Glossary of Online Bingo Terms
by Regina Espinosa, WINNERonline.com

Blackout - A pattern where you must cover the whole card to win. Same as coverall.

Caller - The person (or machine) who calls out the bingo numbers for the player.

Card - Your playing card, of course!

Chat room - A screen displayed alongside your game where you can type in messages to other players and read their reponses.

Coverall - A pattern where you must cover the whole card to win. Same as blackout.

Early bird game - A bingo game that starts before another regularly scheduled game.

Free space - The middle square of the card. You get it free every game and it counts towards your winning pattern.

Game board - The display board over your cards that shows you the balls in play.

Game room - Some online games divide the players into game rooms. The smaller group makes a more manageable chat room.

Jackpot - A big prize usually awarded for achieving a difficult pattern (such as a blackout) within a specified number of balls.

Pattern - You only need the numbers that form the pattern to win the game. The most basic patterns are straight lines in a horizontal, vertical or diagonal direction. One popular pattern is the “blackout” or “coverall” where you have to cover the whole card to win.