Below are some of your most commonly asked questions. If you do not find the answers you need click on the help desk icon to receive a direct response.

1. How do I set up an account?
2. How do I fund my account?
   a) How are bonuses calculated?
3. Who can play bingo?
4. How can I play?
5. How much do the games cost?
6. How do I purchase cards?
7. I selected the game but cannot see the cards?
8. How often are games played?
9. What is a reference number?
10. When is a purchase void?
11. Where will my payout be sent?
12. When can I request a payout?
13. How can I cancel my account?
14. How do I change or update information?
15. What games do you offer?
16. Are my credit card details safe?
17. Why doesn't the lock show at the bottom of my browser window?
18. What are the minimum system requirements?
19. How do I play Bingo?
20. What are the rules for Video Poker?
21. How do I play Slots?
22. Official Rules and Regulations

1. How do I set up an account?

The first thing you need to do is set up a player account with American Bingo. To do that, you'll need to go to the Sign Up page. (or click any button that says "Play Now" on any page) Keep in mind that in order for you to receive your winnings in a timely fashion, you must provide us with accurate information.

Once you complete the registration (be sure to remember your password), American Bingo will immediately send you an e-mail with your Player ID Number. Once you have this, click on the "Members" button of the navigation bar and log in with your Player ID and password. You can also use your Alias and password to login. You are now in the players' area. Click the button labeled "Fund Your Account" and fill in the appropriate information. You are now ready to Play Bingo. Click the "Play Bingo" button and enjoy the games. Good Luck!

2. How do I fund my account?

To fund your account you must log into the player's area, by entering your Account ID or Alias and your password. Click the button labeled "Fund Account" select the dollar amount that you wish to add to your American Bingo account. Our bingo cards are ONLY 25cents per card, and 5cents per card so your money goes a long way.

Next choose a payment type.

EZ Pay is our secure credit card processor which accepts Visa, MasterCard or Discovery. Fill in the appropriate information and then click the "submit" button. Now enter your Credit Card Verification Number (CVV2) and click "OK". Make sure to verify that all information is correct. You are now ready to play!

NETeller provides the perfect solution for clients without a credit card. They provide an excellent, secure, fast, and easy online payment service. This option is fully automatic - deposit directly from your bank account and it's processed immediately! Your redemptions can also be deposited back into your Neteller account for immediate access

2a. How are bonuses calculated?

Every deposit you make at American Bingo is awarded an initial 30% Bonus. All special bonuses that are advertised on American Bingo are a total bonus including that initial bonus, assuming that no other bonuses are applied. When a deposit is eligible for multiple bonuses, the initial bonus is only applied once.

3. Who can play bingo?
To participate in a game, a player must meet the following requirements;

1. Must read and agree to all the Rules of Participation.
2. Must be 18 years or older.
3. Must have authorization to use a valid credit card or other payment methods acceptable to American Bingo

4. How can I play?
To participate, it is required that the player register with American Bingo, by completing the registration form. Registration is free and won't take more than a couple of minutes to complete. After registration the player will log in, using his player ID (provided by American Bingo by e-mail) and the player password.

5. How much do the games cost?

BINGO - American Bingo has 25 cent and 50 cent cards for your playing pleasure. As well we offer a FREE demo version of our live bingo game.

SLOTS - 5cent, 25cent and $1 games. Currently we have 6 different games offering one and five line payouts!

VIDEO POKER - We have 5cent, 25cent and $1 games of Video Poker

6. How do I purchase cards?
To purchase playing cards, you must first enter the player's area. At this point you can choose the viewing options available (Quick Java, Flash, Quick Java full screen). Listed under "current game streams" are the games that are available to play, now select the game would like to play and wait a few seconds while the cards are loaded onto the screen. Click on the cards that you want to purchase, once the cards are selected go to the bottom of the page and click the button "buy cards". You are now ready to play bingo. Good luck and have fun!

7. I selected the game but cannot see the cards?
Please be aware of the game time show on the mid-left corner of the screen. This will tell you how long you have before the game that you have selected will start. If you are in the process of selecting your tickets and the game clock gets to zero before you purchase the tickets, all tickets for that game will disappear and the game will start. What you need to do in this case is to close this window, and go back to the player's area and re-select the game you want to play and purchase your tickets for the next game.

8. How often are games played?
Games will be offered, approximately 2 (two) minutes after completion of the previous game. American Bingo reserves the right to modify the game schedule without prior notice.

9. What is a reference number?
Any player who wins a prize may receive a reference number, to identify a specific win. It is the responsibility of the player to preserve any reference numbers provided.

10. When is a purchase void?
Purchases will be rendered void if;

1. For any reason American Bingo does not receive payment.
2. There is an applicable charge back at a later date. American Bingo reserves the right to limit any player's participation in a game, particularly in the event of a purchase being rendered void.

