Who Calls My Balls: Is Online Bingo Really a Fair Game?

Random or planned?

When you’re playing at an online bingo site, have you ever stopped to wonder what determines the order in which the balls are called? Whether you have or you haven’t, it’s still a very relevant question. After all, do you trust a computer to throw out totally random numbers? Maybe there’s a little man sat in a back office somewhere at your favourite site, typing in the first numbers that come into his head? Can it really be totally unbiased, when you’ve seen first-hand the numbers 40, 41, and 42 being called in a row? We decided it was time to put our detective caps on and head out there for some answers, which is why today’s article takes a look at how you can be sure that online bingo games are fair…. a.k.a. Who Calls My Balls?

What does a bingo licence prove?

When you play games at any reputable site, you will find in their terms and conditions, or at the bottom of each page, information telling you who they are licensed by; Regulatory authorities require bingo sites to adhere to a fair gaming policy, which includes the software that they use. Each game is required to use a secure and standard Random Number Generator (RNG) system, which is produced by independent companies who provide RNG programs to online bingo, casino, and poker sites. This ensures that the ball numbers produced in every single game are sufficiently randomised to prevent abuse. You should also be able to find information about the overall outcome of the games – as in what percentage of your money will come back to you as winnings. This information should give a % figure indicating the Return to Player percentage (RTP) of the bingo site, and if it seems strangely high or low, it could mean that a defective RNG is in use.

Why use an RNG?

Without a Random Number Generator, it would be extremely difficult as well as unfair to take part in online bingo games. The fact that one is used should give you sufficient confidence the site is not ‘fixing’ the outcome of its games, and that even if you’re seemingly stuck with five 1TG cards, it’s just bad luck. It’s the closest way to emulate the unpredictably of putting 90 balls in a bag, shaking them up, and picking them out one-by-one.

How does it work?

Whilst a full explanation of how an RNG works is fairly complicated as it’s based on advanced computer science, the basic theory is that the generator uses advanced calculations to produce a totally random selection of numbers. If you’ve ever played in a land-based club in the 80s and 90s, you’ll have known that you were getting a fair deal, because you’d have seen the balls pop up out of the machine in front of your very eyes. In more recent years, computer technology has been introduced to many clubs, dispensing the need for physical balls. Instead, RNG software selects numbers from 1 to 90 (or 1 to 75 in 75-ball games) and displays them on a large electronic board as they’re announced by the caller. Online RNGs are your way of knowing that the same selection method applies, and this enables you to bet your own money whilst safe in the knowledge that you have a fair chance of winning.

Out with the old, and in with the new?

Despite the fact that RNGs are recognised as being as effective as physical bingo ball machines, it’s interesting to observe how many sites still use the images of old-fashioned machines, with some even animating the balls popping out of the chute. This indicates there’s something about the traditional method of ball selection that still appeals to players, and gives them an additional element of trust and nostalgia.

In conclusion, sites that use approved Random Number Generators offer you peace of mind when playing your favourite games. If you’re concerned that a site you like the look of (or play at) doesn’t give any information that would indicate one is in use, then you should certainly not feel uncomfortable about asking them to give you proof of its existence. If they refuse, you are well within your rights and in fact recommended to walk away and play somewhere else.