Guide to Online Bingo Payouts
While it might seem entirely random to a casual observer, there are actually some very strict rules that govern how much an online bingo site has to pay its players and how much they are allowed to take for themselves.
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There are also a few factors that can interfere with your payout or greatly reduce the amount that actually arrives in your bank account.
Our in-depth guide to bingo payments will tell you everything you need to know to ensure you’re getting the most from your online bingo experience, leaving you able to enjoy those wins whenever they arrive.
What is online bingo RTP?
When reading about online bingo payouts you’ll come across the term RTP, which stands for Return to Player.
RTP dictates the percentage of wagers that are paid out to bingo winners. By comparing different RTPs it’s easy to see which games are the most worthwhile when it comes to getting the best return on your bingo investment.
The RTP of any online casino or bingo game determines its profitability, both for the bingo site and for the player.
Different games carry different RTPs. To take an example from online slots, the Fluffy Favourites slot has a RTP of 95%. This means that 95% of the money brought in by wagers is repaid to players, and 5% is retained by the casino.
Bingo games tend to have a lower RTP than slots and typically you’ll find most of them are between 85% and 70%.
Which factors affect online bingo RTP?
A number of factors affect RTP in online bingo, including ticket prices, the number of tickets sold, and the jackpot and payout structure. On average, you’ll find the RTP for 90-ball bingo is usually fairly steady at around 80%, while 75-ball bingo can vary between 70% and 85%.
RTP can be a significant factor in choosing where to play online bingo. A game with a high RTP is likely to be more profitable. You can check the RTP in the game information before you play.
How are bingo payouts calculated?
While RTP is a significant factor in the size of an individual bingo game’s payout, it’s not the only factor involved. Bingo payouts depend on a number of different things:
- The minimum guaranteed jackpot: if a bingo game has a minimum guaranteed jackpot, this means you’re guaranteed to win at least this amount, but you can win more. Generally speaking, the higher the cost of tickets, the bigger the guaranteed jackpot will be.
- The number of tickets purchased: for most bingo games, the more tickets that are purchased, the higher the overall payouts will be. So prizes in these games are determined just by the money spent on tickets in each game.
- How many prizes there are: As well as the main prize, there are often smaller prizes available to the first player to get one line, two lines, and so on. The more smaller payouts there are, the less the main payout will probably be. For example, in a 1tg game, the main prizes will be smaller to allow allocation to the extra winners who have 1tg when the game ends.
- Progressive jackpot: if a game features a progressive jackpot then the main prize pot will be slightly smaller, because an amount has to be taken from the stake money to add to the progressive pot.
What else might impact the size of a payout?
There are a few other factors that could reduce your online bingo payout and leave you with less winnings than you expect. These include:
- Withdrawal limits: many casinos and bingo sites have limits as to how much you can take out of your casino account at any given time. This means even if you win a big jackpot, you might have to a few months or even years for your winnings. Thankfully, this is less common now than it used to be, but be sure to check the site’s terms and conditions or head over to the banking tab if they have one.
- Wagering requirements: while wagering requirements are more common at online casinos, they do exist on online bingo sites. They mean that players need to spend a certain amount after claiming a promotion (usually a multiple of the value of the promotion) before they can withdraw any winnings. If you get a good payout under these circumstances, you may need to spend some of it to meet the wagering requirements before you can cash it out.
- Cap on winnings: winnings can be capped sometimes, especially if you’re playing with free bingo credit as a result of a no-deposit promotion or welcome offer. Again, this can seriously limit your payout, or at least the amount of any winnings you’re able to withdraw. Read the terms and conditions carefully before you accept any no deposit promotion or bonus.
Remember, it’s not all about payouts!
While getting a bingo payout is certainly nice, it shouldn’t be the focus of your gameplay.
Bingo is a social game and playing online is a great way to relax and enjoy a break from the mundanities of everyday life, as well as make new friends.
If you get too hung up on the end result, you might miss out on the best parts of playing bingo online!
Author
Sam is passionate about all things bingo and has more than 10 years’ experience of writing about the game in its online and land-based forms, as well as casino, sports betting and gaming. When he’s not testing and reviewing the latest online bingo sites, Sam stays abreast of developments in the industry through his extensive network of contacts around the world.