11. Where will my payout be sent?
Upon the player's request, the balance of his Winner account will be mailed to the address provided at registration. A minimum payout request of US$ 50 is required.

12. When can I request a payout?
Player can request a Payout only in the following circumstances:

1. The redemption amount cannot exceed the cash balance in their player account, which must be in good standing. American Bingo reserves the right to withhold any such payments, until all transactions have been settled and cleared. Should a player have never deposited, they aren't eligable for any redemption request. Only redemption requests of $20 or more will be approved.
2. Players can request a payout if they wish to close their player account. In the event of charge backs, all unpaid or outstanding charges will be deducted from their account balance.
3. If you choose to do a redemption by check there will be a $10 processing fee.
4. If you want to fund your account and you still have a pending redemption. The redemption will be flowed back into your account.
5. In ALL cases, American Bingo reserves the right to withhold any such payments until all financial transactions have been settled and cleared. If there is any suspected fraudulent activity on a players account a redemption request can be withheld indefinitely and the account in question will be closed immediately.
6. *NEW* Upon approval of your redemption, all Bingo Bucks and Comp Bonuses will become void and will be debited from your account.

13. How can I cancel my account?
If you wish to cancel you account please send your request to cancel to customer service. If however you have experienced dissatisfaction with our game or service please let us know. We are constantly endeavoring to be better.

14. How do I change or update information?
If you would like to change or update information please send your new details to customer service and we will make the adjustments. We will then send you a confirmation of the changes.

15. What games do you offer?
Static and Crazy Patterns

The standard game type is a static pattern. These patterns cannot be rotated or shifted on the Bingo card and are won only when every cell that is highlighted in the game pattern image is marked on a single Bingo card.

The crazy game type is a dynamic pattern. These patterns can to rotated or shifted to any place on the bingocard. (upsidedown, sidways .... or otherwise). The game is won when the cells are highlighted in the game pattern with any placement of the image marked on the Bingocard.

We also provide slots and video poker for your entertainment pleasure.

16. Are my credit card details safe?
At American Bingo, we use a variety of utilities and techniques to help keep your money and information safe. Your information is submitted on heavily encrypted pages, and cannot be obtained by anyone. If someone steals your ID and Password or you notice unusual changes to your account status please email us at security@thevirtualbingo for further investigation.

17. Why doesn't the lock show at the bottom corner of my browser?

American Bingo is a secure website, however Internet Explorer users may not see the Secure Lock Indicator at the bottom of this window. To view our certificate, please right click on this window, select Properties, and then click on Certificate. For more information on this Internet Explorer bug, click here.

18. What are the Minimum System Requirements?

Minimum System:
- PC-compatible computer
- Windows 95/98/NT/2000/Millennium Edition
- Pentium 200 MHz
- 32MB RAM
- Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) version 4.01 or 5.x

Click below to upgrade your Microsoft Internet Explorer
http://www.windowsupdate.microsoft.com

- Netscape Navigator version 4.7+ or 5.x will work.

Recommended System:
- PC-compatible computer
- Windows 95/98/NT/2000/Millennium Edition
- Pentium II 350 MHz or higher
- 64MB RAM
- 16-bit color video card (800 x 600 resolution mode) 32-bit color video card (800 x 600 resolution mode) / 8 MB
- 30 MB hard drive space 30 MB hard drive space or more
- Sound Blaster AWE 32-bit sound card or better
- Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) version 5.5 or higher

Click below to upgrade your Microsoft Internet Explorer
http://www.windowsupdate.microsoft.com

- Netscape Navigator version 4.7+ or 5.x will work.

19. How do I play Bingo?

1. After logging in, click on "PLAY BINGO" on the left side bar.
2. Choose a game type from the Bingo Game Selector menu. Make sure you pick a game room with enough time remaining so that you have time to purchase your cards. 3 minutes or more should be sufficient, but may vary for each person.
3. You will be given 4 choices for playing the bingo game.
   a. JAVA (800x600)
   b. JAVA (1024x768)
   c. Download
   d. Flash
   e. You have another option of pre-purchasing games for a later time or date
4. After selecting one of the above choices, a new screen will open up. You will need to purchase bingo cards at this point.
5. To purchase cards simply click on the cards that you would like to buy and then choose "BUY SELECTED CARDS". Once you have purchased the cards you will not be allowed to change them. If you have gone through the 24 cards and you would still like to choose different cards, you may click on "GET MORE CARDS". Note: there is a maximum purchase of 50 cards allowed.
6. All cards must be purchased before the game starts.
7. If you choose the pre purchase option, you will be able to choose the number of bingo cards, but you will not be able to see them prior to the game. If you would like to see or remove one or more of your pre purchases prior to the hour of the game starting, you can access your "Game Orders" from the left side bar on the main screen.
8. If you have any other questions, or you are having problems with the software, please "open a ticket" from the main screen.

