Search about online bingo in any search engine online and you would easily see the answer: online bingo is gambling. And yet, so many people do not think so. This is one of the reasons why a number of people hesitate to play online bingo despite its obvious benefits and advantages. These people may think that they shouldn’t play because bingo is the silly child’s game they used to play in their school or for church charity events. Of course, their idea of what bingo is and isn’t doesn’t change the fact that online bingo is indeed gambling. So how come people think online bingo isn’t gambling despite the very obvious indicators that it is?

First, why is online bingo considered as a gambling game?

Gambling is any activity where the player wagers money for the chance to earn more. Many say that bingo is not gambling because the players pay for the card, not the chance to win. This is nonsense; the cards are the instrument for the wager, like how lottery tickets serve as the instrument for those who bet on a particular set of numbers. Obviously, bingo players wage money (the price of the ticket) for the chance to win the game’s jackpot prize. It doesn’t really matter if the game is a game of chance of chance or a game of skill; if there is wager in exchange for the chance to win, it’s gambling.

Of course, the counter argument here is that players do not necessarily pay for the chance to win the prize; rather, they are paying to enter the game, much like how an athlete pays for an entrance fee in order to join a competition. In this case, online bingo isn’t gambling; but then, poker, blackjack, rummy and similar online card games are not gambling too.

In any case, why do bingo and online bingo have this reputation of not being a gambling game? For one, people are accustomed to bingo being played in children’s parties, carnivals, and church charities. Why would people let children play bingo if it is a form of gambling? Why are these games allowed when gambling should be controlled and done in certain places only? If there is no wager being done, it isn’t gambling. This means a simple game of bingo in a carnival isn’t gambling because it’s different from the format of online bingo or traditional bingo halls.

Also, in the case of bingo in charities, wagers are allowed as long as it is not done for profit of the organizer. Since it is charity, it is being done for a cause—not for the benefit of the organizers. Depending on the location, charity organizers may need to have the necessary permits for this. Nevertheless, in this case, bingo is not gambling.

It should be clear, however, that these do not only apply to bingo. Basically, this is how any kind of gambling games work. And besides, gambling or no gambling, online bingo is extremely enjoyable.