If there has ever been a game associated with big money, it has to be Monopoly. Since the early 20th century, this board game has allowed players to dream big and win big. Of course, ye olde traditional board game has one little thing missing: real money! But never fear! All your wishes that Monopoly money was real are about to be answered with this latest Bingo-Monopoly-inspired game from Evolution Gaming. Here’s a tutorial to get you rolling.
Evolution Gaming has done it again! Over the last few years, they have produced a few massively popular and successful live games that have taken the online gambling world by storm. Now, they’re bringing us Monopoly Big Baller, a hybrid of their two wildly popular games Mega Ball and Monopoly Live.
Monopoly Big Baller is a scintillating mash-up between Monopoly and the classic bingo, using the best elements of both games, throwing in a few spicy additions, and stirring it all together to serve up edge-of-your-seat excitement and the chance to win big.
While the gameplay is itself unique, every element of the game draws from classic gambling themes, old-school games and gaming nostalgia to create something fresh yet familiar, new yet comfortable. This feeling is only enhanced by the riverboat-style theme of the game, epitomised in the presenter’s quirky sailor-suit, where you slowly cruise by an animated cityscape while enjoying the game.
The game comprises three main elements: the lottery-style ball draw, bingo cards, and the Monopoly game board. The bingo cards consist of three types – Free Space cards, Chance cards, and bonus cards. Players can select how many of each to play during the betting phase, and each type brings different benefits and wins.
To begin the game, players bet on their selection of cards. Once all bets are placed, an animated Mr Monopoly shows up to pull the lever, which allocates multipliers and free spaces to players’ card selections, and to set the bingo machine into motion. The machine randomly selects 20 balls from 60, and matching numbers on your cards are daubed with a red dot. Once the number draw is complete, the game calculates your winning lines and applies any multipliers or free spaces.
If you selected any of the bonus cards during the betting phase and won on either or both of them, you then progress to the bonus round: the Monopoly board. The board mirrors the classic board game, with squares that include properties, Chance, Community Chest, Income Tax, Super Tax, Go To Jail and Free Parking. Each square is assigned a multiplier, which can be boosted by random house and hotel drops. Depending on which bonus cards you chose, the game will roll two dice either three or five times, allowing you to progress along the board squares. Bonus winnings depend on where you land. But beware: some squares can reduce your winnings!
The bingo machine includes coloured balls numbered 1 to 60. It is triggered by an animated Mr Monopoly figure and selects 20 balls randomly during each round.
There are three types of card to choose from at the start of the game. Free Space and Chance cards each consist of a 5×5 grid containing 25 numbers. During the Bingo phase, any numbers drawn are matched to the numbers on these cards, and wins are calculated based on completed lines after the 20 balls have been drawn.
Free Space cards have a blank number in the centre of the card that can help complete lines running through it, acting similarly to a wild in other games. Chance cards, on the other hand, receive a multiplier on the centre number, giving you the chance to increase your winnings if you have a line that crosses through the centre. Each card has its own benefits, and players can choose up to four Chance or Free Space cards, in any combination.
You can also select from two types of bonus card: the 3-roll and the 5-roll. Players can choose up to two bonus cards during the betting phase – choosing not to play these means you don’t get a shot at the bonus Monopoly round. The 3-roll card requires you to get three numbers during the bingo draw, while the 5-roll card requires five numbers. The 3-roll card gives you three rolls of the dice during the bonus round, and the 5-roll gives you five rolls of the dice.
If you bet on bonus cards at the start of the round and successfully achieve the necessary numbers, you will move on to the bonus round. Here, you face the Monopoly Board with its properties and other squares, each of which could either win you a prize or multiplier, or lose you a percentage of your initial win.
The number of rolls of the dice is determined by the bonus cards – three or five. If the game rolls a double, you receive an extra roll after Mr Monopoly has kindly moved along the board. Landing on a property square will apply the relevant multiplier to your win, making these the most desirable. Chance and Community Chest squares could give you a prize or charge you a fee, which makes them unpredictable. Tax and Super Tax will reduce your winnings by 10% and 20% respectively, so cross all your fingers and toes you avoid these. The Go To Jail square sends Mr Monopoly to jail, and only the roll of a double can free him. Finally, completing a full circuit of the board and passing Go will double all future multipliers on the board.
To begin, choose how many of each card type you want to play. Bets are placed per card, and each card has randomly selected numbers on it. More cards means higher bets, but more chances to win. You can choose up to four of the Chance and/or Free Space cards, depending on whether you want to take advantage of the blank space to increase your chances, or the multiplier to boost your potential winnings. You can also choose up to two bonus cards at this stage if you want a shot at playing the bonus game.
Choosing the type of cards to play depends on what you most want to achieve. Free Space cards can help increase your chances of a win, thanks to the blank space that can represent any number to complete a line. Chance cards, on the other hand, offer a multiplier that could increase your wins if you have a complete line through it. Either way, each card type has benefits, and you decide which and how many you want. You could start out hedging your bets and choosing two of each type for a maximum bet and a good balance. Over time, you may come to prefer one type to the other, or stick with 50:50.
When choosing a bonus card, consider the numbers. You only need to match three numbers for a 3-roll card, while a 5-roll card requires five to gain access to the bonus game. However, the 3-roll only gives you three rolls of the dice, while the 5-roll gives you five, which increases your chances of completing the board, passing Go and increasing your multipliers. You can select up to two bonus cards during betting, and it’s up to you to decide which combination you want. Once again, you might start with one of each, and, over time, tweak this to what works best for you.
Note that you don’t have to select the full six cards (four bingo and two bonus) each round. You can select just one card, and skip the bonus cards entirely. You can play one bingo card and one bonus card if you want. If you skip the bonus cards, you won’t have access to the bonus game, but you will still be able to play the bingo round and not risk your winnings.
You absolutely can play Monopoly Big Baller as a straight bingo game, skipping the bonus round and just playing the first part. But why would you? If that’s what you want, there are plenty of great bingo games you can try. No. The real draw of Monopoly Big Baller lies in the Monopoly part of the game, the bonus round and its potential to increase or decrease your wins, or give you a shot at prizes.
Monopoly Big Baller gives you quite a bit of freedom of choice when it comes to how to place your bets. You have the option to choose between one and four Chance or Free Space cards, in any combination, and one or two 3- or 5-roll bonus cards. You can configure these cards in any combination that works for you, including betting on one single Chance or Free Space card.
Bets are placed per card, so whichever unit you choose to bet will be applied to each card in your selection. The trick here is to balance your bankroll carefully – set a per-round betting maximum and divide that between the number of cards, rather than deciding on a betting unit to apply to a variable number of cards.
Winnings are calculated in two stages: first, your winnings based on the Chance and Free Space cards; and second, any potential multipliers or reductions applied during the bonus round.
Chance cards
Chance cards receive a random multiplier at the beginning of each round. There are three types of multipliers that could be applied: standard, line and global.
Free Space
Free Space cards don’t contain multipliers. Instead, they include a blank space that acts as a drawn number, helping reduce the numbers required in that line to win.
Bonus round
Multipliers in the bonus round are randomly applied to squares on the board and are random in value. There are also spaces that can apply a reduction.
The bonus round can apply massive multipliers to your win. However, payouts are capped at R500,000 for 3-roll and 5-roll rounds.
The minimum payout per Chance or Free Space card is 2x your bet per line. Maximum payouts are 39x for the Free Space card and 199x for the Chance card.
This game is compatible with desktop, laptop and mobile devices, and can be played on all standard operating systems.
