Redbus Bingo Review

It doesn’t take an inordinate amount of time to figure out what Redbus Bingo is all about. As the name suggests, this is the online spot to come to if you’re in the mood for the likes of Legs Eleven, or Two Fat Ladies (88), and other such familiar quips from the real life bingo halls of the world. Or at least it’s one of several online spots out there, so the real question is how it holds up against the competition.

In terms of first impressions, it’s a mixed bag really. Using a desktop browser all the parts look to be in the right place, but the top tabs on the landing page- which bring up pop-up menus for options like ‘Join Now’, ‘Promotions’ and ‘Games’ are actually obscured by the huge red bus that acts as a background. Call us picky, but if this kind of design error hasn’t been spotted it doesn’t exactly make you feel like the site will be the definition of perfection elsewhere.

It’s certainly a URL focused on setting a fun tone, too. Almost too much so, depending on your taste. Those looking for something more serious and sophisticated will probably want to look elsewhere, although that is more popular amongst gamblers with a penchant for poker or classic ‘casino’ games in general, rather than bingo – given the game is played (albeit without money) in junior schools across the planet it hardly requires suave marketing when it comes to pulling in players digitally.

One of the first things you’ll notice about the homepage is the huge rolling banner images that dominate the centre of the screen. Among these is an ad for the sign up offer, which pales into insignificance up against slot and card-focussed online casinos, but is pretty much standard in terms of online bingo sites.

All that said, it’s worth noting early on that there are more options aside from matching numbers on a sheet of paper with numbers on plastic balls, but we’ll come to those shortly. To summarise, then, it’s a clean looking website but one that does seem to have been put together rather rapidly, and as such is pretty mediocre.

Never Judge a Book

OK, so you came here to play bingo, which is all well and good, but you might be interested to know there are a few other options on the market. Hitting the ‘Games’ tab at the top of the screen will bring up the full games menu, and if you follow this through to the ‘Casino Games’ you’ll find two versions of Roulette- one a classic interpretation, the other carrying the name Wheel of Delights, a more modern take on the favourite.

In addition, there are also Instant Win Games available, which are pegged by the blurb on the site as ‘the forefront of online gaming technology’. We’re not sure whether that’s true or not, but either way had a load of fun with Hollywood Stars, a scratchcard inspired by the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Or at least the world’s capital of silver screen stuff.

The X Factor Star Power scratch game was also good, but this probably depends on whether you like the divisive TV talent show.

Elsewhere, you’ll find Progressive Jackpot games, and Slots, although it’s worth noting that the choice of both these is notably limited up against most dedicated casino websites, meaning these probably won’t be selling points for anyone considering signing up here over competitors.

Bingo-ing Mad

You might think there’s only one type of bingo, but that’s as inaccurate as saying everyone who plays bingo has either got blue rinse in their hair or arthritis. Redbus Bingo offers you several different ways to get involved in a good old game of numbers, and it’s important to understand the differences.

75 Ball involves 75 balls, 25 squares in five vertical and five horizontal rows, with the aim being either to complete the full card, or specific shapes on the card. 90 Ball Bingo concentrates on one or two lines, or the full house.

Meanwhile, 5 Line Bingo, otherwise known as Swedish Bingo, is the most quick fire of all and definitely the one we found favour with overall. The idea is to complete lines either horizontally or diagonally, with one, two, three, four or five lines resulting in a win, or combinations therein.

Still not satisfied? No problems. In addition to those choices you can also opt for a Progressive Bingo Game. These come in two forms, Double-Decker or London Eye, and the challenge is to bingo on the pattern of that object, in 41 calls or less. Win after 42 or more and you’ll only walk away with the jackpot from that specific round, rather than the accumulative winnings, which will continue to increase until someone wins in under 41.

Remote Gaming

One of the most innovative things about Redbus Bingo is the ability to pre-buy yourself into Guaranteed Jackpot Games. This means the card will be played whether you’re in the room or not. Potentially dangerous, in the best possible way, it certainly places the functionality of this website at the top tier in terms of ease of placing bets and winning money.

Gifts and Surprises

Like many real money online casinos and similar domains, Redbus Bingo presents a host of great promotions for users to take advantage of. ‘Newbies’, as we mentioned, get a decent enough deal – £25 bonus up for grabs. There are also Specials – an ever-changing stream of deals designed to make having a game pretty much impossible to resist.

Other promotions include the tempting thought of Penny Games, which are often low payers comparatively but nevertheless give you the opportunity to buy a card for as little as 1p, which isn’t bad by anyone’s standards. As you would expect, the website also runs a VIP Club, rewarding visitors for their loyalty with even better offers.

Trusted to the End

Despite the faults we opened with regarding design and first impressions, Redbus Bingo is undoubtedly as secure as they get, which should be enough to reassure anyone. SSL Connections are used throughout, and there are also both UK and international phone numbers given out for anyone in need of getting in touch with those working behind the scenes, something that is welcomed by us, but frequently overlooked.

Conclusion

Redbus Bingo is definitely not for everyone – whether you want to spend much time here really comes down to whether or not you want to play bingo. The problem, if you don’t, being the distinct lack of alternatives. There are games here that are not bingo, but not many, and the real focus is on the calling of numbers and the ticking off of cards.

If, on the other hand, you can’t wait to buy your first card, then this is definitely one of the better choices out there – the bingo is good, varied and incredibly moreish, particularly when it comes to the faster-paced rules, which we enjoyed the most.

The loyalty system looks to be solid, and the number of promotions means there’s always something new going on from day to day, which is definitely a plus point if you’re talking about encouraging repeat business. After all, it’s not like there aren’t hundreds, or more likely thousands of other bingo websites out there just waiting for us to sit down, pick up the proverbial pen, and start trying to win big.