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Since its initial invention way back in the 1500s (yep, really) bingo has undergone no-end of transformations. Today, online sweepstakes bingo is one of the latest, most exciting iterations of the popular, ball-based game – and it’s a blast.
In today’s guide, I’ll explore how sweeps bingo works, why it’s getting so darn big right now, and what kinds of bingo games are currently the most popular online. Of course, I’ll reveal the very best places you guys can play, too, and share a few must-try bingo tips and strategies of my own. Eyes down, folks.
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Sweepstakes or “social” bingo is a lot like regular bingo – for the simple reason that it’s inspired by the exact same kinds of games that have been played at IRL bingo halls for generations.
Now, if you knew all that already, and you’ve played at sweeps bingo before, feel free to skip-on ahead a bit.
But for those of you uninitiated, bingo is all about cards and numbers. Generally, each player gets one card (or more, depending on the game). Said card is topped by the word “BINGO”, and bottomed by 24 randomized numbers (and one blank square), set out across five columns underneath each letter of the “B-I-N-G-O” header. For example, let’s say column “B” has numbers 8, 14, 9, 6 and 3.
Now, each gamer’s card will have a completely unique selection of numbers, and your job as a player is to “daub” (i.e., cross-off) your numbers. To win, you’ll need to:
But how does it all work? Well, traditionally the game’s overseen by a “Caller”, who’ll draw bingo balls from a sort of spinning machine containing 75-or-more balls, calling-out the numbers aloud, one at a time, until someone declares “bingo”.
Of course, most social bingo sites these days have automated the Caller’s role, though you will still find a fair few online bingo games out there offering real-life callers at some of the top-ranking sweeps bingo sites I’ll be reviewing in this guide. At these sites, you’ll also find endless variations of different bingo games, some of which may feature extra bingo balls, faster calls, or different ways of winning.
To be fair, having started-out in public bingo halls and the like, bingo has always been a very social game, so it slots in really nicely as part of the US’ emerging sweepstakes scene – where you can play online with your friends, and make new ones as you go.
Sweepstakes bingo sites are much like sweepstakes slots or poker platforms. In a nutshell, they offer bingo games which – instead of cold, hard cash – are powered by two different kinds of virtual currencies.
Now, these tend to go by slightly different names depending on the site you’re playing at, but generally they’ll be called “Gold Coins” and “Sweepstakes Coins” – and they work like this:
| What are they? | Do they have any USD cash value? | How can you collect them? |
|
| Gold Coins (GC) | Entertainment-only coins – like, literally, these are played for fun only. | Nope, never. | By claiming GC bonuses, playing at GC bingo games, or purchasing optional GC package top-ups. |
| Sweepstakes Coins (SC) | Upper-tier coins that can be entered into competitive sweepstakes bingo tournaments, and redeemed for real-world prizes. | Also no – but you can redeem your SC for cash prizes, merch and other IRL goodies once you’ve collected enough of them to do so. For example, you can redeem SC for gift cards with Golden Hearts Games after collecting 12,500 SC or more.
| By claiming SC bonuses and playing at SC-powered bingo games only. |
You might’ve noticed that sweepstakes gaming platforms have skyrocketed in popularity in the US in recent years. And there are several reasons for this, such as:
Now, that prize-redemption part is really important, because there is no such thing as free bingo that pays real money, I’m afraid – only GC and SC-powered bingo games, where your SC can later be exchanged for cash prizes by requesting a redemption. Usually, T&Cs will of course apply. For example, you might need to have a minimum of 100 SC in your account before you can request a prize redemption.
Arguably the biggest upside of sweeps bingo sites is that, unlike real money gaming sites, sweeps bingo sites are incredibly widely available across the US. This is because the former, as you and I both know, are very tightly regulated across the US, and only legally available in a select few regions right now. But there are some other great benefits of playing sweeps bingo, too…
Of course, each sweepstakes platform is different, but generally you’ll have the opportunity to try out all different kinds of exciting free bingo games when playing at any of the sites promoted on the banners on this page.
Part of the fun of comparing different bingo brands alongside one another – something you’ll be able to do later in this guide – is that each site will always offer completely different game options to the last. Having said that, there are a few staples of the sweeps bingo sub-genre, which I’d certainly describe as must-play games. And they are:
30-ball bingo, sometimes called “Speed Bingo” is like regular bingo, but on steroids. This super fast-paced game, which you’ll find offered by many of the best sweepstakes bingo sites featured in the banners right here, differs from the traditional in a few key ways, such as:
Sometimes, your cards might be stripped-back to 3×3 grids to up the pace even more, while player limits might also be increased. It’s a blink-and-you’ll miss it game that ain’t for the faint of heart.
