What Are Casinos?

Casinos are public rooms or buildings which accommodate gambling activities, most of which are down to chance although some games do require an element of skill. Many people will instantly think of the Las Vegas Strip when casinos are mentioned, however, most large towns across the United Kingdom have their own. In fact, there are over 130 land-based casinos across the UK, Grosvenor and Genting make up the majority of these, however, there are some smaller chains as well as a number that are independently run.

If you already know what to expect when you arrive and are just looking for the closest place to play you can use this guide that will help find the best place in your area. Otherwise, there is a brief summary of what you can expect to find inside your local gambling house below.

Types of Games

When it comes to gambling there are three common categories, table, electronic machines and random numbers. Table games cover cards, dice, and random numbers. Most casinos will almost always offer blackjack, roulette, and poker which will be operated by a croupier or dealer. The larger venues will also offer additional card games such as baccarat, and farro. Craps is another popular dice game, whilst the Big Six Wheel (sometimes referred to as the Wheel of Fortune) is another game commonly found in the bigger casinos.

Electronic gaming machines have proved to be extremely popular, you play on individual computer terminals that are usually found in banks around the inside walls of the venue. This layout is designed to maximize the available floor space which in turn means more games can be offered. The most common games in this category are the slot machines which can pay out gigantic jackpots in an instant, as well as electronic roulette. Both games will use a predetermined amount of credit per spin. Again larger venues will be able to offer slightly more variety with video poker another popular choice which is similar to five-card draw poker.

Last but not least there are the random number games such as keno which is lottery based. Bingo also falls into this category although that is a game that is usually played in its own separate venue.

What else is inside?

Winning big at a casino undoubtedly provides a rush of adrenaline that cannot be matched however they are also a popular destination for a night out even when the customer has no intention of placing a single bet. Aside from the gambling on offer they are often equipped with stylish bars and elegant restaurants that serve fine cuisine. Not only that but there are plenty of entertainment options which often include musical performances and comedy acts from some of the biggest names as well as homegrown talent. Plus you can usually watch the big games live on Sky Sports and BT Sport on HD screens, often in a dedicated sports bar.

So the next time you are looking to book a table that rivals even the best restaurants in town or searching for some quality live entertainment be sure to consider your local casino. You never know you might even win big whilst you’re there!

play-bingoIf you are new to the world of online bingo, you have certainly come to the right place. At Hoosier Authority, we pride ourselves on being the ultimate source for new bingo players to get started and learn about this fabulous game that is taking the globe by storm.

The first thing you need to know about online bingo is that anyone can play it. It’s an accessible game with very little other than a laptop, smartphone or tablet required. Obviously, you will need to have an internet connection.

Depending on where you live, or whether you are playing a gaming for real money (gambling), you may have to be 18 or 21 years of age.

Signing Up

Anytime, you go to an online bingo site, you will want to check out what their welcome offer is. Typically welcome bonuses are split in to:

  • No deposit required offers.
  • Cash match bonuses.

Typically we recommend new players register for a no deposit bingo offer. The reason for this is it allows you to dip your toes in the water without spending any large sums of cash. Specifically, your first go on the site won’t require you to spend any money at all.

On top of that, no deposit required sites also have cash match welcome bonuses which you can claim after you try the site out.

Playing Games

Once you have signed up for the bingo site, you will want to try out the games. Most sites offer 75 ball and 90 ball games, although others, such as Cozy Games bingo sites, provide fun variations like 30 ball and 50 ball speed bingo.

The ticket price is the important thing to watch out for, since it will tell you how much you will spend on each game. If tickets are 1p each and you  buy the full 96 tickets, it will cost you 96p to play that one game. Depending on your luck you may win or lose money.

The great thing about bingo though is that it is a fun and sociable game, there are plenty of free and low-cost options, meaning you can play for as much or little as you would like.

gambleawareAs part of being an responsible online gambling portal, we want to take a little bit of time to tell our visitors about how to be safe whilst playing bingo online.

From our perspective there are two things you need to be aware of when it comes to being safe online. The first one is knowing your limits and stopping when games stop being fun. The second thing to be aware of is unscrupulous operators that don’t give you a decent enough chance of winning.

Stop When It’s No Longer Fun!

