Bingo Cash is a popular “real money gaming” app that gives you a chance to win money playing Bingo online.
According to multiple sources, players can earn as much as $83 per tournament, but how realistic is this?
To find out, I tried Bingo Cash for a few days and also spent some time researching the reviews and experiences of other users.
In this honest review, I’ll go over:
- how to play Bingo Cash
- how much money you can realistically make
- tips for maximizing your earnings
- some pros and cons
- a few Bingo Cash alternatives to consider
Ready? Let’s do it!
Bingo Cash is a legit way to earn extra money winning online bingo tournaments. But to win, you'll have to put your own cash at risk.
- User-friendly and straightforward experience.
- Fun and fair: Play against similarly-skilled players.
- Chance to win real money.
- Cash deposit required to win real money.
- Cash tournaments not available in every state.
- $1 withdrawal fee feels unnecessary.
What is Bingo Cash?
Developed by Papaya Gaming, the Bingo Cash app combines competitive gameplay with the ability to earn real money.
To make it fair, Bingo Cash matches you with similarly-skilled players.
Since when is Bingo a game of skill, you ask? The app incorporates several “strategic elements” you can use to improve your odds of winning.
The app is free to download and offers both free and paid tournament options.
(Though paid tournaments aren’t yet available in Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, South Carolina, or Washington.)
To date, Bingo Cash has 15+ million downloads and is available on:
- iOS
- Android
- Samsung Galaxy
Is Bingo Cash Legit?
Yes, Bingo Cash is a legitimate money making app that offers the potential to earn real cash.
However, to win real money, you’ll likely need to put real money at risk by depositing it into the app.
Obviously Bingo Cash is a for-profit business and must bring in more revenue than it pays out. That means, on average, players must lose money for Bingo Cash to stay in business.
Still, Bingo Cash has a 4.7- star rating on the iOS app store and a 5-star rating on the Samsung Galaxy app store.
There are also numerous Reddit threads dedicated to this question, and while there are some who have voiced their skepticism, the overall consensus is positive.
How Does Bingo Cash Work?
Once you’ve downloaded the app and created your username, you can start playing right away. There’s a cool tutorial to help familiarize you with the apps features and how the game is played.
Choose a Game
Browse the home screen to select from regular or cash tournaments.
Tournaments require an entry fee, which can be paid in cash, gems, or a combination of both.
The lowest entry fee I’ve seen was $0.70, but they range up to $12 or more.
Obviously, the higher the stakes, the more you can potentially win.
If you want to win cash, you’ll need to deposit your own to get started.
Deposits can be made with:
- Credit/debit card
- Apple Pay
- PayPal
- Venmo
Each tournament also has its own prize pool, so you can weigh the cost of entry against your potential winnings before deciding which ones to enter.
Personally, I tend to be more conservative with stuff like this, so I stuck with lower cost of entry tournaments. I did win several, but since the entry fees were low, so were my prizes.
The prize pool is split amongst the top three players. (We’ll get into this in more detail below.)
I highly recommend practicing for free first before putting any real money at risk.
Play Bingo
Once you’ve started a game, the numbers will be drawn every few seconds. With Bingo Cash, when you claim a called number, it’s called “daubing.”
Just like regular bingo, the goal is to get five numbers in a row in any of the following patterns:
- horizontal line
- vertical line
- diagonal line
- all four corners
Getting bingo doesn’t actually win the game, though.
It’s points that will determine who wins. This is where strategy comes into play.
In addition to earning points from getting bingo, which you can do several times in one game, you’ll also earn points based on how quickly you daub.
Be careful, though. You can also lose points if you daub a number that hasn’t been called or claim bingo when you don’t have it.
Each game is two minutes long and ends when the timer reaches zero.
