- Paradise Bingo, South Houston, Texas. 3,023 likes 57 talking about this 6,074 were here. Houston's Number One Bingo Hall for Payouts and Fun!
- A 90-ball bingo game is what we might refer to as a classic here in the UK. It’s one of the oldest and most traditional styles of bingo to be played throughout Britain, and it was originally introduced into bingo halls back in the 1960’s. It’s also played widely across the globe too, but it still remains the most popular.
- I-45 Bingo is the best daytime and midnight Bingo Hall in Houston. Plenty of Pull Tabs to play which means lots of $$$ to win! $10 Computers, $1 Pull Tabs, and a Rewards Program for any Bingo Player who signs up. Family friendly atmosphere. You can bring your own food and drinks. Designated Smoking Area.
Triple Crown Bingo is Houston's Ultimate Bingo Experience! We have two convenient locations for you to play; daytime bingo located at 21902 Northwest Freeway, Cypress 77429 and nighttime bingo located at 10535 Jones Road #200, Houston 77065. We pay out over $5,000 CASH each day. Come out for your chance to win! NIGHT TIME BINGO. Big Tex Bingo 13030 Veterans Memorial Drive Houston, TX 77014 (281) 586-0700. I-45 Bingo 217 Cypress Creek Parkway, Suite A Houston, TX 77090 (832) 666-2268. LATE NIGHT BINGO. 1960 Bingo 221 FM 1960 Rd. Suite E Houston, TX 77090 (832) 446-3128.
A 90-ball bingo game is what we might refer to as a classic here in the UK. It’s one of the oldest and most traditional styles of bingo to be played throughout Britain, and it was originally introduced into bingo halls back in the 1960’s.
It’s also played widely across the globe too, but it still remains the most popular bingo choice amongst us Brits. The basic aim of the game is to mark off numbers on a card ranging from 1-90, and there are usually 3 possible chances of a win on each game.
90-ball games still remain massively popular in bingo halls up and down the country, but they have also now taken the wonderful world of online bingo by storm too. Even though online bingo offers up so many other bingo variants these days, the classic 90-ball games still appear to be the most popular choice amongst players. With such an established structure and up to 3 chances of a win on each game, what’s not to love about this old faithful.
The History of 90-Ball Bingo
You may be surprised to know that the game of bingo actually dates right back to the 1500’s. Yep, I know. Seems bonkers right but it’s in the history books.
The first ever exact recordings of bingo are slightly hazy, however we do know that a lottery type game called ‘Lo Giuoco del Lotto d’Italia’ was played in Italy around 1530.
It’s unknown as to whether this used a 90-ball format in particular, however we do know that years later in 1778, there were reports of a similar Lotto type game called ‘Le Lotto’ in France.
This version of the game required players to mark off numbers ranging from 1-90 in some form, and from that point on the 90-ball bingo game was born.
Why is 90-Ball Bingo So Popular In The UK?
As mentioned before, 90-ball bingo is hugely popular up and down the UK and always has been.
Here are a few theories as to perhaps why players keep returning for more:
- Tradition – It’s the most classic form of bingo that we Brits are used to within both bingo halls and online.
- Tickets – 90-ball bingo tickets are the primary tickets used within the UK, and therefore they are the ones that players recognise the most when playing out and about or online.
- Simplicity – Sometimes players prefer to stick with what they know, and will therefore choose games that they know how to play already.
- Winning – There are generally 3 chances of winning on each individual bingo card, making the possibilities of a prize even higher.
- Free Bingo – A lot of online bingo sites offer free bingo games upon sign up. This can then encourage players to continue with this format then when making deposits.
- Bigger prizes – As 90-ball bingo games tend to attract more players, the prizes may then end up higher than other variants.
How To Play 90-Ball Bingo
Whether you’re playing 90-ball bingo in a bingo hall or online, the general rules will always be the same. Numbers from 1-90 will be called by a caller or generated online, then you will mark off the corresponding number on your bingo card.
Here are some of the other things that you might need to know along the way:
Buying 90-Ball Bingo Tickets
90-ball bingo cards are generated into strips of 6 tickets, and the numbers 1-90 are then spread across the entire strip.
It is then up to you the player then as to how many tickets you wish to purchase from a strip.
You can play bingo with just one ticket from the strip of course, but the chances of winning could be higher the more tickets you purchase.
How Do 90-Ball Bingo Tickets Work?
