Running a Bingo Night: Cards, Calling and Keeping It Fair

What a volunteer needs to know to run a bingo evening: how the cards are laid out, how calling works, and the small rules that prevent arguments.

The card

The version most common in North America uses 75 numbers and a card of five rows and five columns. The columns are headed B, I, N, G and O. Column B holds numbers from 1 to 15, I from 16 to 30, N from 31 to 45, G from 46 to 60 and O from 61 to 75. The centre square is a free space. See the Wikipedia article on American bingo.

Calling

The caller draws one number at a time and announces the letter with it, so players know which column to check. Each number is displayed after it is called. A player who completes the agreed pattern calls out, and play stops while the card is checked against the numbers drawn.

Decide these before the first game

• The winning pattern. One line, four corners, a full card. Say it out loud before each game.
• What happens with two winners. The usual answer is that the prize is split.
• When a call is too late. Most halls rule that a win must be claimed before the next number is called.
• Who checks the card. Someone other than the caller.

Equipment

Numbered balls and a cage, or an electronic caller. Cards or disposable sheets. Daubers or markers. A board that shows called numbers. A microphone if the room holds more than a few dozen people.

Games that share the name

Not everything called bingo is this game. Taiwan's public lottery, for example, runs a frequent number-draw game called Bingo Bingo which, despite the name, works more like keno: the player picks numbers on a slip and a set is drawn. A Traditional Chinese walkthrough of the slip and how to mark it is here: how to play Bingo Bingo for the first time (賓果賓果怎麼玩). It is a useful reminder to check which rules people expect when they hear the word.

Permission

If money changes hands, read do you need a permit before you advertise the evening.

Checked 2026-10-13. Rules vary by place; confirm locally.