Bingo is often associated with charity events and the social settings of local bingo halls. It is hugely popular, thanks to simple gameplay and the potential for big (even jackpot) prizes. You can now enjoy the popular bingo formats online in Canada. And you can play it for real money, or just for fun.

With graphic design getting better all the time, online bingo games now enjoy vibrant and lively themes. Some of them are hosted, with chat available to interact with the other players, entertaining instant games and challenges within the games and a genuine social element to enjoy. You will find 90-ball bingo, 80- and 75-ball bingo, keno and many games loosely themed on the ball drawing concept online.

Everything you need to enjoy online bingo games to the fullest is available on this page. You will find information on the different games and bonuses, plus the best online casinos for bingo fans below.

Best casinos for online bingo in Canada

The table below shows the best casinos with online bingo games in Canada. These are the biggest international brands, with track records of great service, fair games and generous bonuses going back many years.

Free online bingo vs. real money bingo games

Nothing beats the excitement of being just one number away from a full house and a huge jackpot prize. That said, there are many reasons to check out online bingo games for free before you play for real money. These reasons include finding the most enjoyable bingo or keno variations before you start to play, making sure you understand the rules before playing for real money — or simply to pass the time with an entertaining free-to-play game.

There are three main formats of bingo available online. The naming convention splits them by the number of balls in use. These are 90-ball, 80-ball and 75-ball. Within these formats, you get a multitude of themes, sub-games, cards with nonstandard layouts and ways to win big money.

Standard cards have three rows, with numbers printed at random. Whether you play for free or for real money, online gaming allows you to have a lot more cards per game than in live bingo games. With the numbers checked off (daubed) automatically, there is no risk of accidentally missing a number or a prize.

Real money bingo can link prize pools between players from all over the world. This gives you the potential for prizes that would simply not be possible in the live bingo halls of Toronto or Montreal.

A big advantage of enjoying real money bingo games is that you can get bonuses and promotional offers from the casinos. Some of these will give you a shot at building yourself a big bingo bankroll with zero money down.

What is the difference between bingo and keno online?

There is another popular game that involves drawing balls — keno. There are many similarities between online bingo and online keno games. When you check out the details of the gameplay, you will quickly discover that they are completely different games.

In bingo games, you get a card with random numbers, and the game continues until someone has completed one line, two lines and a full house. The differences are the number of balls in play and extras (for example, prizes for hitting all four corners of a novel card or linked jackpots). Single player bingo variations pay prizes for completing lines before a specified number of balls are drawn.

In keno games, you pick numbers before the balls are drawn. It is up to you how many numbers you choose. A set number of balls are drawn, with your prize based on how many matches you get. Getting three matches in 20 balls from a selection of 10 numbers chosen is relatively frequent. If you get eight of your selections, you could be looking at a jackpot-sized prize.

Bingo-style games online

Casino games are rapidly diversifying away from simple categories like slots, bingo and video poker. These days, game formats are only constrained by the imagination of the casino developers. This means that games with appeal to bingo fans are available online.

Here are some of the popular alternatives:

• Slingo: These games are a hybrid of slots and keno games. There is a bingo-like ball drawing element in many games. You match balls to create lines in different directions on a grid, unlocking prizes as you go. Add in bright and entertaining themes, and you have games that are both unique and enjoyable.
• Scratch cards: This type of game is usually associated with lottery retail outlets. It can also appear at online casinos. Some are simple “match three” cards, though there are others with entertaining bonus games or multiple ways to win on a single card.
• Game show games: You can enjoy online versions of popular TV games like Deal or No Deal. While these are games of chance, they reproduce the elements of the TV show to give you entertaining gameplay along with the chance of a big win. Online slots can also have game show elements. Examples include Wheel of Fortune slots and the $50,000 Pyramid.

You can also find lottery-type games at online casinos.

Mobile bingo games vs. desktop online bingo

Online casinos now give you two ways to access bingo games. The days when you needed to download software onto a PC are largely over. You now choose between browser-based casino games or smartphone apps.

If you enjoy bingo on your iPhone or Android smartphone, then the apps are ideal. All the major online casinos in Canada have mobile apps. They give you access to the key games (including bingo and keno), plus let you deposit, manage your account and claim casino bonuses. The best way to get the latest app — along with the best available bonus — is to follow our links to the casinos using your mobile device. The casino will know which device you are using and give you the option to download the app.

On the minus side, smaller phones may not have the screen “real estate” to get the best from the graphics and animations. If you are unsure of whether your favourite bingo game will work on your smartphone, you can try it out in demo/free-play mode first.

Desktop casinos have a big advantage — hundreds or in some cases thousands of games. You will find the biggest selection of bingo games this way, with no software download needed. Browser based gaming will work on your tablets and smartphones, too, using responsive website design.

Casino bonuses and promotions for online bingo players

Taking advantage of online casino bonuses and promotions will give your bingo bankroll a significant boost. Canadian bingo fans have a huge choice of bonuses. With all the biggest international brands competing for players, you will find yourself in an excellent position to take advantage of multiple bonus deals.