The first sign that you might have a problem with gambling is when you play bingo games and chase losses. If you lose big, and start to gamble more and more in an attempt to get back to even, then you are in risky territory and could be setting yourself up for an even bigger loss.

The big bingo operators have all got together to raise awareness for problem gambling. They want players to play within their limits and never lose more money than they would be comfortable losing. A good way to tell if you are gambling with too much money is would you be comfortable telling your spouse, parents or other family methods how much you are spending playing bingo games and slots? If the answer to that is no, then you may want to seek help. We recommend Gambleaware if you are having problems stopping playing bingo.

Only Play At Reputable Sites

There are two ways to tell if a site is reputable. The first is whether the site has approval of the UK Gambling Commission. You can find out this information by typically looking in the footer of a website and seeing whether it has it’s endorsement.

The second method is to see whether the site allows bingo players to deposit using PayPal. We wrote a good guide about this and suggest you check it out. It’s perhaps the #1 way to tell whether a site is trustworthy or not.

paypalAt Hoosier Bingo, we claim to be the authority on everything bingo related! So what bingo site is complete without a review of PayPal as a payment method.

For those of you who don’t know, PayPal is an online e-wallet provider. They are basically an intermediary between you, your bank and the potential online bingo site that you want to join.

Why Use PayPal?

So why use a site that accepts PayPal you say? Well the biggest reason is most definitely security! Nowadays, you can’t be sure who to trust with your cash and personal details, depositing through PayPal will allow you to keep your bank account and credit card details secure.

There are lot’s of different sites that take PayPal deposits, the most popular definitely has to be Bgo. The reason we love Bgo is that they provide a brilliant selection of games and a welcome bonus that is better than any others out there. Register today and you will receive 20 free spins on their ever popular Starburst slot game, and a £40 free welcome bonus on your first deposit.

Top Sites That Accept PayPal!

Other top PayPal bingo sites include the likes of Lucky Pants. The reason Lucky Pants Bingo is so good is that they provide a £5 free, no deposit required bonus straight away on registration. This allows you to sign up, start playing and having fun playing your favourite games, without risking a single penny of your own hard earned cash. They also have a great selection of bingo games, slots and jackpots that will make your mouth water!

Another site highly recommended by players is Bingo Street. You can read an honest review of it here. With a 200% welcome bonus and licensing from Cassava Enterprises, and powered by Dragonfish software, it’s easy to see why this site is so respected by players everywhere!

Things To Watch Out For

Remember, not all sites accept PayPal and we honestly believe that you should look at them with scepticism if they don’t. It’s becoming more common for bingo players to have a PayPal account and want to fund their bingo account with that. And remember, safety has to be the name of the game, the PayPal verified seal is a mark of trust and a way that you can ensure your personal details will be secure.

90-ballThere are many different types of bingo games played online, 90 ball has to be the most popular variation and for good reason so.

In 90 ball bingo, players purchase their cards and as numbers are called out, they cross them off. If you are playing in a local bingo hall, for instance one listed at My Town Bingo, you will have to dab the numbers out with your dabber yourself. This is where the skill in bingo comes in, players who are quick witted and fast will be have an edge over players who are not so fast. When played online though, the numbers will be crossed out automatically.

How To Play

In 90 ball bingo, there are a total of 90 different numbers that can appear on your card. Prizes are dished out for players who complete 1 line, 2 lines and a full house. Typically prizes get bigger and bigger, so the largest prize is given to players who make a full house.

If two players declare “bingo” at the same time, the winning prize will be shared between both players.

Other Game Variations

Other bingo game variations include 75 ball and 80 ball bingo. 90 ball and 75 ball are typically variations played in the UK, whereas 80 ball bingo is popularized throughout the USA and is typically seen in Las Vegas halls.

Nowadays online they are coming up with even more exciting variations, including the likes of 30 ball and 50 ball speed games. These games are frenetic, with high paced action lasting only a couple of minutes. Perfect for someone looking for a quick gambling fix or rush!

What Is Best?

If you are struggling to decide what type of game you want to play, more info can be found on Wikipedia.

As for which variation is the best? Well that is up to you, in all honesty, the concept of bingo is similar no matter what game you decide to play. It really depends what kind of pace you are after. If you want a slower game and to perhaps socialise and chat with other players at the same time, sticking with 90 ball games will be a good idea in our opinion.