Understanding the game format of Slingo for beginners

Slingo is one of the fastest-growing areas in the iGaming scene. It has sky-rocketed in popularity in recent years, thanks largely to its fusion of two of the most popular online gambling formats – slot and bingo gaming. The concept dates to 1994 when a man named Sal Falciglia Snr blended his grandfather’s favorite slot and bingo games into one machine game.

The result was a mechanical slot machine built to spin the three reels with the numbers on the reels corresponding to a classic 75-ball bingo card. Each players received 20 attempts at spinning the machine and match all 25 numbers on their Slingo card. The rest, as they say, is history.

Slingo has since proliferated into the land-based gaming scene, as well as the iGaming industry. In the UK-licensed iGaming sector, Paddy Power Bingo has since created a section dedicated to Slingo titles, including some franchise-style versions inspired by Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? and Britain’s Got Talent. It’s also making a splash across the Atlantic too, with another franchise-style Deal or No Deal Slingo adding a showbiz twist to the bingo sites of US-licensed operators.

How to play Slingo for the first time

Once you’ve chosen the themed Slingo game that takes your fancy, you’ll be taken to the game screen. The screen is in two parts – the first being the reels, which have all the numbers of a 75-ball bingo card included on the reel. The second being the bingo card – you’ll have a 5×5 card with 25 numbers to match in the allotted 20 spins paid for.

It’s not just numbers on Slingo reels either. There’s often a collection of symbols based on the theme of the game. The most common Slingo reel symbols are:

• Joker
  
  The Joker symbol is designed to act in the same way as a conventional wild symbol on a slot reel. When it lands on a reel, your card marks off any matching numbers on the same column.
   
• Super Joker
  
  The Super Joker symbol is a step up from the Joker, as it allows you to choose any number to mark off from your bingo card when it lands.
   
• Free Spins
  
  The Free Spin symbol acts as the scatter symbol from a conventional slot game, granting you one additional spin.
   
• Devil
  
  The Devil is used as the “blocker” symbol on the reels of a Slingo game. If it lands, you can’t mark off any matching numbers on the same column as the Devil.

With every spin, you’ll try to land numbers that match with those on your Slingo card. The more diagonal, vertical, or horizontal lines you can fill, the quicker you’ll move up the bonus ladder. The lowest prizes are reserved for those that land one or two lines, while nine and ten lines are some of the highest. It goes without saying that the maximum bonus multiplier available is for a “Full House” when all numbers on your Slingo card are matched.

It’s easy to see why Slingo has soared in popularity stateside. The simple game format and relatable game mechanics add a sense of bingo hall nostalgia to every spin.