20. What are the rules for Video Poker?
Video Poker Games
What are the rules for the Video Poker Games?
Game Play for Video Poker
Video Poker is a combination of traditional Poker and slot machines. It is a contest that takes place between you and the Video Poker machine. The machine will deal you your first five cards at which time you must decide which cards you want to hold (keep) and which cards you wish to discard. The objective of Video Poker is to end the game with the strongest hand possible. The payout at the end of the game is dependent on the value of the hand you are holding.

Jacks or Better
The name of the game "Jacks or Better" refers to the fact that the lowest (or least valuable) standard poker hand that will payout in this game is Jacks or Better, a hand containing at least a pair of Jacks or more valuable cards.

Poker Hands
Royal Flush
A Royal Flush is the highest hand in standard Poker and consists of an ace, king, queen, jack and ten that are all the same suit.

Straight Flush
A Straight Flush is a combination of five sequential cards that are all the same suit.

Four of a Kind
Four of a Kind is a combination of four of the same cards.

Full House
A Full House is a combination of three cards of one denomination and two cards of another denomination.

Flush
A Flush is a run of five cards that are all the same suit.

Straight
A Straight is a run of five cards in sequence. The cards in a Straight can be from any suit.

Three of a Kind
Three of a kind is a hand that contains three cards of the same denomination.

Two Pairs
Two Pairs is a hand that consists of two sets of pairs and a fifth card.

Jacks or Better
Jacks or Better is a hand that contains two face cards that are Jacks or higher.

Payouts

Betting
Place your bet by clicking on the coins shown in the coin tray. Each time you click on these coins, a bet of one dollar will be registered on the machine. To raise or lower your bet, click on the up or down arrow located in your row of buttons at the bottom of the machine. If you press Max Bet, the machine will automatically take the maximum bet allowed by the machine.
When you have finished placing your bet, click on the Deal button and the game will deal out your first five cards. Once you have determined which cards you would like to keep, you must place a hold on them so that when you draw your next set of cards, they will remain. To place a hold on any card, either click once on the card itself, or on the Hold button located underneath the card. If a hold has been put on any card, the hold button will illuminate.
To deselect a hold either click on the card or on the Hold button. The hold light will turn off to indicate that the hold is off. Once you have decided on which cards to hold you can discard the remaining cards by pressing the Draw button. The cards you have not held will be taken away and replaced by fresh cards from the deck.
When you are ready press the Draw button to get your next hand of cards. The cards you have not held will be removed and replaced with fresh cards from the deck. Once the winner is established, and proper payouts are made, you can begin another hand of Video Poker by pressing the Deal button again.

21. What are the Rules for Slots?

Game Play for Slots
Slot machines consist of three or more spinning reels with a variety of symbols along their circumference. The object of the game is to line up three (or more) of the most valuable symbols on these reels on pay lines. When you succeed in doing this you will be paid out according to the Pay Out Schedule of the particular slot machine you are playing.

Our slot machines play a version of slots that consists of payouts on the matching of sevens, bars and cherries. Combinations of sevens pay out lucratively, which is why the game is all about the lucky seven.

One Line Slots
In one line slots, there is only one pay-line, which consists of one horizontal row across the reels with a yellow line through it. In one-line slots, you win when one of the pay out combinations occurs across this line.

Five Line Slots
In five line slots, your slot machine displays three rows across the reels. You have a chance to win across all three rows and across each diagonal, thus giving you five possible pay lines.

Payout Schedule
The winnings paid out on the slot machine are dependent on the symbols showing on the pay-line in the center once the reels have come to a stand still. The table below summarizes the payout schedule. Please note the figures refer to the number of COINS that the player will win. (The number of credits won will depend on the coin size chosen.)

Winning Patterns on our Blazing 7's Slot.
Choose the amount you wish to deposit into the slot machine by clicking on the up arrow. Each time that you click on this arrow, you are placing a dollar bet into the slot machine. Continue clicking on the up arrow. If you wish to decrease the amount of your bet, click on the down arrow. Each click will decrease the value of your bet by one dollar. The amount wagered is not deducted from your account until you spin the wheels. If you exit the game before hitting the spin button, you will not lose any credits.
Each reel spins separately and comes to a stop in sequence. If the symbols line up along a valid pay line then you win. If, when the reels stop spinning, a valid combination of symbols is lined up it will be highlighted and the pay out schedule will light up the winning combination.

The Spin button starts a game on the slot machine. You must have enough credits to meet your current betting level to start the game. The BET MAX button automatically increases the number of coins bet to the maximum for this slot machine and spins the reels. If you do not have enough credits to place the bet you will not be allowed to spin.

Decide on the size of the bet you wish to make with the Increase and Decrease buttons. When this is done start the game by pressing the Spin button. Use the Max Bet button if you intend to wager the maximum number of coins for this slot machine on the next spin.