In the US, 75-ball bingo is usually the standard way of playing, so any social bingo sites you see serving-up this game are basically offering classic, all-American-style bingo.
This is the kinda game I described in my Social Bingo 101 guide above, where:
Of course, most of the best sweeps bingo sites – including those reviewed on this page and highlighted in the banners across my site – will offer one or more variations of the game. The very best ones might even serve-up “how-to” blogs and guides on the basic rules to help you guys get started, too.
80-ball bingo is essentially a mildly spicier version of the above. In addition to those extra five balls, you’ll find that in this game:
Sometimes called “Shutterboard Bingo”, this game’s a great fit for those of you who’ve already cut your teeth at the regular game and are seeking a bit more of a challenge.
90-ball bingo hit the mainstream across the pond in the UK yonks ago, but is quickly getting picked up by sweepstakes bingo sites this side of the Atlantic nowadays, too.
“British” or 90-ball bingo utilizes different calls for different numbers.It also runs with bingo cards that contain nine columns and three rows and offers a grand total of three different winning combos which you may or may not already be familiar with. These are:
Naturally, you can expect the best and biggest jackpots to come your way if you’re able to daub out the latter. You’ll also need to be a bit more on your toes than in the American game, as the pacing tends to be just a little quicker here.
The best social bingo sites offer a ton of big advantages over, say, playing at in-person bingo halls, or via real money online bingo platforms. These include:
As I said previously, unlike bingo halls or real money sites, sweeps bingo is generally green-lit in most US states bar WA, ID and MD (depending on your operator, of course). In this guide, you’ll only see banners displaying sites that are 100% legal and accessible where you live.
Every brand you’ll see reviewed on this page offers a GC/SC sign-up bonus of some kind – and all social bingo sites come with no purchase requirement, too, remember? Great stuff.
Where you’re a 75-ball beginner, keen to up the ante British-style, or you’d prefer a quick spot of Speed Bingo, you’ll find all different kinds of bingo games offered by top-ranking sweeps bingo platforms.
Now for the part I’m sure you’ve all been waiting for. I’ve spent some serious time scouring the internet for all the best sweepstakes gaming sites out there that offer bingo-inspired games – and here’s what I’ve found.
If you’re looking for free bingo games with no download requirement, you guys have a few different options. That said, five standout sites are Pulsz Bingo, Bingoport, Golden Heart Games, DingDingDing and Bingo Blitz, and in this next section, I’m gonna investigate each in a tad more detail.
Here’s a brief table running through the highlights of each brand, which I’ll follow-up with a more in-depth review of each one.
| Operator | How Many Bingo Rooms? | Current Bonus Offer |
|---|---|---|
| Pulsz Bingo | 6 | 5,000 GC + 2.3 SC |
| BingoPort | 40+ | N/A |
| Golden Hearts Games | 2 | 250,000 GC + 500 SC |
| DingDingDing | 1-3 | 100,000 GC + 5 SC |
| Bingo Blitz | 267 | 300 Credits |
Believe it or not, all the best eyes-down action is offered by these five sites; though Pulsz Bingo, Golden Hearts Games and DingDingDing are a cut above the other two, IMHO. Site-by-site, here’s what you guys need to know about each brand:
Pulsz Bingo might only have six bingo games up-for-grabs, but they really pull out all the stops with their game theming, and the size of their bingo hall jackpots – which is why they’re one of my personal favorite sweeps bingo brands.
Here, you’ll find eye-popping online bingo halls with all sorts of weird and wonderful vibes going on, like the laid back Beachball Blast, or Las Vegas-inspired The Big One In the Strip, for example, the latter of which offers a prize pool that frequently pushes above 2,000,000 GC. Pulse Bingo is one of very few sweeps bingo sites that offers a downloadable app, too.
On top of that, there’s a solid 5,000 GC and 2.3 SC automatically awarded to you on registration here to get you guys off to a good start. Later down the line, you’ll also have the option of unlocking an additional 200% SC bonus alongside your first GC purchase – though as all sweepstakes gaming sites have a no-purchase-necessary policy in force, this is completely optional.
BingoPort is a little different than your regular sweepstakes bingo platform – and to be honest, isn’t really my cup of tea, but there you have it. Here, you’ll need to play using “Port Points” (which are a bit like GC) and chase “Access Tokens”, which will allow you to progress to upper-tier, sweepstakes-style games. This is where you’ll have the chance to potentially bag some prize-redeemable, SC tokens.