Earning and Using Boosters
Daubing also fills what’s known as a “booster meter.” Once this meter is full, you’ll be randomly granted one of the following four boosters:
- Wild Daub: allows you to daub any number on the board
- Pick-A-Ball: lets you pick the Bingo ball you need
- Double Score: your score will be doubled for the next 10 seconds
- Bonus Time: 10 seconds will be added to the timer
Using boosters strategically can help you maximize your points, which can improve your chances of winning.
These extra elements, plus the reaction-time daubing, are what turn Bingo Cash more into a game of skill and strategy, rather than pure luck.
Earning Bonus Cash
Bonus cash is additional currency you receive from promotions or in-game events. Bonus cash can be used to play tournaments, but it cannot be withdrawn.
So far, I earned approximately $5 in bonus cash from participating in various in-app games and challenges.
You can also earn bonus cash for referring other users.
At the time of publishing, the referral bonus was $1 per new player, but it looks like the app limits you to just two invites, so there’s not a ton of opportunity to earn there.
It’s important to note that bonus cash can be used to play more games, but it can’t be withdrawn.
Winning Gems
In addition to regular cash and bonus cash, you can also win and earn gems, which can be used to enter certain tournaments.
There are a number of ways to earn extra gems, including:
- watching short ads
- participating in in-app challenges
- entering promo codes
Pro Tip: If you Google “Bingo Cash promo codes” there are a bunch of sites that have lists of codes. I tried a few and they worked.
Join Bingo Cash Clubs
The Clubs feature allows players to “join forces” to collectively earn a club chest with weekly rewards.
Club members earn trophies by playing and winning cash tournaments. The higher the entry fee, the more trophies you’ll earn.
If your club has earned enough points to earn a chest at the end of the week, all eligible members get rewarded, and the club chest resets with a new challenge.
Winning Money with Bingo Cash
Each Bingo Cash tournament has a different prize pool.
That pot is usually split between the top 3 players.
The 1st place receives a larger reward than the 2nd, and so on.
For example, in the “High Stakes” tournament, the prize pool is a total of $12. The prizes per placement are as follows:
- 1st: $6.70
- 2nd: $3.80
- 3rd: $1.50
You can see the prize pool and placement prizes by tapping on the name of the tournament. It will also show you how many players you’ll be competing against so you know your odds. This lets you be selective about the tournaments you enter.
Withdrawing Your Bingo Cash Earnings
You can withdraw your Bingo Cash winnings via PayPal, Apple Pay, or Venmo (US only).
The minimum withdrawal for Bingo Cash is $5. Additionally, the app also deducts a $1 withdrawal processing fee, which is kind of a bummer.
For this reason, it’s best to let your earnings add up and limit your number of withdrawals.
Another downside is that when you request a withdrawal, all bonus cash remaining in your account will be deducted from your balance.
In these ways, the app seems to discourage users from withdrawing their winnings, which seems a bit shady to me.
How Much Can You Make on Bingo Cash?
As with most pay-to-play apps, the amount you can earn from using Bingo Cash will ultimately depend on:
- how often you play
- how much money you deposit
- how much you’re willing to spend to enter tournaments
- how strategic you are at using boosters and other techniques
Typical prize pools range from $10-40 (again, split between the top 3 players).
But the reality is, you can’t really win a lot unless you deposit and spend a decent amount of your own money.
The entry fees are usually $4-12, with only the top 2 players making a profit on their entry.
And the better you get at the game, the harder your competition thanks to Bingo Cash’s player-skill-matching algorithm.
Personally, I’m wary of games that require me to invest money in order to win. (I’m loads of fun at the casino, too!)
But I did put in $15 for the sake of testing the app and writing this review.
After several days, I still have a small balance of cash. Of course, it’s less than I put in, so I’m technically under water, but I’ll keep playing until I run out.
Hopefully I’ll hit big before that happens.
Bingo Cash Tips and Tricks
Daub Fast
As mentioned, the faster you click a number that’s been drawn, the more points you earn.
As you familiarize yourself with the bingo board and which numbers appear in which rows, you’ll be able to more quickly determine whether your card has a called number.
