Rio Bingo Review
Back in 2014, Rio Bingo was the latest site to be launched from the people behind Costa Bingo. Surprisingly it used the Dragonfish platform rather than the company's own software which at the time powered Bgo.com - formerly Xbingo. It was a big, bold and bright site - and we presume chosen just in time to capitalise on the big sporting events that were scheduled to be taking place in Brazil at the time. Are you ready to join The Bingo Party?
Introducing Rio Bingo
You may have noticed we said was a big, bold and bright site. To be fair it is still very colourful but Rio, like other brands, has lost a lot of design to appease The UKGC. For example the site used to have background of Brazil and featured a macaw. Now all we get is a plain blue background and a facemask nod to Rio's Mardi Gras parades. There's also empty spaces which were once occupied by current offers and the latest big winners doesn't actually show the winners because of GDPR. It's all a bit of shame really because underneath the dog's dinner of the homepage is a fiesta of bingo and slots that can be played on mobile, tablet and desktop.
Rio Bingo Welcome Offer
New players to Rio Bingo are welcomed with a 300% first deposit bonus and some free spins. This new offer was introduced in September 2021 and thereby ended a couple of years where Rio was a no wagering bingo brand. Today newbies are invited to register, login and make a deposit of £10 in order to receive a £30 welcome bonus plus 30 free spins on the Fruit Blast slot. The free spins winnings are in real cash and therefore have no wagering requirements but wins are capped at a total of £3 (10p per spin). Wagering terms do apply to the bingo bonus and this is x4 the amount of deposit plus the bonus.
The Bingo Academy
Rio gives you the chance to try it's games for free with a no deposit required offer. To give the games a try all you need to be is be registered with the site then login to the lobby to access The Bingo Academy. This can be found under the 'free' tab. All newbies get two days access without having to fund their account. Every 20 minutes (7am to 10pm daily) you can play a 75 ball game that has a full house prize of £1, £2 or £5. Be aware that prizes may be paid as a bonus and therefore wagering terms will apply. A further five days in The Academy are awarded after you make your first deposit.
Rio Bingo Rooms
As well as free bingo, Rio Bingo offers four variants on the popular numbers game. These include 75 ball, 5 Line 75 ball, 90 ball and 52-5 ball. The latter is All The 5s and involves playing cards instead of traditional bingo balls. A number of progressive jackpots are available when you play in the rooms. Most days you'll find a jackpot game at Rio including the £1.5K Tuesday Chill and the £50 Daily Deal. There's also a Mystery Jackpot Room and a £1000 prize to be won every Thursday. Ticket prices vary from 1p to 5p but some of the jackpot games can be a little bit more expensive.
Featured Slots
All the top slots are available to play at Rio Bingo. These are categorised by Popular Picks, Top Games, Megaways, Daily Jackpots, Drop & Wins and New. Suprisingly there isn't a tab for Slingo but there are plenty of versions of the popular slots meets bingo game to play. The slots area in the Dragonfish lobby isn't the easiest to navigate and feels very clunky. The good thing is you can favourite games to make them easier to find. Top slots include Cleopatra, Rainbow Riches, Gonzo's Quest, Monopoly, Slingo and Starburst. Although there's a tab highlight casino games this actually only includes a version of Keno and the live Dream Catcher game.
Player Promotions
Rio was quite a good brand for exclusive promotions when it launched but that's no longer the case. It does have share some exciting promotions and jackpots with it's sister brands (e.g. Costa, Sing, Angry etc) and a few with The Dragonfish Network. For example there are free bingo games such as a daily £10 bonus room for funded players, Freengo also for funded players and a £1000 free Monday jackpot. The Free Friday £7K is another big promotion that's well worth checking out. This consists of 7 x £1000 jackpots that play every hour from 5pm to 11pm. Tickets are only 1p each too. Look out too for the Bingo Shop which lets you pick up rewards for playing at the site.
Our Verdict
When it launched Rio Bingo looked very impressive - as colourful and vibrant as Mardi Gras in the Brazilian Capital. Back in 2014 the future looked bright for this brand but in truth it's not really hit the heights that we'd have hoped. Unfortunately it's had to play second fiddle to the original brands on the network. Regulation changes and a change of ownership hasn't helped it develop further either. For players though there's still plenty to make a song and dance about. It's cool that you can try the site with no deposit needed by accessing The Bingo Academy. We like the choice of rooms and slots but would like to see a few more variations. Promotions wise things could be better but the regular jackpots and deposit bonuses are sufficient to keep us entertained.
Important Details About Rio Bingo
New UK Customers Only. Deposit min £10 to get 300% Bingo Bonus (max £200) + 30 Free Spins [FS] on Fruit Blast. FS wins capped at max £3 real cash. To withdraw bingo bonus & related wins, wager 4x the amount of deposit + bonus funds. 18+. Terms Apply. begambleaware.org. #AD
Sister Sites & Sites Like Rio Bingo
Below are a selection of bingo and slots brands that we may be related to Rio Bingo. They may share the same owner, network or platform and worthy of taking a closer look.
