If you are playing for money then you open an account with the Bingo site and pay money into that account to play. Any winnings are credited to this account for you to withdraw or use to play again. However some sites will only let you withdraw money once you have a certain limit, and that money is then paid as a cheque and posted to you.

Before you commit to spending any money, many sites let you play for free, but you still need to register your details. As a new player, a site may offer you some free points, which you convert to cash to start playing (typically $1 or $2).

Play for free for a while to see how you think the site treats its customers. There are also various “Safe trader” type signatures on sites that you’ll learn about, but click on them on the site to see what they say. Use a credit card with a very low limit on it, so that should it fall into the wrong hands, it has limited value. Once you feel confident enough to play for money, just lodge a small amount in your Bingo site account.

Each site will vary on how it pays you your winnings, so check before you start. Some may credit the card you paid with, others will credit your account with that site, and others will post you a cheque.

If you do not understand what a site will do, contact their Help, or support team. If you get no reply, play your Bingo elsewhere.

As Bingo becomes more popular it is offering incentives, just like high-street shops, and other gaming sites. Such things as “Recommend a friend and get free games”, or “Thursday is free day, get one game free for every game you pay”. Sites may enter all players in a game for a free draw prize like a bottle of champagne. Some sites will even deposit credits in your account just for playing.