What I learned from playing
- Making a mistake like hitting the wrong number or claiming bingo too soon will cost you points
- Withdrawing money from the game will cost you $1 and forfeit any bonus cash you’ve earned
- Redeem multiple bingos at once to earn more points
- Hold onto 2x boosters until you're ready to redeem multiple bingos
- Wait to use a Bonus Star until you’re one number away from bingo
Is Bingo Stars legit?
Yes, Bingo Stars is a legit gaming app that enables you to win cash, even though it may take a while to make any real money. As of this writing, it ranks as the 47th most popular game to download on the Apple App Store. It also has a stellar 4.9 out of 5 rating from the over 77,000 reviews it’s received.
You don’t have to deposit money in Bingo Stars to play and earn points and money. However, if you want more chances to win actual cash (rather than just bonus cash), you’ll have to deposit some money into the game.
What is Bingo Stars?
Game |
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Game developer | Lucky Day Entertainment, Inc. |
Compatible systems | iOS and Android |
Minimum entry fee (for cash tournaments) | $1 |
Minimum cash deposit | $0 |
Minimum withdrawal amount | $5 |
Withdrawal processing fee | $1 |
Withdrawal methods | PayPal |
States that prohibit cash tournaments | Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, South Carolina, and Tennessee |
Game modes | Token tournaments Cash tournaments Transfer tournaments Token and cash tournaments |
Download Bingo Stars |
Bingo Stars is a game created by Lucky Day Entertainment for Apple iOS and Android phones. This game plays like a typical bingo game where a caller names off numbers, and you mark off (or daub) the number on your flashboard when you have a match.
To claim bingo, you must have five numbers in a row, either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Getting all four corner numbers plus the free number in the middle of the flashboard also counts as a bingo.
In each round, you have 90 seconds to get as many bingos as possible, and then your score is compared with that of the other players in the tournament. You can earn additional points on each round by having multiple bingos or gaining boosters. You can also lose points.
During the course of playing Bingo Stars, you also earn experience points (XP), which help you progress through the different levels of the game. Once you max out your XP bar (visible in the top left corner), you advance to the next level of play and earn points or cash.
Like other Lucky Day games, Bingo Stars uses an algorithm to match you with players at the same skill level.
My gameplay experience with Bingo Stars
I really enjoyed playing Bingo Stars. It’s a fast-paced game offering many ways to earn points and cash. Plus, you can even play and win without depositing any money.
I’m not joking when I say this game is fast. You get just 90 seconds to score as many bingos as you can. At first, it can be a bit nerve-wracking searching for the numbers on the board while the caller continues to call new ones one after another.
You have to make sure you don’t hit a wrong number or mistakenly claim bingo because doing so will cause you to lose points. You’ll lose 25 points for wrong numbers and 100 points for false bingos.
With the timer ticking away and the caller naming numbers one after another, it may be hard to keep track of where you have a bingo. Thankfully, the game shows you when you have a bingo to claim by illuminating the “Bingo” button.
Keeping track and using the boosters I earned took some practice, and I played the game for several days before I figured them out. At first, It was hard to use the boosters and still pay attention to the new numbers being called, but I managed to get the hang of things the more I played the game.
Again, I think the more you play this game and get comfortable with the pace, the more you’ll get the hang of strategizing using the boosters to their fullest potential. For example, I usually held onto my bonus stars until I was one number short of bingo in a line, then used it to get a bingo.
Another trick I learned was to hold off claiming each bingo as I got them and instead claimed multiple bingo together at once. By doing this, I earned more points for multiple bingos. I also doubled my points using the 2x booster right before redeeming multiple bingos.
I’m not a big gambler, so I like games that enable me to earn cash and points for free, even if I can only use those rewards to continue playing. Bingo Stars offers some tournaments where the entry fee is in tokens, not cash. These are great to start with until you get the hang of the game and earn a little bonus cash that you could use in cash tournaments.
The tournaments I usually played were:
- Tokens: 20 token entry fee, six players, 110 tokens prize pool
- Transfer: 1000 token entry fee, 10 players, $7 prize pool
- Rookie: $1 entry fee, six players, $4 prize pool
- Combo: $1 + 500 tokens entry fee, six players, $6 prize pool
Jackpot tournaments
Occasionally, there is a limited Jackpot tournament where the prize pools are high, like a couple hundred dollars to $1,000 jackpots. What’s tricky about these tournaments is that an unlimited number of people could play, which hurts your odds of winning.
I played in a couple of the jackpot tournaments but hardly ranked with all the competing players. I noticed that the game teases you into playing the Jackpot tournament by offering a low entry fee of $1-$3. But, after you play once, that entry fee increases.
Tips for getting higher scores in Bingo Stars
In Bingo Stars, you can use a few tricks to try to get higher scores and earn more cash, tokens, and XP. The game seems to always be throwing free cash and tokens at you for different things.
Some of the ways you could earn more points during a tournament include:
Boosters
Boosters are a great way to earn more points in the game. You earn boosters based on how fast you daub the numbers on your flashboard. Here are the different boosters you could earn.
- Pink star: Pick the next number to be called out of four options given to you
- Bonus star: Pick any number
- +10: You get 10 seconds extra time on the clock
- 2x: You get to double the points you earn for the next 10 seconds
2x booster
You could double your points with the 2x booster, but you need to be smart about when you use it to take advantage of the points. You only have 10 seconds to get double points on your score after you click it. To maximize this booster, try to hold off using it until right before you redeem multiple bingos.
Multi bingos
You could earn additional points if you redeem your bingos all at once, which helps increase your score.
Daily Rewards
Bingo Stars also offers several ways for you to earn tokens and bonus cash besides winning tournaments, including daily rewards. Every day you play the game, you’ll receive a Daily Reward. This reward could be tokens, bonus cash, or XP.
