Telly Bingo FAQs
Find answers to some of the most common questions about the Telly Bingo lottery right here. These answers cover factors like draw days, How to Play, and checking the Telly Bingo Results.
How much is a Telly Bingo ticket?
Telly Bingo costs €2.50 to play, making it a modestly priced game.
When are Telly Bingo draws held?
Telly Bingo draws take place every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, so you have plenty of chances throughout the week to get involved in this game. The Telly Bingo TV Gameshow is shown live on RTÉ One at 12:45pm on draw days, though you can also watch the recorded broadcast on the RTÉ YouTube channel and RTÉ Player.
What is the Snowball prize?
The Snowball prize is the biggest prize category in Telly Bingo, think of it like a jackpot. It starts at €10,000, and increases by €5,000 for each draw that passes without a win - on top of this, to win the Snowball, you'll have also fulfilled the criteria to land the €10,000 Fullhouse prize too! Together, that makes the minimum Snowball prize effectively €20,000. To win the Snowball, you'll need to achieve a Fullhouse before the 45th number is drawn. For every time the Snowball rolls over without a win, the number of balls drawn before the Snowball prize is cut off also increases by one: if nobody achieves a Fullhouse by the 45th number drawn one night, it'll be raised to 46 numbers drawn for the next night, and so on. So, the bigger the prize, the easier it is to win! Snowball and Fullhouse prizes pari-mutuel, meaning they are shared evenly between all players who meet the winning conditions for that draw.
How do I check if I’ve won?
You can watch the results live, or take a look through our Telly Bingo Results page for matches to see if you won a prize.
How long have I got to claim a prize?
All Telly Bingo Prizes must be claimed within 90 days of the draw they're for. Any prize that is not claimed within this time period will be forfeited and tickets will be void. For the Phone Risk Card prize specifically, the deadline for claiming is different compared to all other Irish Lottery prizes - winners have just until 9:00 PM the following evening to claim their prize, so be sure to check your tickets on the night of the draw!
How much can I win with Telly Bingo?
Prizes are split into six categories of varying amounts. The lowest that you can win with this lottery is €5 for getting a ‘Lucky Line’, but the largest prize is trickier to explain. Players can win €10,000 for achieving a Fullhouse, but if they mange to get a Fullhouse before the Snowball Number is drawn, they'll also win the Snowball prize. This prize starts at €10,000, but increases by €5,000 for each draw that passes without a Snowball winner. So, the top prize in Telly Bingo works out at a minimum of €20,000 in practice (Fullhouse plus the minimum Snowball).
What is Telly Bingo?
Telly Bingo is a bingo game provided by the National Lottery that is broadcast live on television, so that anyone over the age of 18 can play along from home.
How do I play?
Tickets show a grid of 24 random numbers between 1 and 75, with the centre square pre-marked. To win, you have to match the numbers on your grid with those announced during the Telly Bingo broadcast. This game is intended to be played while watching the draw, although you can still check your tickets later if you miss it. The main thing to watch out for is the Phone Risk Card prize category, where the usual 90-day prize claim limit does not apply - instead, players only have until 9:00 PM the following night to claim.
Can I play online?
You cannot play Telly Bingo online. Tickets can only be purchased from National Lottery retailers in Ireland.
Can I choose my own numbers?
No. You will be automatically given a random set of numbers in random positions on your grid.
When do ticket sales close?
You can buy Telly Bingo tickets from any official National Lottery retailer until 11:00am on the day of each draw. Sales open for the next draw at 11:15am. You can also purchase tickets for up to six games in advance.
Who hosts Telly Bingo?
The main Telly Bingo host is Declan Buckley, who has presented the gameshow since 2001. Nuala Carey also hosts the game sometimes.
What is the Lucky Line prize?
A random number between 1 and 5 is picked. This number corresponds to a horizontal line on your ticket. If you matched all the numbers in that horizontal line during the Telly Bingo draw, you win a €5 prize.
What happens if there is more than one Full House winner?
If the Full House is achieved by more than one player on the same number, the prize is shared between them. This also applies to any Snowball prizes won.
Do I have to watch the game live in order to win?
No, but you need to check the Phone Risk Card number before 9:00pm the following day for your chance to compete by telephone.
What is the Phone Risk Card?
This is the six-digit number on the bottom of your card. If this number matches the number selected during the broadcast, you can call 1800 22 44 55 by 9:00pm the next day for a chance to win between €1,000 and €10,000.
Can I win more than one prize on a single ticket?
Yes. If you win a prize in more than one category, you will be paid the sum of those prizes.
Why is there one number missing on my ticket?
The central square on every grid of Telly Bingo numbers contains ** instead of a number. This square acts as a 'free number', so consider it as a matched square from the get-go.