It's a doddle to get involved, and it won't cost you the earth either. But the first thing to know is that this isn't tied to a single site, which is where it gets clever.

Where Can You Play It?

This is the clever part. It's not tied to one site. Playtech built it as a shared network stream, which means the same live show links up across loads of their bingo brands at once. So you and someone on a completely different site can be sat in the same room, sharing the same show and the same wins.

From what I can see it's turning up on Sun Bingo, Heart Bingo and Mecca Bingo so far, with more of the Playtech network likely to follow. Not every Playtech site will have it, and I'll update this as I find out which ones do, but if you play at one of the big Playtech names, keep an eye out on a Friday. And if you fancy shopping around, our guide to sites like Mecca Bingo will point you to more of the same Playtech network.

When and How It Works

The shows run every Friday, eight till ten in the evening, in the Dab & Blab Live room. You'll get up to 25 games across the two hours, with tickets priced anywhere from 2p to 10p depending on the night. So it's cheap as chips to get involved, which is exactly how bingo should be.

Each week is a different themed show, and that's where it gets interesting, because the prize pots change quite a bit from one Friday to the next.

What's Up for Grabs

This is the bit that'll get your attention. The shows aren't all the same size, and some of the headline prizes at launch were real eye-openers.

There's an Escalator Jackpot Show, with a jackpot guaranteed at £40,000 or more, split between the full house winner and everyone else holding a ticket in that game. There's a More Winners Show built to hand out prizes as often as possible, with extra features that keep a game going after the first full house so more people walk away happy. There's a Bargain Live Show with tickets at just 2p, keeping it about as accessible as bingo gets.

And then there's the big one, the £120K Big Prize Show, headlined by a £100,000 game at around 9pm, with total prizes across that night topping £121,000. Pots vary from one run to the next, but that gives you the scale of it. Not a bad way to spend a Friday, that.

The Mini-Games

On top of the bingo itself, every show runs interactive mini-games on the stream, and these are open to everyone in the room. They're cash prizes only, no bonus faff, with up to £1,000 to be won in each show and any winnings paid out within 48 hours. It's the sort of thing that keeps the two hours lively rather than just waiting between games.

The Usual Sensible Bits

As ever, a few things to keep you right. It's 18+ and UK players only, you'll need to be registered and verified at whichever site you're playing on, and the promotion runs across multiple sites on the Playtech network, so there can be winners on other sites as well as your own. Full terms sit on each site's promotions page, and it's always a good idea to read the specifics before you dive in.

And the most important bit, always. However good the show, it's still real money, so treat it as a bit of fun and never a way to make it. Set yourself a limit before you sit down, only ever play with what you can afford to lose, and if it ever stops being fun, step away. Every licensed site has deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion tools built in, and there's free, confidential support out there whenever you need it. Play for the laugh, not the wins, and it stays a laugh.

But the short version? It's live-streamed, video-hosted bingo, an actual person on screen calling the games in real time, and that's exactly what makes it feel like the real thing rather than numbers ticking away on their own. A real host, a good natter, cheap tickets, big prizes and a room full of people every Friday night. So grab your pizza, your bottle of fizz or a good old cuppa, get yourself comfy, and settle in for a proper party bingo night in. And let's be honest, it'll cost you a fair bit less than a night out in town these days. That's live bingo done the way it should be, and I'll see you in the chat.