Disco Party
Similarly, once a day you’ll also be offered a chance to play the game’s Disco Party for free and win bonus cash. I never won much money on this, but every little bit helps. This usually costs $4. I only took advantage of the daily free play, but I think I may have won more if I had paid for it.
How much money can you make on Bingo Stars?
You’re not going to get rich playing Bingo Stars, and if you want to enter tournaments with larger prize pools, you’ll have to deposit your own money to play. But you could earn enough to keep playing the game and make a few bucks.
The prize pools are usually divided between the top 100 winners, so what you’ll actually win will be less than the prize pool. For example, the $500 prize pool for a Jackpot tournament was divided into $50 for first place, $30 for second place, and $20 for third place (with fourth to last place winning the remainder of the jackpot in declining amounts).
Bonus cash
Whenever you play Bingo Stars (along with most other game apps), you should know that much of the cash you win is considered bonus cash, not actual cash.
Bonus cash is what you earn when you play tournaments with tokens and a cash prize pool, as well as the cash you earn through Daily Rewards, Disco Party, or other free giveaways. You can’t withdraw bonus cash, and if you withdraw your actual cash, you forfeit any bonus cash you’ve earned until that point.
How do you withdraw money from Bingo Stars?
You withdraw money from Bingo Stars by going to your account by clicking on the three bars in the upper right corner of the app. Your account will show a history of your transactions (winnings, entry fees spent, and bonus cash earned).
When you go to the withdraw tab in your account, you’ll see your current and withdrawable balances, which will be different. The withdrawable balance is the actual cash in your account, not the bonus cash.
You are able to withdraw money from the game as long as you have a minimum withdrawable balance of $5. Withdrawals are redeemed to PayPal, so you need a PayPal account to take money out of the game. Withdrawal requests take two to five days to process.
Two important things to note are that withdrawals will cost you $1, which is automatically deducted from your withdrawal amount. Also, when you withdraw money from the game, you forfeit any bonus cash you have earned. So basically, you have to start all over again and probably deposit more money into the game.
For example, referring to the screenshot below, I had a balance of $19.51 and a withdrawable balance of $9.10. If I were to withdraw $9 after the $1 withdrawal fee, I’d only get $8. Plus, I would lose $10.41 in bonus cash that I had accumulated. So, it really doesn’t seem worth withdrawing money from the game.
What are other users saying?
Bingo Stars gets a high rating of 4.9 out of 5 by users in the Apple App Store. One user said they even withdrew $200 from the game.
“I was very skeptical, but this actually works. If you have patience you can make real money,” user PanderpMal wrote in July 2023. “So far, I’ve withdrawn $200 and it went to my PayPal really quick! My last withdrawal request I sent today and the money is already there! So awesome! Have patience! Also, practice and get to know the power ups and how to use them. That will help!”
Other users who enjoyed the game admitted that they didn’t make much money playing it but did have fun. “Yes you can win money but not enough to take your girlfriend out to dinner at a decent restaurant,” Solitaire $$$ wrote in December 2024. “The most I’ve won on a game and the money is split is $20 bucks. Good game though!!!”
Some users were frustrated by the differences between bonus cash and actual cash. “I played and played and I did win but it told me I had ONLY bonus cash and could NOT withdraw… Rip off!” wrote user Jazzyreshay.
Alternatives to Bingo Stars
While games like Bingo Stars are unlikely to replace a solid side hustle as far as earnings go, they are fun. If you don’t enjoy Bingo Stars or if you like playing bingo and want to try other bingo games, here are a few options to try out.
Bingo Cash
Bingo Cash is very similar to Bingo Stars. It was developed by Papaya Gaming, which also created Solitaire Cash. So, if you play Solitaire Cash, you’ll be familiar with many of the features, tournaments, and bonus awards available in Bingo Cash. In my opinion, its interface isn’t as appealing as Bingo Stars. I also turned off the background music, which can be annoying when trying to focus on the numbers and boosters.
Download Bingo Cash | Or read our Bingo Cash review.
Bingo Tour
Two nice things about Bingo Tour is that it has fewer pop-up ads and the game gives you more time with the flashboard. The pace didn’t seem as nerve-wracking as Bingo Stars, and I scored much higher in a match than in Bingo Stars. However, the graphics are a bit childish, and the caller’s voice and game sounds are a tad annoying.
Download Bingo Tour | Or read our Bingo Tour review.
FAQs
Does Bingo Stars pay real cash?
Yes, you could earn and get paid real cash playing Bingo Stars. However, to win any decent amount of real cash, you’ll have to deposit your money in the game, and the chances of coming out ahead are slim.
How long does it take to withdraw from Bingo Stars?
Withdrawals from Bingo Stars take from two to 14 days to process.
How can you score high on Bingo Stars?
To score higher in Bingo Stars tournaments, you need to pay attention to the boosters you earn through the course of the game and know how to use them to their full potential. For example, the 2x booster will double the points you earn in the next 10 seconds after you click on it. To get the most out of this booster, wait until you have multiple bingos that you can redeem at once.
Bottom line
Bingo Stars offers an engaging, fast-paced gaming experience that appeals to casual players and bingo enthusiasts alike. While the game provides opportunities to earn real cash, players should use it primarily for entertainment rather than as a reliable way to make money.
Using boosters and daily rewards adds excitement to the game, encouraging players to continue to play. However, you should understand the distinction between bonus cash and withdrawable cash to avoid frustration when you want to cash out.
Whether you’re in it for fun or small winnings, Bingo Stars delivers a thrilling twist on a classic game that makes it a strong competitor for the best bingo cash games on the market. If bingo’s not your game, consider other legit games that pay real money as an alternative.