Bingo, like most other forms of gambling, gives players the chance to win handsome sums of money. But with all gambling, there are winners and losers. With the ‘house’ typically being the winner and players (like you and me) the losers.

Amongst the thrill and excitement,  there may be moments where you might get caught up in the moment and feel frustrated or angry. At this point, it’s probably time you called it a day and leave the bingo hall or shut your laptop.

Whilst most people know this, and play ‘real’ bingo or online bingo just for a bit of fun, many people look to take this one step further and actively look to cheat. The hopes are by avoiding detection, they can wrongfully claim money and go on to live a life of luxury.

In reality this is unlikely to happen.

Not only do you need to know how to cheat, you need to be able to get away with it. And even if you do cheat, you are not guaranteed to chase the payout you are after.

Additionally, if you get caught cheating at bingo, you are liable for prosecution and can end up with jail time. 

The forms of bingo cheating outlined in this article are solely for entertainment and information, not a beginners guide for you to go and carry out!

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Cheating at Online Bingo vs Bingo Halls

At this point, it is necessary to point out the difference.

Cheating at ‘real life’ bingo is a lot easier than cheating online.

With online bingo, almost all factors to influence the outcome of a game are limited. In bingo halls, you can influence how the balls are called and how they are marked on callers cards. This situation is what we will focus on most in the rest of this article.

Below, we break down cheating in both online bingo and bingo halls.

Cheating at Online Bingo

Cheating at online bingo is not only difficult to do, it is an extremely reckless thing to even try.

Almost all reputable online bingo sites have security measures in place that prevent any outside interference. These games are made with security controls that are part of the game’s design, to stop hackers understanding how games work and predicting outcomes.

Even if you did know how to hack into a bingo site, it doesn’t mean you will get away with it. In fact, you can leave a digital footprint, which can be investigated by law enforcement.

So, not only is it extremely difficult, if you ever get caught, you will be in serious trouble.

Cheating in Bingo Halls

If you’re going to attempt to cheat at bingo (you shouldn’t), then the bingo hall is the place to be.

Here are three ways you could consider cheating.

Switch Bingo Cards

This form of cheating is relatively simple, but requires some expert sleight-of-hand skills.

Enter the bingo hall and position yourself near other players that have lots of bingo cards. The task is to provide a distraction and then switch your cards for somebody else cards once they get close to winning.

You want to position yourself near as many players as possible – to increase your chances of finding a winning card – but not too many players so that nobody notices.

Because the general profile of a bingo player is usually an elderley person, this can make it seem attractive to cheats.

However, even if you can perform a switch of cards, you are not always guaranteed to win from this high risk cheating method.

Make Fake Bingo Cards

This one requires some planning and information ahead of time.

Most bingo cards are very similar, although they might change in colour or the paper they use. However, to identify that a bingo card is legitimate to the game, there is usually a serial number present on the card. This can be anywhere from 5 numbers to a longer string of letters and numbers.

To perform this cheat, you are going to need some inside information. This typically means finding an employee that works at the bingo hall you are trying to cheat, and acquiring knowledge about the game numbers that are going to be used. Once you have the unique serial number, you can create some of your own bingo cards and take them into the bingo hall with you.

Again, just like the previous cheating method, this is not a guaranteed tactic.

All you are doing is increasing your chances of winning, without buying more bingo cards. However, the time and effort required to be successful on this cheating method is high, and will require you to have a network of players or play a lot of bingo yourself!

Make Friends with the Caller

Of all three methods listed, this is the method that is probably going to be the most successful. However, it requires you to know a corrupt bingo caller.

There are two ways that working with a caller can help.

First, the caller can give you a split second clue as to the next number that is being drawn, before announcing it to the bingo hall. The idea is, that if the next number is enough for you to get a bingo, you have that extra time to call bingo ahead of other players.

The problem with this method is that it requires you to be close to winning! However. You could always combine it with one of the above methods.

Secondly, and probably a better method, is to get the bingo caller to call out the numbers you wish to see. This means ignoring the real numbers that are being called and replacing them with the numbers you require to win.

Again, this is a high risk strategy and will be difficult to perform where there are multiple people involved in drawing and calling out the bingo ball numbers.

Cheating at Bingo – Is it Worth It?

I hope that if you take anything from this article, it is that cheating at bingo is not a viable option and not one to be considered.

If you are serious about winning at bingo, then you have a few options.

Firstly, make sure to check out the best online bingo sites, where players have the best chances of winning. Alternatively, look to find the best bingo site offers, where you can play for free, get bonuses and ongoing promotions, or even free bingo games on your birthday?

Sounds good? Then check out the online bingo sites that we recommend for UK players.

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