BINGO - The game that everybody knows

(courtesy of bc lottery corporation)

Bingo is the game that everyone knows how to play. What you may not know is that we offer three options to keep track of your numbers.

You can play:

- On Paper [ Photo ] [ Rules & Regulations ]

- At a Starship Terminal [ Photo ] [ Policies ]

- On a HandHeld Unit [ Photo ]

All BCLC bingo facilities offer both paper and Handheld Bingo Units. Many, including ours, feature Starship touchscreen bingo as well.

The type of programs, prizes and game selections differ from one place to the next. At some bingos you can join in whenever you arrive and pay for only the games you play. At others, you'll need to buy a book of bingo cards and play a session that starts at a specific time.

Paper
The classic method of dabbing on your card as the numbers are called. Available at all 32 commercial halls where bingo is managed and conducted by BCLC.

Handheld
These nifty little electronic devices are the bingo equivalent of a Game-BoyTM. They assist players by electronically tracking the numbers called and signaling a winning card. There is no additional charge to play them, and players may use them instead of, or in conjunction with traditional paper cards. To play, visit any one of the 27 commercial bingo halls where they are available and tell the cashier you want to play using a hand-held unit. You can play multiple cards per game.

Starship
This automated approach to traditional bingo, provides players with computer touch-screen terminals instead of traditional paper and dabbers. There are 20 Starship Bingo locations where you can play multiple cards by simply asking the cashier to set you up at Starship terminal. Then all you have to do is follow the easy step-by-step instructions on your screen.


Play a Different Game! Big Link Bingo Progressive Jackpots
Every day at 1:00, 8:30 and 11:00 p.m. (Pacific time) bingo players across BC join together to play for great prizes. It's called Big Link Bingo and is a series of games played throughout the afternoon and evening, no matter which participating bingo hall you attend. The games are offered every day at BCLC commercial halls, and at a number of charitable and community organizations that play on various days of the week:

Times
The Link @ 1:00pm
Ultimate Link @ 8:30pm
Late Link @ 11:00pm

Price for a 3-up
The Link $2
Ultimate Link $3
Late Link $2

Say “Yes” to Big Link Plus
When you play The Link, Ultimate Link, or Late Link, you can choose to play for an “extra” jackpot – one that grows with each Big Link session until it’s won!

Get there early
Sales are cut off half an hour before games begin. Some bingo locations offer walk-in/drop-in sessions, so that you can play Big Link games only, while others require you to buy a package of games, or a session. If no one wins, the jackpots keep getting bigger and bigger. Our largest win to date was just under $99,300!

Winning at Bingo
To make it easy for you, bingo halls are equipped with flashboards that display the numbers as they are called. In addition, the pattern you are expected to match in order to win is displayed on the flashboard. Your job is to be the first player to match the pattern being played for, such as a vertical line. When you succeed…just yell BINGO. It's that simple.

Bingo is one of the most generous games to play in terms of the amount returned to the players. For every dollar spent on bingo each day, the bingo hall pays back between 55 and 65 cents. Most of the money is paid out on the spot, but some goes into growing jackpots, called progressives and accumulators, so that players have large prizes to be won as well.

Prices
The nice thing about bingo is that you can play for a whole evening on a budget. You decide how much you want to spend, then buy your cards and settle in for an enjoyable evening of social entertainment with a chance to win some great prizes.

Bingo is the game you can play for as little or as much as you like, depending on the number of cards you find challenging but manageable. For the novice player to purchase a booklet with six cards for every regular game along with cards to play all the specials, including Big Link Bingo, the average cost would be about $25 including popcorn and a soft drink.

These BCLC bingo rules apply to playing bingo in Haney Bingo Plex as well as every other bingo hall in BC, including the following Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley bingo halls - Planet Bingo (in Vancouver), Burnaby Bingo Palace, Newton Bingo Country (in Surrey), Abbotsford Bingo, Chilliwack Bingo, Langley Bingo Palace, Burnaby Bingo Country, and Mission Bingo Association.