If you’re a fan of bingo, you’ve no doubt come across the craze that has been taking the internet – and bingo enthusiasts – by storm since 2006. Bingo is now no longer limited to dusty halls and cringey bingo callers; now, more and more people are ditching the dobbers and playing their beloved game online.

However, a night out at the bingo hall is a great social occasion, so is this element of the game lost when playing online? Thanks to the growth of sites that offer a ‘bingo community’, the answer to that question is now luckily ‘no’.

So, what is it?

An online bingo community does exactly what it says on the tin, basically. It’s a way that players can communicate and share their experiences online from the comfort of their very own homes which is great – you can’t exactly go to the bingo hall in your pyjamas, can you?!

Sites like BeterBingo.com offer the chance to chat to other players online in a group message forum, or on a one-to-one basis if you prefer. Some sites let you also build up a ‘friend group’ of users that you regularly chat to so that you can find each other each time you log on.

You can even get more personal still with added benefits like webcam chats. Most laptops have a built in webcam, or you can pick one up quite cheaply these days.

But is there a catch?

Whilst being able to play your favourite game online in bed with no makeup on and with dinner in the oven sounds amazing, many people do of course worry about the safety aspects of online gaming, especially when it involves a community of other users.

However, most sites have great set of options in place to keep you safe and secure whilst gaming. This can include the ability to block users, report negative or abusive behaviour and a set of rules that each member has to abide by. If they don’t and you report them, it could result in them being banned.

Sounds great! How do I get involved?

If you do fancy seeing what all the fuss is about and would like to try your hand at online bingo, there are some things you should look out for when hunting down the best site with a good community.

As mentioned before, rules are a good idea to keep everyone safe and happy and to aid your privacy, so check the site’s rules and guidelines before you sign up.

You could also look into sites that have a good following or a strong social media presence in general as they’re likely to have the most interesting and lively communities. Some bingo apps on Facebook even allow you to share your winning items with your friends, too!

There are even some online bingo sites that are linked to television programs too, meaning that the gossip and chat will be centred around a particular topic, mostly, which will be great if you happen to find one for that show that you just can’t get enough of.