What Is Slingo and How Do You Play It?

Last updated: 13/10/2026

Slingo puts a bingo card on top of a slot machine. It plays more simply than that sounds.

What Is Slingo?

Slingo is a casino game that combines a slot and bingo. You spin a row of five reels, and any number that lands and matches the column above it on a five by five grid gets marked off. Complete a line of five marked numbers, called a Slingo, and you climb a prize ladder.

The game was created in the US in 1994 by Sal Falciglia Sr. and first went online in 1996. The Slingo brand was sold to the UK company Gaming Realms in 2015, and most Slingo games today are made by Gaming Realms, under its Slingo Originals name, often as versions of well-known slots and TV game shows.

Midnite's Slingo lobby has around 60 of them.

How to Play Slingo: Step by Step

You choose your stake and, in games with selectable Jokers, which numbers to mark. When the included spins finish, you decide whether to buy extra spins. The reel outcomes stay random throughout.

1. Choose your stake. This pays for the round's standard spins.
2. Spin the reels. Five reels sit under the grid, one under each column.
3. Watch the grid. Any number on a reel that matches a number in the column above it is marked off automatically.
4. Use your Jokers. A Joker lets you mark a number of your choice in the column above it. Many games will suggest the best square, or pick one for you.
5. Build Slingos. Each complete line of five marked squares is a Slingo. In standard ladder-based games, every Slingo moves you up the prize ladder.
6. Run out of standard spins. The number of spins in a round is set by the game, often around 10 or 11.
7. Decide on extra spins. The game offers extra spins at a price, one at a time, or you can collect what you've won.
8. Collect your prize. You're paid according to where you finished on the ladder.

What Do the Slingo Symbols Do?

Most Slingo games use a common set of symbols, though what each one does can vary from title to title:

• Number: marks off that number if it appears in the column above.
• Joker: lets you mark any number in the column directly above the reel.
• Super Joker: lets you mark any number anywhere on the grid.
• Free Spin: gives you an extra spin at no cost, without using up one of your standard spins.
• Devil: blocks that reel, so nothing is marked in its column on that spin. In some games it does more, such as taking away part of your prize.
• Cherub: cancels a Devil, in the games that use one.

Branded games add their own symbols, such as coins or bonus icons. The paytable lists exactly what each one does.

How Do Slingos and the Prize Ladder Work?

A five by five grid has 12 possible Slingos: five rows, five columns and two diagonals. In standard ladder-based games, each one you complete moves you a step up the prize ladder at the side of the screen.

The prizes on the ladder are multiples of your stake, and they climb faster towards the top. Completing all 12 Slingos means every square is marked, which is a full house and usually the top rung. Some games put bonus features or extra prizes on certain rungs.

How Do Extra Spins Work in Slingo?

When your standard spins run out, the game offers extra spins, usually one at a time. Each one has its own price, shown before you decide, and the price changes from spin to spin.

The price is based on what the next spin could win you. If you're one number away from a bigger prize, the extra spin costs more. If there's little left to gain, it costs less. In some games, such as Slingo Advance, the price rises as fewer numbers remain on the grid.

You can stop and collect at any point. Free Spins won during the round don't cost anything. The return on extra spins isn't always the same as the base game, so check the game's info screen if you want to know the RTP for each part.

Because extra spin prices change from spin to spin, a total budget for the session works better than a set number of extra spins. Decide it before you play, not one number short of a Slingo. Midnite's Reality Check reminds you how long you've been playing, and a Net Spend Limit caps your deposits minus withdrawals over a day, week or month. Both are in the Responsible Play hub.

How Does Slingo Compare to Bingo and Slots?

Slingo takes the grid from bingo and the reels from slots, and plays differently from both.

• From bingo: the five by five number grid, marking numbers off, and lines and a full house as the way to win.
• From slots: the reels, the stake per round, and the bonus features in branded games.
• Different from bingo: there's no caller and no other players. The reels decide which numbers you get, and you're playing the game rather than a room.
• Different from slots: wins come from lines on the grid, not paylines on the reels, and each round has a set number of spins.

Our guides to how to play bingo and slots cover the two games Slingo borrows from.

What Types of Slingo Games Are There?

Slingo games come in three broad types:

• Branded Slingo games take a well-known slot or game show and rebuild it on the Slingo grid, with its own symbols and bonus features. On Midnite, that includes Slingo Rainbow Riches, Slingo Starburst, Slingo Deal or No Deal, Slingo Money Train and Slingo Sweet Bonanza.
• Original Slingo games are built for the format, with their own themes and prize ladders.
• Variants change the rules of the grid. Slingo Advance starts with only one row open and opens more as you match numbers, with prizes for shapes such as a T or an X.

How to Play Slingo Online at Midnite

To play Slingo online at Midnite, open the Slingo lobby, pick a game and choose your stake. Before your first round, open the game's info screen: it shows the number of standard spins, how extra spins work, what the symbols do and the game's RTP.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are the Basic Rules of Playing Slingo?

You spin five reels a set number of times, and numbers that match the column above them are marked on a five by five grid. Each complete line of five is a Slingo, and more Slingos move you up the prize ladder. When your spins run out, you're paid for your position, or you can buy extra spins.

What Are the Rules for Slingo Bingo?

Slingo uses bingo's grid and marking, but there's no caller and no other players. The reels decide which numbers you get, and you win by completing lines on the grid, with all 12 lines marked counting as a full house.

What Is the Best Strategy for Slingo?

No strategy changes the result of a spin in Slingo. The decisions you control are your stake, where to place Jokers in games that let you choose, and whether to buy extra spins. Set a total budget before you play and check each extra spin price before you buy.

How Do You Play Slingo Scratch Off?

Scratch-style Slingo games vary from version to version, so check that game's info screen for its rules. The aim is the same as standard Slingo: match numbers to complete lines on the grid.

Where Can I Play Slingo Games in the UK?

You can play Slingo at online casinos licensed by the Great Britain Gambling Commission. Midnite has around 60 Slingo games in its Slingo lobby, from branded titles to variants such as Slingo Advance.

Slingo, Line by Line

Reels mark the grid, lines of five make Slingos, and extra spins are priced before you buy. The full range is in the Midnite Slingo lobby.

Set a total spend for the session before you start, and stop when you reach it. BeGambleAware has free advice and support if you need it.

Midnite is licensed and regulated by the Great Britain Gambling Commission. 18+. Please gamble responsibly.

About the author

Johanna Barsi is Live Casino Manager at Midnite, where she leads the development and performance of the live casino offering. She has spent 20 years in the live casino industry, beginning her career in land-based casinos before moving into online gaming 10 years ago. Since then, she has held roles across the iGaming industry, including at BetVictor and Evoke, building extensive experience across live casino operations, product strategy and player experience. Here she writes on Slingo: how the grid and the reels work together, what each symbol does, and how extra spins are priced. Connect with Johanna on LinkedIn.