In the United States, bingo is a game of chance in which each
player matches the numbers printed in different arrangements on
cards. The game host (a caller) draws at random, marking the
selected numbers with tiles. When a player finds that the
selected numbers are arranged on their card in a row, they call
out “Bingo!” to alert all participants to a winning card, which
prompts the game host (or an associate assisting the host) to
examine the card for verification of the win.
Players compete against one another to be the first
to have a winning arrangement for the prize or jackpot. After a
winner is declared, the players clear their number cards of the
tiles and the game host begins a new round of play. ()
In the US, the game is commonly staged by churches or charity
organizations.[6][7] Their legality and stakes vary by state
regulation. In some states, bingo halls are rented out to
sponsoring organizations, and such halls often run games almost
every day.
Church-run games, however, are normally
weekly affairs held on the church premises. These games are
usually played for modest stakes, although the final game of a
session is frequently a coverall game that offers a larger
jackpot prize for winning within a certain quantity of numbers
called, and a progressive jackpot is one that may increase per
session until it is won. ( )