What tombola is
Tombola is a game in which a caller draws the numbers 1 to 90 and the players look for them on their tickets. Whoever first completes the agreed part of a ticket wins. The game comes from Italy, where it is traditionally played at Christmas and New Year, and in the Balkans it is part of family evenings, school shows, charity events and New Year parties.
All you need are tickets, something to mark the numbers with and someone to draw them. An online caller replaces the bag or drum of numbers, so you can run the game from a phone or a projector.
How to play tombola online
- Hand out tickets. Every player gets one or more tickets. You can print them here.
- Draw a number. Press the Izvuci broj button and read the number out loud.
- Mark it. Players who have that number on a ticket mark it.
- Repeat. Draw one number at a time. No number repeats, just as a ball taken out of the bag is not put back.
- Check. When someone calls a win, compare their ticket with the board of drawn numbers.
The board shows all 90 numbers and marks the ones already drawn, so you always see how many have come out and can check every win quickly.
Tombola numbers and the ticket layout
The most common ticket for 90 number tombola has 3 rows and 9 columns. It holds 15 numbers, 5 in each row, and the other squares are blank.
- The first column holds the numbers 1 to 9.
- The second column holds 10 to 19, the third 20 to 29 and so on.
- The ninth column holds 80 to 90.
Thanks to that layout you find a number quickly: 47 can only be in the fifth column. If you mix these with bought tickets, the column layout may differ slightly, but the game does not change.
How you win at tombola
The game is usually played in several stages, each with its own winner:
- One line: all 5 numbers in one row of a ticket.
- Two lines: two full rows on the same ticket.
- Tombola: all 15 numbers on the ticket. This is the main prize and the one the game is named after.
The names and stages vary from family to family and from region to region. In Italy two, three and four numbers in the same row are traditionally rewarded too, and five in a row is called a cinquina. Agree before the game which stages you play and what the prize for each one is.
Tombola at school and at New Year
- For children tombola is good practice in recognising numbers up to 90, and the caller can say each number's tens and units as well.
- At school or a show a projector or a large screen with the board lets everyone follow the draw.
- At a New Year party the stages can be spread through the evening, with the full ticket saved for the end.
- Prizes can be small, such as sweets, little gifts or the right to choose the next song.
How tombola differs from bingo
Tombola and 90 ball bingo are played almost the same way. American bingo uses 75 numbers and a card of 5 rows and 5 columns, with the columns headed B, I, N, G and O and a free square in the middle. There you win with a row, a column, a diagonal or a set pattern, not with full lines as in tombola.
Keno is a different game: you choose your numbers yourself before the draw, and the win depends on how many of the chosen numbers are drawn.
Tombola on this site
Tombola on besplatnikazino.com is a tool for fun. There are no stakes, deposits or payouts, and the draw runs in your browser. If you want a ball game in which you mark the cards yourself, try Bingo, and for a draw against numbers you picked in advance, try Neon Keno, which uses virtual credits only.
Common questions
How many numbers are there in tombola?
Tombola has 90 numbers, from 1 to 90. Each one is drawn only once, so no number repeats during a game.
How many numbers are on a tombola ticket?
The most common ticket has 15 numbers in 3 rows and 9 columns, with 5 numbers in each row. The other squares on the ticket are blank.
When do you call tombola?
You call tombola when every number on your ticket is marked. Before that, smaller prizes for one and two full lines are often played.
Can drawn numbers repeat?
No. The draw works like a bag from which a ball is not put back, and the board shows every number already drawn.
How is tombola different from bingo?
Tombola uses 90 numbers and a 3 row ticket. American bingo uses 75 numbers and a 5 by 5 card, and you win with a row, a column, a diagonal or a set pattern.