Tambola vs Housie vs Bingo

Tambola, Housie and 90-ball Bingo are the same game with different names. India calls it Tambola (or Housie), the UK, Australia and New Zealand call it Housie or 90-ball Bingo, and it is played with numbers 1-90 on 3×9 tickets. The game most Americans know as Bingo is a different variant - 75-ball Bingo - played on a 5×5 card with B-I-N-G-O columns.

Same game, different names

The 90-number game travelled from Europe to India during the colonial era, where it became a staple of clubs, kitty parties and festival nights under the names Tambola and Housie. The name "Tambola" is related to "tombola", the Italian raffle-style game it descends from. Whatever you call it, the mechanics are identical: a caller announces random numbers from 1 to 90, players strike them off their tickets, and prizes go to the first players completing patterns like Early Five, Lines and Full House.

Tambola / Housie (90-ball) at a glance

• Numbers: 1 to 90
• Ticket: 3 rows × 9 columns, 15 numbers per ticket (how tickets work)
• Prizes: multiple "dividends" per game - Early Five, each Line, Corner, Full House and more
• Popular in: India, UK, Australia, New Zealand

American Bingo (75-ball) at a glance

• Numbers: 1 to 75, called with letters (B-12, G-52)
• Card: 5 × 5 grid with a free centre square, columns labelled B-I-N-G-O
• Prizes: usually one pattern per game - a line, shape, or blackout (full card)
• Popular in: USA and Canada

Which one is Tambola.fun?

Tambola.fun is the classic Indian 90-ball game: 3×9 digital tickets, automatic number calling with the traditional 1-90 calls, and all 14 winning rules to choose from. Host a game online and play with friends anywhere.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Is Tambola the same as Housie?
Yes - Tambola and Housie are two names for the same 90-ball game; both names are used interchangeably in India.

Q: Is Tambola the same as American Bingo?
Not quite. Tambola is 90-ball bingo on 3×9 tickets; American Bingo is 75-ball on a 5×5 card. The core idea - strike called numbers, complete a pattern - is the same.

Q: Is Tambola a gambling game?
Tambola itself is a social game of chance. Whether prizes involve money is up to the players - on Tambola.fun the game is free to play and prizes are decided by your group offline.

This document was last updated: July 21st, 2026.