The following table shows how the numbers are distributed across the strip of 6 bingo tickets:
| Numbers | Column |
|---|---|
| 1-9 | 1st Column |
| 10-19 | 2nd Column |
| 20-29 | 3rd Column |
| 30-39 | 4th Column |
| 40-49 | 5th Column |
| 50-59 | 6th Column |
| 60-69 | 7th Column |
| 70-79 | 8th Column |
| 80-90 | 9th Column |
How Do You Win A Game Of 90-Ball Bingo?
Once you’ve purchased your 90-ball bingo tickets, there can then be up to 3 ways to win on each game.
This can vary from between individual bingo halls and sites, but generally the 3 different ways are as follows:
- 1 Line
- 2 Line
- 3 Lines (Also known as a Full House)
Simply mark off the numbers on your ticket as they are called, and when you fill any of the stated patterns then you have won.
It’s worth noting that if you have purchased a book of 6 tickets, then you will have to mark off a number every time one is called. This is because you will have every number shared across your strip, so will therefore have every number from 1-90.
Can You Win Twice In One 90-Ball Bingo Game?
In a word, yes.
As bingo is primarily a game of chance, it’s not impossible to win more than once in one game.
The more numbers that are called on one ticket the higher chances you have of winning, therefore if you have already won on one or two lines, you may only need a few more numbers to then win the full house.
How Much Can I Win Playing 90-Ball Bingo?
Prizes and pay outs are ever changing with bingo, and the following things can cause prizes to be bigger or smaller:
- Playing in a bingo hall or playing on an online bingo site.
- The amount of players signed up for each game.
- Whether the game is attached to a certain bonus or promotion.
- Some games can be played for physical prizes such as holidays or appliances instead of cash.
- The price of each ticket can reflect on the prize amount up for grabs.
90-Ball Bingo Conclusion
You will love 90-bingo if you love classic bingo gaming. It’s the most popular choice in the UK these days, so it will generally be available on every online bingo site and in bingo halls all over the country.
Some players prefer it as it gives you up to 3 chances of winning on each game, and it’s a game that grows in excitement and tension as it progresses too which all adds to the fun.
Bingo Hall 1960 And 45
90-Ball bingo is perfect for those newbies to the online bingo world too, as you will most likely be given a chance to play some free 90-ball bingo games when you first sign up. Therefore this gives people a good chance to practice and hone their online bingo skills, before even making a cash deposit on the site.
As a fan of cinema and theatre architecture, Ian Grundy has been making a photographic record of the nation’s stock of picture palaces. As the history of bingo in the UK is so entwined with the history of many of the UK’s cinemas, Ian has a collection of images from UK bingo halls as well as his cinema photographs spanning several decades. Ian has put together for Playing Bingo a history of UK bingo from the perspective of the changes in ownership and use of the clubs from cinema to bingo. It’s illustrated with some wonderful photographs of some of the UK’s finest looking bingo halls exteriors and interiors.
Author: Ian Grundy
From Cinema To Bingo – 1950 to 1968
The game of bingo has been around for hundreds of years in one form or another, since at least the 16th Century. The game as we now is today, was the result of a number of factors which came together in the late 1950s and 1960s.
Scarborough Mecca – formerly the Capitol Cinema
Television was partly responsible, particularly the introduction of ITV between 1955 and 1956, which gave viewers lucky enough to have a set, a choice of entertainment (with the BBC that meant TWO channels)! This had an increasingly disastrous effect on the admissions at cinemas and theatres in the UK. The Entertainment Tax first levied to provide war funds in the First World War, was finally, amid much lobbying, repealed in 1960. However this was too late to save many cinemas, and the industry itself had been hurt by pleading poverty, which suggested an industry in severe decline.
Granada Acton – now a Gala Club
Bingo Hall On 1960 In Houston Tx
More importantly, the passing of the Gaming Act, also in 1960, opened up new possibilities for business.
Cinemas had been in trouble for a few years – there were simply too many for the demand. The major circuits were Rank (Odeons and Gaumonts), Associated British Cinemas (ABC), Granada, and Essoldo. From 1956 onwards, each of the circuits began closing cinemas. Some were demolished, others diversified into dance halls, concert halls, and bowling alleys. Few such adaptations lasted for long. However, the introduction of Bingo into former cinemas was pretty much an instantaneous success.
Hackney Road Mecca – formerly the Odeon
Rank turned two large London cinemas, the Odeon Hackney Road and the Gaumont Peckham over to bingo in May 1961. Over the new few years dozens of Odeons and Gaumonts followed, under the banner of Top Rank Social Clubs. Often this started experimentally with bingo played on certain days each week with films on the others, in almost every case bingo quickly took over completely. Rank kept Cine-bingo (mixed usage) going longer than any other company did – the Odeon Hemel Hempstead had a split week of films and bingo as late as 1995.
