £1,000,000 from just a £1 stake - too good to miss!
PEARLS OF THE OCEAN - The more of your 15 numbers that match the 20 pearls drawn, the more you win! Look out for our very own number marking sucker fish!

NEPTUNES KENO A fixed odds, under water adventure. Select your stake and then choose up to 15 numbers. Neptune will then send out golden rings, which land on the number board at random.

NATIONAL KENO Study the form and see if you can pick out some winners in this fun day out at the races, choose up to 8 riders on the main board of 40 and cheer them on to the finish line.

To claim your free bet simply register and once you have played your first game for real money, Mecca Games will give you an extra £10 to play with, which will be credited to your account within 24 hours. Good luck!

Register at Mecca Games, and get a £10 Bonus when you deposit.