What Do You Shout When You Win a Game of Bingo?

What do you shout at bingo?

Imagine it now. You're staring at your well-stamped bingo ticket, with just one precious number to go. Senses heightened in the silent bingo hall, you hold your breath as you wait for your lucky number to be called. That's when you hear it – you look down to see your bingo card completed; what do you do next?

If you've played land-based bingo before, you may have heard shouts of "Bingo!", "House", "Line", "Yes", or even "Here!" when the lucky player completes has completes a game or won a prize. 

But what are the rules for announcing a win in online bingo games, and is it the same for every game? While there are some more popular shouts or claims, truth is there are many different ways to announce a big bingo win, whether you’re playing online or in person. Read on to find out more about bingo shouts of all varieties, from the bingo hall to the chat room.

Why do we shout at bingo?

At Jackpotjoy, a round of bingo is just a few clicks away, with hundreds of different online bingo games available to play on your mobile or computer. Before the internet, however, bingo was entirely land-based, so if you fancied a game, you’d head down to one of the many bingo halls that dotted the country to play in person amongst a crowd of fellow players. Bingo halls remain a popular choice today, too, with some venues having a seating capacity in the thousands!

When you're playing a game of land-based bingo amongst a group of hundreds of other players, players must have a way to signal to the bingo caller that they’ve won. If you’ve played bingo before, you will likely know that there is only one winner for each prize, whether that be a single line, two lines, or a house. That’s why it’s customary to shout out your wins – it’s a fast, loud way to communicate to the room that somebody has won the prize.

What do you shout in bingo halls?

If you don’t normally play land-based bingo, you might think that the only way to signal that you’ve won is by shouting the word “bingo”. Whilst this is a very common bingo call, it’s far from the only thing you can shout to let the caller know you’re a winner.

During a typical game of 90-ball bingo, which is the most common form of the game, many people will shout out “line”, “two lines” and “house” to signify that they have won each of those prizes respectively. Not all bingo games follow the same winning formula, however – some games will require players to mark off a set pattern on their cards to win, which can be anything from a shape to a specific letter of the alphabet. In this case, winning players will shout out “bingo”, or even the name of the pattern they were required to get.

Other common bingo shouts include “yes”, or “here”, and some players choose not to shout anything at all – they simply raise their hands to catch the attention of the caller, or alert a nearby official to let them know that they have won. While this can be a better choice for those players who might not want to call out loud, in general, it is recommended to shout something, to make sure that you aren’t missed. 

In actuality, there are no official rules outlining what you can and can’t shout when you win bingo, so you can pretty much shout whatever you like (as long as it isn’t rude!). In a bingo hall, once you’ve signalled your win, a member of staff should come over and check your cards to make sure that you have indeed won a prize.

What do you shout in online bingo?

If you’ve played any online bingo games with Jackpotjoy, you might know about our chat feature, which players use to talk tips and tricks and connect with other bingo fans. Generally, you won’t need to announce it when you’ve got a line, house, or any other kind of win on your digital bingo card, because everything in online bingo is fully automated, but that doesn’t stop players from sounding off in the chat to let everyone know they have hit the jackpot! Some players honour tradition and type “bingo!”, “house” or “line” into the chat to signify a win. Some of our players use chat speak to communicate a win instead. Here are some of the most common messages players sent in the chat following a win:

• TY: thank you. Many players express their gratitude to the chat hosts and their fellow players with a “TY” (thank you) message.
• GL: good luck. Winning players often wish everyone the best of luck in future games before the game ends. 
• GG: good game. Some players congratulate everyone on a good game before moving off to their next round. We love to see a bit of good sportsmanship in the chat!

Some players celebrate as they would in person, sending messages like “OMG!” and “holy moly!” into the chat when they win. Some of you even confessed that you’ve shouted out ‘bingo’ whilst playing on your phone in public, earning you a few funny looks! The supermarket, a coffee shop, public transport, and even the waiting room for your local vet are all amongst the places you’ve told us you’ve jumped for joy, celebrating a big win whilst playing bingo online!

When should you shout bingo?

Remember: bingo is a game of speed. At least, it is if you’re playing land-based bingo. If you’ve got a line, two lines or a full house, don’t wait to call it out. Shout out as soon as you can, and make sure you’re loud enough for the caller to hear you, or else the play will continue, and you could risk missing out on a prize! If you’re playing online with us you won’t need to announce that you’ve won. With our automated dabbing feature, you can relax while we mark off your cards for you, and when you win a line or house, you will automatically be eligible for a prize. if do you fancy typing in a message into the chat to celebrate your victory, it will pop up on everyone’s screen instantly, letting them know about your big win!

Commemorating twenty years of wins

Bingo wins, casino wins, slot wins… we love them all at Jackpotjoy. In fact, we’re currently celebrating our twentieth year of creating winners here on the site! In honour of our birthday, we’re treating members to a whole host of features and promotions, from new bingo rooms, such as Superlinks 75, to exclusive offers and deals! Head over to our promotions page to get stuck into the festivities and take advantage of all the latest promotions we have to offer.