Walthamstow Dominion – the first Alpha Bingo Club, now closed
ABC named their first conversion Alpha Bingo Club, handily retaining the ABC name! This was in March 1961 at the former Dominion Cinema in Walthamstow, a handsome hall that has only recently closed.
Granada kept its name for the bingo operation; its first conversion was at Mansfield. Essoldo too named its first conversion, the former Savoy Cinema Burnt Oak, Essoldo Bingo in October 1961.
Burnt Oak Savoy seen here as a Top Rank Club
Big Tex Bingo 1960
There were of course, many independent cinemas and these blossomed into an equal number of independent bingo halls.
Hull Astoria – an independent bingo club
Conversion was a simple process in most cases, taking out the screen and installing the bingo apparatus in its place, upgrading the lighting so that players could see their cards, and removing the stalls seating so that tables and chairs could be provided. Occasionally the circle seating would also be turned to tables and chairs, but this was more expensive as the steppings had to be altered, and in many cases the cinema seats were left in place for the bingo players. Often a new staircase linking the circle to the front of the stage would be added, so that winners upstairs could be invited down in full view of the hall, instead of traversing the foyers to change levels.
Dudley Gala – the former Hippodrome Theatre
Some larger properties were sub-divided inside, the circle area would be converted into a smaller (sometimes several smaller) cinemas whilst the larger stalls floor became a bingo hall. The Cecil / Cannon cinema in Hull is an example of this, although the cinemas have now closed and been transformed into a sports bar. The bingo however continues!
The 1968 Gaming Act And Beyond – 1968 To 2007
A further act of Parliament – The Gaming Act of 1968 – allowed clubs to introduce gambling via slot machines, further expanding the range of entertainment for patrons. Usually they were named Bingo and Social Clubs, and the social part of the equation was well earned. People came to meet up with friends, have a meal and a drink, and a convivial few hours out.
Bishop Auckland Hippodrome – now operated independently
In the 1960s and 1970s bingo flourished across the country, with many larger towns having a wide choice of social clubs, the former suburban cinemas outside the town centre were often highly successful.
Bingo Halls In Houston Area
The “Link” game proved to be a big winner among players: clubs across a region are linked up to play a game where the jackpot amounts to a larger sum, and the “National” game links clubs across the country to provide a huge jackpot. Here a prize is won by the first person to call house in each club. All these results are sent to the central National Game computers where the big prize, totalling hundreds of thousands of pounds, is awarded to the player who called house in the least amount of numbers. The prize is shared in the event of a tie. In 2007 Britain’s first Bingo Millionaire was created – the prizes have never been higher!
ABCs became Coral Social Clubs, having been acquired by Star in 1970, and later still by Bass Leisure in 1981. The clubs, however, retained their Coral name until merged with the Granada clubs in 1991. The whole group was rebranded Gala from October onwards. The Gala clubs continued to expand, adding 17 Ritz clubs in 1998, 10 clubs from Jarglen in 1999, 27 Riva clubs in 2000, which made it the largest bingo operator at the time, and County Bingo, a Scottish group, acquired by Gala in 2006.
ChathamRitz – now a Gala Club, seen here in it’s Coral days
The Top Rank clubs acquired Mecca Leisure in 1990, and subsequently the Top Rank name was phased out in favour of Mecca, although this has occasionally caused controversy with members of the Islamic Religion and in at least one case (Luton) the name was not used at first.
The Essoldo clubs were sold in 1973 to Ladbroke Group and renamed Lucky Seven Bingo, later they became part of Top Rank, and thus the survivors now bear the Mecca name.
Top Rank – started out as an Essoldo club, now sadly closed
During the 1990s, faced with ageing (albeit palatial) buildings, the bingo operators began to close down the ex-cinemas in favour of new, purpose built bingo halls, often just outside the town centre. This had the advantage of cheaper land giving more floor space, enabling an ever more mobile population to park by the hall, and also improving access for the disabled. The first purpose built hall was the Castle Club at Canton in Cardiff, which opened in December 1988. However many of the old cinemas are still providing for the warmth and comfort of the players: some like the former Sheffield Odeon have now been a bingo hall for considerably more years than they showed films!
Sheffield Mecca – from 1956 to 1971 the Odeon Cinema
During the first decade of the 21st Century new threats to the prosperity of the clubs arrived. The Health Act of 2005 which banned smoking in enclosed spaces from July 2007 was seen as a major problem – evidence seems to indicate that the effects on bingo halls is not as great as first feared. The other main threat is online bingo. Many of the major operators now also run an internet version of the game. Ironically the part of the name dropped by most clubs, could prove to be their strongest asset – that of being a social club!