The first and most important rule is to make sure your chosen online bingo site is legitimate. It's a sad fact that some gambling sites are perpetrated by unscrupulous characters that are out to make some quick money from overly trustworthy people who had unfortunately neglected to research the site thoroughly. Other sites are so disorganized that it's hard to make any sense of all the registration numbers, passwords and web pages, and, if you do win a prize it may take a long time to receive it - if you receive it all!

Unfortunately there isn't a regulating body that specializes in online bingo, particularly with regards to those sites that ask for a credit card number. There should be no problems with the free bingo sites however, especially those created by reputable online gaming companies. The easiest way to make sure you're using a trustworthy site is to visit the message boards on the site to see if any other users have complained of being ripped off. There are also several websites created for the sole purpose of allowing online bingo fans to write reviews and discuss the pros and cons of various bingo sites, thus helping you to make an informed decision about which bingo site is the one for you.

After finding your chosen site or sites for indulging in some bingo games, there are still some important points to bear in mind, to make sure your online gaming experience doesn't turn into a nightmare. Firstly, never give out your account password. While this may sound like common sense, many people have suffered due to people obtaining their password. The key is to always pick passwords that are unique to each account and difficult for others to guess. You should also beware of bingo websites that promise big money, and you should certainly never give your credit card details to them. Veteran internet bingo players have many horror stories about prizes that never arrived and accounts that were either not credited on time or not credited at all.

The final tip is to simply stick to well trafficked web sites that promise fun first and prizes that are offered with little or no spending required on your part. This gives you the freedom to move on to other sites at no cost to yourself should the site not quite be up to expectations.