What Are Bingo Chat Games?
Bingo chat games were once the mainstay of the social aspect of any of the online bingo sites in the UK. It was how brands encouraged player engagement with both each other and other players whilst participating in bingo games. However, as the bingo landscape has changed, and a younger demographic have entered the rooms, bingo chat games aren’t as popular as they once were.
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You won’t find chat games at your local bingo hall and you certainly don’t find your retail club offering you the chance to win a pound or equivalent during most bingo games, but that’s what you will get online if the site you choose to play at is host to the chat games.
On this page, we will offer you the answers to all the questions you may have about this social side of online bingo and offer you a selection of brands that boast them in the chat rooms.
Are chat games free to play?
Chat games are free to play but only if you have deposited at the site at which you wish to participate in the chat. You can choose to take part in any chat game but for the most part, a site will stipulate that you can only win bonuses or loyalty points from them when you have made a deposit.
As an example taken from Legs Eleven Bingo:
“To be eligible to receive any chat game wins, you must have made a deposit within the last 7 days and have at least 2 bingo tickets in the game you claim the bonus on.”
The rules of participation will vary from site to site so, as is the case with most things bingo related, check the site terms and conditions.
It is also worth noting that some brands will limit the amount you can win daily on chat games.
The games played in the chat rooms are a way to boost your bingo funds and you don’t have to win the actual game to win a chat game!
What can you win playing bingo chat games?
What you can win playing bingo chat games will vary from brand to brand. 888 Dragonfish sites will offer loyalty points to a chat game winner and loyalty points can be exchanged for bonus funds at an exchange rate of 1,000 for £1 in bonus money.
Tombola payout in bonus funds directly whilst you may come across bingo sites that award slot spins for chat game wins.
Details should be available either on a dedicated chat games page or when a host announces that one of the chat-based games are to be played.
Are there wagering requirements on the winnings from a chat game?
Wagering requirements on chat game winnings vary from site to site depending on what the reward is for winning.
As is the case with all things bonus or rewards related, the details of the terms and conditions should be listed and easily accessible to you.
What sort of chat games are played?
There are many different styles of bingo chat games that are played and these differ from brand to brand, software and network. Most sites that offer this way of earning bonus funds will have a dedicated page with a few examples of the room games that are played.
Below are a list of the chat game types and an example of each:
- Buddy Style Games – These are games in the chat rooms that will see other players rewarded as well as yourself. Of course, the clue is in the name ‘Buddy’ because who doesn’t love someone who wins you free bonuses?
- Alphabet Buddies – when a player in the room wins bingo, anyone in the room whose username starts with the same letter of the alphabet will win a prize too.
- Number Based Games – These are probably the most traditional of all the games played in the chat rooms and as the name suggests, are based on the numbers used in the game. You’d be mistaken for thinking that the number you win the bingo game on determines the chat game-winner, it’s not the case.
- Mirror, Mirror -An oldie but definitely a goodie and one popular with players because it is simple to follow. You give the chat host two numbers that are a mirror image of each other, e.g. 18 and 81 and then when both numbers have been called during the bingo game, you have to type ‘Mirror, Mirror’ into the chat room first to be the winner.
- Quiz Games – These are the chat games that we see moaned about most often because it is often the player with the fastest fingers that win. However, some sites, in order to ensure that it isn’t always the same winner taking home the prize, have shaken things up a bit and will announce what position the winner will be in. I.e. third correct answer wins.
- Karaoke – The host will type the line of a well-known song into the chat room and the player who answers with the title and / or artist will be the winner.
What is a chat host?
The chat host, or moderator – CH or CM, at any given site is the person who presides over the chat room. They are the person who has the responsibility of moderating the chat, keeping the players entertained and informing them of promotions or upcoming events.
Some consider that they are like the bingo caller and your local club but it’s not an analogy we would make because they have nothing to do with the numbers being called in the actual bingo game.
Others might consider them the bingo police because they are the people ensuring that all players abide by the site rules – again, not an analogy we would make simply because they are not authority figures.
Examples of rules that a chat host might ensure are followed can be seen below, this example was taken from Wink Bingo:
- You shall not make any statements that are sexually explicit or grossly offensive, including expressions of bigotry, racism, hatred or profanity.
- You shall not make statements that damage a third party’s reputation or which are abusive, harassing or insulting to other users of the Service.
- You shall not make statements that advertise, promote or otherwise relate to any other online entities.
- You shall not make statements about us or the Sites or any other Internet site connected to us that are untrue and/or malicious.
The moderator or host is simply there to ensure you have the most enjoyable time whilst playing at the site / in the room that you have chosen to frequent.
They are responsible for hosting the bingo chat games in a fair and responsible manner.