Use Your Boosters
Boosters can really help you up your game in Bingo Cash, so don’t forget to click on them as soon as they’re available.
They’re “use them or lose them,” so there’s really no reason not to take advantage of them as soon and as often as you can.
Pro Tip: Save your double-points booster until just before you’re ready to call bingo.
Take Advantage of Deposit Bonuses
Almost all cash deposits offer some type of bonus.
For instance, if you deposit $15, you’ll get $2 in bonus cash, plus 200 gems.
The bonuses increase as the dollar amount of the deposit goes up. The app also runs a lot of promotions for deposit bonuses.
Click Carefully
Be careful when you’re playing not to daub any numbers that haven’t been called or accidentally click bingo when you haven’t got five in a row.
This results in a penalty and a point deduction, which hurts your odds of winning.
Refer Friends
You can add $2 to your account by referring a couple friends.
Enter Promo Codes
I received a welcome promo code via email when I first signed up, but I also found a number of sites that listed a ton of current promo codes.
I’ve only tried a few so far, but each one was worth at least 100 gems.
Follow Bingo Cash on Social
Occasionally, Bingo Cash shares additional promo codes or other special promotions on social media:
Be sure to stay connected and check in often.
Practice Makes Perfect
Because Bingo Cash does have a bit of a strategic aspect to it, the more you play, the better you’ll get.
I’m a much faster dauber now than when I first started!
This will help you maximize your chances of winning.
How Does Bingo Cash Make Money?
Primarily, Bingo Cash makes money by taking a portion of every tournament entry fee.
There app also makes money from:
- in-app purchases
- sponsorships and promotions
- advertisements
- player withdrawal fees
Bingo Cash Pros & Cons
Pros
- Free to Use: Bingo Cash is free to download and some of the games can be played without a deposit.
- User-Friendly: For the most part, the games are straightforward. No fancy patterns, just normal 5-in-a-row or 4-corner bingo.
- No Registration: Users can sign up with just a couple of clicks and start playing right away.
- Win Real Money: Bingo Cash offers the opportunity to compete against other players to win real money.
- Variety of Tournaments: There is a tournament for just about everyone, from low entry fees to high stakes and everything in between. You can also enter with gems.
- Fair Play: Bingo Cash uses an algorithm to match players with similar skill levels. So as a beginner, you won’t have to worry about competing against experts.
- Bonuses and Promos: There are plenty of ways to earn bonus cash and additional gems. This can help you stay in the game without having to continuously add your own money.
Cons
- Cash Investment: While Bingo Cash can be played for free, if you really want to win money, you’ll almost certainly need to deposit cash. This can be a slippery slope, especially for those who struggle with gambling.
- Device Specific: While not requiring users to register and log in may be a nice feature, it also means that any and all your progress is tied to a single device.
- Withdrawal Fee: A $1 fee will be automatically deducted from any balance being withdrawn. That’s as high as 20% if you withdraw the $5 minimum.
- Prize Splitting: Winnings are divided among the top 3 scorers in a tournament. So while it may say the prize pool is $20, you can’t actually win that whole amount, even if you place first.
- Limited Free Games: There are games that can be played using only gems, but they are few and far between, and they don’t pay out in cash.
- Location Restrictions: Cash tournaments are not available for players located in Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Washington. There may be certain country restrictions as well.
- Bonus Cash Loss: If you have bonus cash in your account when you request a withdrawal, that bonus cash will disappear.
Is the Bingo Cash App Worth It?
I personally found the Bingo Cash app fun to play, even though I haven’t made any money yet.
Games are quick, and you can earn a bonus for each day you log in, which incentivizes you to keep coming back.
Bingo Cash is a legit way to earn extra money winning online bingo tournaments. But to win, you'll have to put your own cash at risk.
- User-friendly and straightforward experience.
- Fun and fair: Play against similarly-skilled players.
