Guide to Slingo Bingo

Last Updated on . Written By Beth Taylor

Do you love the thrill of slot games, but also enjoy a bingo caller yelling out your magic number?

Well, then you are going to be obsessed with Slingo Bingo. Put simply, Slingo is a close relative of both slot games and bingo that is taking the online gambling world by storm.

If you’ve ever wondered how to play it, or just want to cut through the jargon – you are in the right place.

Our experienced team of bingo lovers here at BingoSites.com have taken Slingo for a test drive and put together a foolproof Slingo guide for you.

What is Slingo Bingo?

What is Slingo Bingo

The AOL platform first launched the game of Slingo in the mid-nineties. It’s essentially a number lottery game. Here at BingoSites.com, we think Slingo is a brilliant mash-up of the traditional bingo we all love and the atmosphere of a slot game.

Marrying together the 75-ball bingo game with the most well-loved features of a slot machine has proven to be highly popular amongst bingo players. The standard game provides players with a 5 x 5 grid with numbers on it, and below this the Slingo slot reels.

The game’s interface should instantly look familiar to you as the layout is very comparable to a traditional online bingo card. During gameplay, at the bottom of your screen, you will see one space on every slot reel per row.

Differences Between Slingo, Bingo and Slots

We keep talking about the similarities of Slingo compared to bingo and slots. But, there are some differences you should be aware of before spending your hard-earned cash.

Here are some points which differentiate Slingo to traditional bingo and slot games.

  • Due to the slot reel being at the bottom of your virtual bingo card, the reel in Slingo is a lot smaller than on traditional slot games. This means you see a lot less. Because of this, there will only be one space on each reel, rather than the usual; 3+.
  • When you’re playing bingo in its traditional form you will only be looking at numbers on your card. Slingo incorporates commonly used symbols usually seen on slot games into your bingo card.
  • Slingo is very flexible and can easily be played as a multiplayer game or a single game depending on your preference.

As you can see, there are as many differences between Slingo, bingo and slots as there are similarities, which we think adds to the fun!

How can I Play Slingo Bingo?

Once you have found a suitable bingo site that you like the look of and have signed up, you can begin playing the exciting game of Slingo.

All you have to do is hit spin on the slot reels at the bottom of your screen, check your grid (bingo card), and keep an eye on the reel to check which numbers match up. This part is very reminiscent of the traditional bingo game we all know and love.

At any point during the game, your reel could show you extra symbols. If you’re not sure what these symbols mean, don’t worry – we have you covered further down in this guide.

Unlike traditional bingo – where you simply have to mark off a bingo card and hope for a match, Slingo awards points for each and every spin. The number of points you are able to win does depend greatly on what is happening in your game, and also the Slingo Bingo site you are playing on.

The symbols shown in your reel are very important to keep an eye out for, as you stand to win special prizes, game bonuses and instant payouts. Of course, these extra symbols only stand to make the game more exciting for players as you never know what you are going to get.

When you have selected your stake – meaning how much you want to play for, you will be given a specific number of spins on your reels to use within a fixed timeframe. This is usually between 10 and 20 spins and will have a predetermined time limit, so it is important to pay attention.

The idea is to match as many numbers and symbols from the reel as you can to your card. This is going to gain you those much-needed points.

Bear in mind that during gameplay you might be given the option to buy extra spins, or even win free spins. Most Slingo Bingo games offer prizes such as jokers and super jokers, clearing a row of numbers, clearing your whole card, coin symbols and free spins.

It’s because of this that we recommend shopping around before putting all of your eggs in one basket. The winner of the game is the player with the highest number of points accumulated during the session. Just like with regular bingo, getting a full row, or a full card means a win.

Slingo games give players a predetermined score that they have to beat. If, on the other hand, you are playing a multiplayer game, whoever has the highest score will win the game.

Special Symbols – Explained

No two games of Slingo Bingo are exactly the same. Having said that, the special symbols you see appearing on your reel will usually be familiar. Please note though that there will be different twists on them depending on the Slingo site you use.

These symbols give you a great opportunity to unlock special features and gather more points together in the game.

Our dedicated team at BingoSites.com have saved you some online leg work and listed the most commonly used special symbols used in Slingo, along with a brief explanation.

Jokers

Essentially, jokers are like ‘wildcard’ symbols, as they enable you to cross off any number (or box) from the above grid column, and replace it with the joker.

Super Jokers

Now you know what a joker is, you can safely bet that the super joker is even better. The super joker symbol is more advantageous than it’s wildcard brother. This little beauty can tick a number off from absolutely anywhere on your grid.

Coins

Coins will activate free spins and award you with extra points.

Cherubs

A cherub will shoot the devil with an arrow which cancels the devil out.

Free Spin

When you happen to land a special symbol you will likely unlock some free spins. Different Slingo variants may call free spins different things, or have a different icon to illustrate it. The thing to always remember is that anything shown to you which isn’t a number will probably either be a free spin or a special symbol.

Devil

As you might have guessed, landing a devil isn’t a positive thing in a game of Slingo. Unfortunately, the devil will make short work of slicing your score in half, meaning you lose a potential card number.

Different Slingo Versions

Just like with any game that’s proven itself to be a big hit amongst players, there are lots of variants of Slingo.

Just some of the variations we found are as follows:

  • Classic Slingo – The original format of the game.
  • Duel Slingo – 2 player game against the computer.
  • Mixed Matrix Slingo – A time-based game where the player searches for numbers in random locations. It doesn’t matter which column it is, spin numbers can still be utilised.
  • Giant Slingo – A giant item will be added to the game in this twist on the classic Slingo game. If you land a giant, you usually get an extra spin.

Slingo Rules and Tips

Slingo Rules and Tips

As with any new game, it is always a good idea to have a good understanding of what the rules are before you take the plunge and play for real money.

And surely, a few tips along the way can only enhance your Slingo experience!

You can usually find a free demo of Slingo on most bingo sites. However, we thought it would be helpful to put together some of the basics for you in the form of a simple list.

  • When you complete a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line, Slingo pays out prizes.
  • Most Slingo games require a minimum bet of 50p, but this can, however, vary from site to site.
  • Each and every bonus prize awarded is independent of the other and separate from your standard win.
  • You can expect an RTP (Return to player) of around 95% on the majority of Slingo games.
  • In Slingo, all payouts and games are void if the game malfunctions for any reason.
  • Try to use any multipliers you have accumulated at the very end of your gameplay. The reason being is that you will probably need them to complete lines and gain points.
  • Look for first deposit bonuses to increase your Slingo earnings.
  • Make the most of powerups. This can be in the shape of extra time or spins – but be aware that some powerups cannot be used together.

To Conclude

Over the years, and due largely to its popularity, Slingo Bingo has transformed itself from a free demo game to a fully-fledged real money gambling title.

As such, we at BingoSites.com hope that our guide to Slingo Bingo has cleared the mist for you.

As we’ve said, each and every Slingo game will have a different variety of prizes and bonus features, so it is always worth checking out a few different bingo sites to see which ones you like the look of.

If you find that you are a big fan of Slingo, then you might also want to add Slingo Extreme to your list of games to try out next!

Beth Taylor
Editor-in-Chief

Editor-in-Chief Beth Taylor is Editor-in-Chief at BingoSites.com and has been writing about online bingo for the past 5 years. She is considered an industry expert and is a regular attendee at industry events and conferences. Having studied journalism at King's College London, she combines this with her passion for bingo to produce the independent content for this website.