With the advent of internet bingo and online bingo, video bingo machines have emerged, providing another way for bingo players to compete with one another. These machines, similar to stand alone video poker or slot machines, are becoming increasingly popular among players interested in entertaining themselves and having fun while waiting for a traditional bingo game to begin. Connected with other players in house or over the internet, video bingo machines can allow smaller casinos to offer bingo and bingo style gaming without hiring a separate staff of callers and floor attendants.
While early machines consisted of a simple game of chance, with payouts for certain conditions being met within a set number of called balls, modern machines are connected over the internet with others across the country, giving the game a true player versus player experience. Without the need for a separate staff, the machines are able to offer a superior 80 to 90% payout, all while offering sizable jackpots as large as £1,000 per game.
In addition to traditional bingo games, video bingo machines are now able to offer progressive jackpots. With so many players competing in a casino or over the internet, many machines now offer bonuses for scoring all four corners on the first four balls of play, as well as the famous 49 ball cover-all jackpots, which are awarded for completing a blackout within 49 balls. All in all, save for the traditional look and feel of an analogue card, as well as the social aspect of traditional bingo, video bingo machines have evolved into an excellent substitute.