With experience, you will be able to tell a good casino bonus from an average one. Key here is to check the terms and conditions, not just look at the headline rate. Bingo bonuses require you to play them through. You will need to wager your bonus a set number of times before it clears into your real money account. When you compare the playthrough requirement at different casinos, you will soon see how wide this spread can get.

Bingo-specific promotions include community jackpots. These are made available to all active bingo players at some casino brands. A key will appear next to the game. If you tap on this, you get a shot at winning a share of up to $10,000.

Other types of casino bonuses for Canadian bingo players:

• No deposit bonuses: What better way to build a bingo bankroll than with free play? Many casinos give you bonuses simply for signing up/downloading an app. These are smaller bonuses, giving you a shot at getting lucky and hitting a big bingo win.
• Matched welcome bonuses: This is the most frequent type of bonus available for bingo fans. Casinos will match your first deposit at 100% with bonus credits. You then play bingo games to clear it into your real money account.
• No lose/refund bonuses: An alternative bonus that will work with online bingo games lets you play without risk for your first day. If you win, no extra actions are needed. If you lose, you get a refund in bonus credits, up to a predetermined limit. Those bonus credits will have a playthrough requirement to clear.
• Loyalty rewards: Every Canadian casino has a way of rewarding its loyal players. You can earn points by playing real money bingo games. The number of points you earn determines your tier in the loyalty program. Bonuses and rewards get bigger and better as you move up the levels.
• Promotions: Casinos offer both recurring and one-off promotions for players. Examples are reload bonuses, double points deals and free spins/slot tournament entries. If your casino does not offer a variety of one-off promotions alongside the fixed ones, then you should consider switching to a casino that does.

How online bingo works: 90-ball bingo

Most online bingo games follow the 90-ball format. You will find quirky designs, themes and sub-games — though 90-ball online bingo will follow the core format below.

Your first choices are: How many cards to buy? And how much do you spend on each card?

Playing with multiple cards will give you extra shots at winning. Some bingo fans prefer to spread their bankroll over many cards, for smaller yet more consistent returns. Others prefer to go for a bigger win, having fewer cards and bigger buy-ins. The number of cards available will vary, depending on which game you choose.

Each card has three rows of five numbers, along with spaces.

Balls are then drawn. Online there is no cage or physical balls. Instead the numbers are selected using RNG software. These “random number generators” are regularly audited and completely fair. As you match balls, they are automatically daubed. They are drawn quickly online, with games only lasting for a few minutes.

Each 90-ball bingo game will have three winners. The first player to complete a line, the first player to complete two lines and the first player to complete a card. Where jackpots are available, they will be awarded to players who complete cards within a specific number of balls — for example, 25.

Other bingo variations use grids or non-square patterns. These games award prizes for completing patterns, hitting all four corners or completing all the numbers on your card. This will unlock different ways of awarding jackpots, too.

How to read your online bingo card

A big advantage of online bingo compared to live games is that the daubing happens automatically. In live games, missing a number could be the difference between a big prize and going home empty-handed.

Understanding how to read your bingo card will help you enjoy the games more. This also highlights how the simple game mechanics have created one of the world’s most popular ways to gamble. A 90-ball bingo card is used as the example here. Keep in mind that online bingo uses interesting shapes for some games — using traditional bingo rules for the gameplay.

90-ball bingo cards have three rows of numbers. Each row contains five numbers, plus four blank spaces. Each number only appears once per card. Smaller numbers are toward the left, making them easier to scan if you are daubing manually.

Completing a line or two lines will get you a smaller prize. The biggest prize in each game comes for completing all three lines on a single card. This is known as a “full house.” It is possible that the same number will give more than one player a win.

Is online bingo legal in Canada?

You can gamble online legally from all Canadian provinces. The key element is that the casino or online bingo site cannot be located on Canadian territory. Canada has gambling laws that were in place long before the internet was created. What is illegal under the criminal code is running or attending a “gambling house.”

Since you are at home, or playing on a mobile device, you are not attending a gambling house to enjoy real money online bingo games. International online casinos are also not running a gambling house on Canadian soil. These laws make it possible for Canadians to play at the biggest and most reputable casino brands legally.

Wrapping up: Online bingo in Canada

Bingo fans in Canada have an excellent choice of games. They range from “traditional” 90-ball bingo through 75- and 80-ball variations — many with jackpot prizes. You will also find keno and games that are loosely themed on bingo gameplay — alongside scratch cards and game-show-style novelty games.

New technology means that you can enjoy real money bingo on your iPhone or Android smartphone. Casinos offer native apps, or let you access the games through your browser. With so many casinos competing for your time in Canada, there are plenty of financial incentives available. Choose from no deposit bonuses, matched welcome offers and a long list of promotions and one-off special deals.

There has never been a better choice for online bingo fans in Canada. Check out the games, grab a bonus — and you could soon be shouting “house!”