It all takes some getting used to, and there isn’t currently a clear-cut welcome bonus up-for-grabs, but the site has some nicely-themed California Dreaming, Las Vegas and other USA-inspired bingo halls (there are 40+ here in total). There’s also a “BingoPort Wheel” you can spin for Port Point top-ups, too, though it’s a far cry from the bonuses offered by, say, Pulsz Bingo or Golden Hearts Games.
Serving-up a pretty much unrivalled welcome promo good for a whopping 250,000 GC and 50 SC, Golden Hearts Games is a great choice if you want to really hit the ground running with a great big bonus. This offer’s then followed up by free daily reloads. Yup, daily.
They’re also a pretty unique platform in terms of how they actually operate, too. You see, while you can play here entirely for free just as at any other sweeps bingo platform, each time you purchase an optional GC package here, 1% of the transaction can be donated to a qualifying charity of your choice. It’s not all about bingo here, either – they offer video poker and nicely-themed slots games like Monster Moolah and Pirate Looty, too.
In recent years, DingDingDing has taken the American sweepstakes slots market by storm, offering a whopping more than 1,000 different slots-style games, and a portfolio that seems to be expanding at a similar rate to my waistline on steak night.
Right now, these guys only offer one sweepstakes bingo hall when you first register, but you’ll have opportunities to unlock up to two more by regularly playing slots and other games – and can even collect free bingo balls each time you spin. The main hall is hoot, too, with easy-to-use game buttons and terrific prize pools.
The more you play here, you’ll be able to participate in daily leaderboard races and claim regular reload rewards to keep your GC and SC balances always fighting-fit. There’s plenty of fun to be had here – it just isn’t always bingo-related.
Bingo Blitz is another brand that doesn’t quite cut the mustard for me, but each to their own, I guess. These guys are run by Playtika Ltd and offer a pretty impressive selection of more than 260 different bingo halls, as well as a cool “Bingo Card Generator” feature.
That said, the social bingo games offered here aren’t exactly razor-sharp in the graphics department, and social media integration could use some improvement, too – at the minute, Facebook, IG and the like are only linked to the site as fan pages where you can spy the occasional free Credits bonus. The player base is kinda small when pitted against that of DingDingDing or Golden Hearts Games, too, while the platform seems to be built more around mini-games and challenges than actual bingo. It’s good to know that this alternative option’s available in several US states, but believe me – it ain’t a patch on Golden Hearts Games or Pulsz Bingo.
Whether you want to download a state-of-the-art free bingo app like Pulsz Bingo, or you’d rather support charities while hitting the halls with Golden Hearts Games, it’s important to understand the rules of your preferred bingo site (and their games) inside-out before you play.
Having said that, you can ensure that you always enjoy sweeps bingo to the max with any sweeps brand by keeping these all-important iGaming tips in mind:
Remember, GC exist purely for your entertainment at sweeps bingo sites – it’s only SC that have a real-world, prize-redeemable value. For this reason, I’d argue GC present you with the perfect opportunity to test-out different bingo games before bringing’ out the big guns (i.e. your SC).
At Pulsz Bingo, 2,000,000 GC jackpots aren’t uncommon on selected bingo games, while Golden Hearts Games runs similarly sweet tournaments from time to time, too – so don’t miss out. Following your preferred brand’s socials is the best way to be informed first about the next biggest upcoming tournaments.
DingDingDing, Bingo Blitz and pretty much every sweepstakes bingo site under the sun will serve-up some kind of welcome bonus (except for BingoPort, maybe…). But I always advise my readers to keep an eye-out for other special offers, too, including:
Bingo games come in a lot of different shapes and sizes, as do today’s hottest sweepstakes gaming platforms, each of which is likely to offer wildly different games to the next. So, how do you single-out which social bingo sites are best?
Well, I’ve done the hard work for you throughout this guide, but ultimately only you can decide whether Pulsz Bingo, Golden Hearts Games, DingDingDing or another brand is right for you. My advice? Spend a bit of time shaping-up on your bingo gaming strategies and approaches, as well as the rules of different kinds of games. And from there? Think very carefully about which site offers:
Then, finally, pick wisely – and go have fun.
Offering 250,000 GC and 500 SC to all new players, Golden Hearts Games currently takes the cake here.
Beginners would do well to check out DingDingDing and Pulsz Bingo, both of which offer beautifully-put-together user interfaces, and beginner-friendly bingo games. Of course, they both offer great bonuses, too.
DingDingDing is not a real money gaming site. That said, you can play using SC – a prize-redeemable virtual currency that can be exchanged for cash and other IRL prizes here, subject to the brand’s T&Cs.
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
