Alternatives to a Bingo Cage: Calling Numbers with a Phone, PC or Homemade Draw, and Checking Wins

Four things a bingo caller has to do

When looking for a substitute for a bingo cage, choose by whether it can do these four things. A spinning bingo cage works so well because one device handles all four.

• No repeats: a number that has come out must never come out again. You need a way of taking numbers out of the 75 one at a time.
• No bias: every number must be equally likely. When people choose “at random”, favorite and round numbers creep in without them realizing.
• Visible: everyone can see the number just drawn and the list of numbers drawn so far.
• A record: what came out, and in what order, is kept. You use it to check claimed bingos and to help people who missed a call.

Comparing the alternatives

The easiest and most reliable option is a number caller that runs in the browser. The Bingo Card Maker’s number caller draws numbers from 1–75 (up to the maximum you set) one at a time without repeats, and shows the draw order and a list. You can also draw with the space bar, so it suits a host running it from a PC connected to a projector. The draw record is kept in the browser, so if you accidentally close the page, you can carry on where you left off.

To make paper slips, write 1–75 on pieces of paper, fold each in four, and put them in a bag or box you can’t see into. Don’t put drawn slips back; stick them up on a whiteboard and they double as the list of drawn numbers. Using a roulette wheel is introduced in how to use a roulette wheel, but with 75 numbers each entry becomes tiny, so a dedicated number caller is easier for bingo.

Tips for displaying and calling numbers at the venue

1. 1

   Show the screen big

   Connect the PC to a projector or large monitor and display the number caller. Just being able to see the latest number and the list of drawn numbers cuts down on “what was that?” questions a lot.

2. 2

   Call with the column letter

   Calling with the column letter, as in “B 12” or “O 68”, means players only need to search one column. For numbers that are easy to mishear, like 16 and 60 or 13 and 30, repeating it digit by digit (“one-six, sixteen”) makes sure.

3. 3

   Use the read-aloud feature

   When the venue is noisy or the host is busy with something else, automatic reading of drawn numbers helps. The Bingo Card Maker’s number caller reads them in the form “B 12”.

4. 4

   Undo mistakes

   If you press twice by accident, “Undo One” cancels it. Unlike paper slips, being able to put back an accidental draw is an advantage of drawing on screen.

Pace matters too. The first 15–20 draws are a stretch where nobody wins, so keep going without long pauses. As more people get one away, pausing a little between numbers sharpens the atmosphere. How to plan the whole game is explained in detail in how to run a bingo game at a party.

Checking a “Bingo!” claim

The thing that causes the most disputes at bingo games is a claimed bingo that turns out to be wrong. Even without bad intent, errors like misreading 16 as 61, mishearing a call or marking the neighbor’s card happen almost every time. If you only notice after handing over the prize, there’s no undoing it.

Cards made with the Bingo Card Maker have a set number and a card number (No.) printed on them. Enter the card number on the number caller screen and the drawn numbers are marked on that card, with a verdict of “bingo (how many lines)”, “one away” or “not yet”, plus which draw completed the line. If it’s one away, you can also see which number it still needs. Just have the claimant say their number, and you can check without walking over to the card.

Preparing to prevent cheating and trouble

• Put numbers on cards: without numbers, there’s no way to tell which cards are genuine. It also distinguishes them from handwritten or photocopied extras.
• Manage one card per person when handing out: note names and numbers at reception, or hand them out in numerical order. The host keeps the leftover cards.
• Decide how latecomers are handled: for someone who arrives after the draw has started, decide and announce in advance whether they can mark numbers already drawn.
• Announce the rule for simultaneous bingos first: before starting, say whether rock-paper-scissors decides the order of choosing or everyone gets a prize when several people win on the same draw.
• Keep a record of the draw: with a record of the order numbers came out, you can answer if someone later asks “was that number really drawn?”. The tool’s “Copy Draw Order & Winners” keeps the record as text.

How to prepare numbered cards is covered in how to make bingo cards. The same set number always recreates the same cards, so even if you draw on a different PC on the day, you can check wins as long as you’ve noted the set number.

Running online bingo over Zoom or Teams

Bingo is a staple of online socials and remote-work company events too. The differences from a venue are that you can’t hand out cards in person and you can’t check claims by eye.

1. 1

   Send out cards in advance

   Save the print screen as a PDF and send each person one card as an image or PDF by email or chat. Keep a list of who got which number.

2. 2

   Share the number caller screen

   The host shares the number caller screen and runs it with read-aloud on. Players mark their cards: on paper with a pen, or on screen with an image editor or notes.

3. 3

   Take claims in the chat

   Have people write “one away” or “Bingo No. 12” in the chat. You can check on the spot by card number, so there’s no need to have them hold their card up to the camera.

4. 4

   Send prizes later

   Copy and keep the list of winners, and deliver prizes as digital gifts or by post afterward.

Online, each draw tends to take longer, and connection lag can put the read-aloud out of sync. Showing the number on screen as well as saying it lets people catch up if they miss it. For how the number of prizes relates to running time, see bingo prize budgets and how to choose them.

FAQ

What can I use instead of a bingo machine?

A number caller that runs in a phone or PC browser is the easiest. It draws from 1–75 one at a time without repeats and shows a list of drawn numbers. Where there’s no power or screen, you can also put slips numbered 1–75 in a bag, draw them, and stick drawn slips up without putting them back.

How do I make sure the same number doesn’t come up twice in a bingo draw?

Use a method that removes drawn numbers before drawing the next. With paper slips, don’t put drawn slips back; with a number caller, choose one that draws without repeats. Apps that just generate random numbers, or a calculator, can repeat numbers, so they’re not suited to bingo.

What’s a quick way to check whether a bingo claim is correct?

Printing numbers on the cards and having the claimant say their number is fast and reliable. With cards made in the Bingo Card Maker, entering the card number on the number caller screen marks the drawn numbers and shows bingo, one away or not yet, and which draw completed the line. You can check in about 10 seconds without going to look at the card.

How do I play bingo online (over Zoom)?

Send each person one numbered card as an image or PDF in advance, and the host shares the number caller screen and calls numbers aloud. Have people post bingo claims in the chat with their card number, and you can check on the spot. Deliver prizes as digital gifts or by post later.

Any tips for avoiding misheard bingo numbers?

Calling with the column letter, as in “B 12”, means players only need to watch one column and are more likely to notice a mishearing. For confusing numbers like 16 and 60 or 13 and 30, repeat them digit by digit (“one-six, sixteen”). Showing the drawn numbers as a list on screen or a whiteboard also helps.