Lottery, Bingo & Number Games
90 ball bingo
90 ball bingo is the UK-style bingo format played with tickets containing numbers drawn from 1 to 90. Players mark off called numbers to complete a line or a full house.
- Number range
- 1 to 9026
- Ticket layout
- 3 rows × 9 columns, with 5 numbers per row and 4 blank spaces2
- Winning patterns
- First line and full card (house) are common prize patterns64
- Also called
- Housie or Tombola in some contexts; tickets are often called tickets rather than cards23
- Regulation
- Classed as equal chance gaming under the Gambling Act 2005 in Great Britain45
Key points
- A caller draws numbers at random from 1–90 and announces them; players mark matching numbers on their ticket.16
- The standard ticket has three rows and nine columns, with five numbers and four blanks per row.2
- Wins are awarded for completing a line (one row) or a full house (all numbers on the ticket).64
- Unlike 75-ball bingo (played on a 5×5 grid in the US), 90-ball bingo is the dominant format in the UK.12
How to play 90 ball bingo
- Buy one or more tickets, each with a unique combination of numbers from 1 to 90 arranged in three rows of five numbers.2
- The caller draws numbers at random and announces them; players mark any matching numbers on their ticket.16
- The first player to complete a line (one full row) calls 'line' and wins that prize. Play continues until someone completes a full house (all numbers on the ticket).64
Where this term is used
Not the same as
- 75 ball bingo — a US-style bingo format played on a 5×5 grid with numbers 1–75, not the UK 3×9 ticket format
Related terms
Lottery & bingo
Bingo 90
Alternative name for 90 ball bingo, though the standard term is 90-ball bingo.
Lottery & bingo
Bingo
Overview of the game of bingo, including its history and common variations.
Lottery & bingo
Bingo card
The ticket or card used to play bingo, including the 3×9 layout for 90-ball games.
Lottery & bingo
Bingo dauber
A marker pen used to daub called numbers on bingo tickets.
Lottery & bingo
Cash bingo
Cash prizes awarded in bingo games, often for line and full house wins.
Lottery & bingo
Bingo cards 1-90
Printable or digital bingo cards using numbers 1–90 for 90-ball bingo.
Sources
- Bingo (British version) en.wikipedia.org Provides the definition and basic rules of British bingo.
- Bingo card en.wikipedia.org Details the ticket layout, number range and alternative names.
- Tombola (game) en.wikipedia.org Confirms Tombola as an alternative name for the game.
- How bingo is defined gamblingcommission.gov.uk Defines bingo as equal chance gaming under the Gambling Act 2005.
- Guidance to licensing authorities - Introduction gamblingcommission.gov.uk Provides guidance on bingo regulation in Great Britain.
- THE BINGO PROJECT kent.ac.uk Supports the number range, ticket layout and winning patterns.
Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.