- Chance to win real money.
- Cash deposit required to win real money.
- Cash tournaments not available in every state.
- $1 withdrawal fee feels unnecessary.
Bottom line: If you’re comfortable gaming responsibly and like the chance to win a little extra money here and there, Bingo Cash is a solid and well-rated choice.
Still, never put more money at risk than you can afford to lose.
Bingo Cash Alternatives
Bingo Cash is one of several apps that pay you to play mobile games.
Similar options from the Papaya family include titles like Solitaire Cash and Bubble Cash.
(Check our out full Solitaire Cash review to learn more.)
But if you want to get paid to play without depositing any of your own money, there are options for you, too.
Here are some of our faves.
Freecash
Out of over 110,000 users, Freecash has garnered an impressive 4.3-star rating on the Google Play Store.
Freecash pays you to test new games on your phone or computer, with some offers paying $100s.
- Wide variety of game offers.
- Simple, transparent rewards.
- Low minimum to cash out. ($5)
- Some offers feel spammy or have unrealistic milestone requirements.
- Some offers require spending money.
- 5% transaction fee for PayPal or bank transfers.
As with the other apps in this list, the app is designed to pay you real money to try out new casual games. You can cash out through Bitcoin, Amazon gift cards, and more.
One user described the offers available on the platform as “better than any of the other similar apps I use.” Another reviewer called Freecash “an absolute game-changer.”
When we tested Freecash, the app had over 2,700 different games to choose from, offering plenty of variety for players.
Many of those had payouts of $200 or more.
My favorite feature?
Freecash tells you your earning power in actual dollars, not some confusing, made-up, in-app virtual currency.
As is common, you’ll earn more the more you play in each game, and reaching the highest tier may require some in-game purchases.
(But even if you don’t reach the highest level, you should still earn milestone payouts for however far you do get.)
Swagbucks
Swagbucks is an online survey app that enables you to take surveys and play new games to earn cash.
Swagbucks has paid out over $550 million to users over the last 10+ years.
- Quick and easy to use
- Lots of ways to earn
- $10 sign-up bonus
- Surveys don't pay much
Reviewers appreciate the variety of ways to make money with Swagbucks, including:
- surveys
- mobile games
- cash back for online shopping
- receipt scanning
- and more
However, there are complaints that some of the tasks can be difficult or time-consuming to complete compared to the expected rewards.
Swagbucks awards you “SB” points for completing different tasks. SB can be converted into gift cards, starting at 300 points for a $3 gift card.
Some tasks are as simple as clicking through a few screens and signing up for a game. Other offers will require you to reach a certain level within 7-30 days.
More difficult tasks can take longer but pay better.
For example, if you reach level 18 in Rise of Kingdoms within 21 days, you can earn $100!
As part of her $100/day challenge, Jackie Mitchell mentioned earning as much as $218 playing games through Swagbucks.
KashKick
KashKick is another great resource to get paid to play mobile games.
KashKick gives you cash for playing certain games. Basically, you pick a game you like, and then you play that game until you reach the level you need to earn the reward.
One reviewer described how they earned around $200 “playing the easier games with smaller rewards.” Another reviewer described how they earned $600 over the course of a year.
Still, some reviewers complain that it can be hard to find good offers on the platform. Another downside is that the tasks sometimes require you to pay money in order to complete them.
Once you’ve earned $10, you can cash out via PayPal. Check out my full KashKick review to learn more.
But like Bingo Cash, none of these are likely to turn into a serious income stream. If you’re looking for more reliable ways to earn side money, I encourage you to check out the resources below.
Serious About Making Extra Money?
- Start Your Free $500 Challenge. My free 5-day email course shows you how to add $500 to your bottom line.
- Join the free Side Hustle Nation Community. The free Facebook group is the best place to connect with other side hustlers and get your questions answered.
- Download The Side Hustle Show. My free podcast shares how to make extra money with actionable weekly episodes.