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BINGO 101: All about bingo in Ohio
The game of bingo is played in Ohio by many charities and non-profit organizations as a means of fund-raising for their organizations. By attending a licensed bingo game, you can be sure that the money you spend goes to support the work of legitimate registered charities throughout Ohio.
IS BINGO LEGAL IN OHIO?
Yes. Bingo is a legal means in Ohio for charities and non-profit organizations to raise funds for their endeavors, as long as the charity has obtained a license through the Ohio Lottery from the Attorney General’s office. All games are required to post this license, and renew it annually.
WHEN AND WHERE CAN I PLAY?
A charity may conduct traditional bingo up to twice per calendar week. Bingo is played seven days a week. While most games operate in the evening and begin about 7pm, there are a fair number that play in the morning, starting at 10am. On weekends, you may even find an afternoon game, which may start at 1pm or 2pm on Saturday or Sunday.
To find a convenient bingo game, use our BingOhio.com search engine to find a bingo game playing close to you on the days and times you wish to play.
HOW LONG DOES BINGO TAKE?
A bingo session or program is made up of several bingo games, with each game played on its set of disposable cards. A session may include anywhere from ten to twenty-five bingo games, and lasts usually 2-3 hours. There are breaks and intermissions included in the program for rest room visits, refreshments, smoke breaks, etc.
HOW MUCH CAN I WIN?
The maximum total prize money for traditional bingo at any one of these sessions is limited to $6,000 by State law. There is no minimum payout mandated. Some halls with large crowds may payout the maximum amount, while some with smaller crowds may pay somewhat less.
While some players only patronize halls that payout the State maximum, many savvy players play at smaller halls as well - a smaller hall may offer better odds of winning (based on the number of players) than a large hall, even though the total dollars paid may be less.
Bingo prizes for each game can range anywhere from $20 to $1,000 or more (as long as they don’t give away more than $6,000 total for the session), so you can win some truly big money playing bingo.
WHAT DOES IT COST TO PLAY?
While some halls sell bingo sheets game-by-game, most sell “package deals” or “packages”. A package will usually have all or most of the games included that will be played in the complete bingo session. Packages can range anywhere from $10 to $50, depending on how many sheets you get to play for each game, how much prize money is being given away, and what other things are included, such as the use of a bingo computer.
There are plenty of other optional gaming opportunities available at the typical bingo game as well. Extra game sheets for that big $1,000 jackpot game, instant bingo tickets, and raffles are just some of these. You are not required to purchase any of these to have fun and win money at the bingo session, but they add to the thrills, excitement, and winning opportunities.
DO I NEED ANYTHING SPECIAL TO PLAY?
Just about all the supplies you need to play are readily available at the bingo hall. Most bingo now is played on disposable paper, which is marked with a bingo dauber. Daubers come in a rainbow of colors and several sizes. Many players have several, and use different ones on different games or just to change their luck. You can find bingo daubers at drug and variety stores sometimes, but bingo halls have a far better selection of types and colors…often at a better price too. Expect to pay anywhere from $.50 to $2.00 for a dauber depending on the size and ink type.
OK…LET’S PLAY BINGO AND WIN SOME CASH…WHAT’S NEXT?
Use the convenient BingOhio.com search engine to find a bingo game playing close to you on the days and times you wish to play. Before you go, check out our other pages, such as BINGO 101 - PART 2, BINGO FAQ’s, and of course, our online Bingo search engine.
