tombola review 2026: in-house bingo, welcome bonus, licence

tombola is an online bingo site licensed by the Gambling Commission, and everything in its lobby, from 90-ball bingo to slots and instant wins, is made in-house. This tombola review reads the UK App Store listing and the public register: the app advertises a 100% first-deposit match up to £50 plus one play for every £1 deposited, winnings from the bonus can be withdrawn but the bonus money cannot, and bingo tickets start at 1p. Payment methods beyond Apple Pay and withdrawal times are not set out in the listing.

tombola UK: licence and operator

The Gambling Commission (UKGC) register lists the licence holder as Tombola (International) Plc under account number 38613, with tombola.co.uk and tombola.com as domains and bingo, casino and virtual-event betting as licensed activities. The same account covers Tombola Arcade, the company's separate slots and instant-win site, which is reviewed on its own (see below). Whichever tombola site you use, the company answerable to the Commission is the same.

tombola bingo: 90-ball and faster formats

The core of tombola is bingo, offered as 90, 75, 60 and 30-ball games with tickets from 1p, plus themed rooms. The listing speaks of traditional 90-ball bingo alongside speedier 30-ball games, which captures the range: tombola bingo 90 is the classic British game played for one line, two lines and a full house across a longer draw, while 30-ball games finish in a fraction of the time. 75-ball games are built around patterns on a five-by-five card. The 90-ball bingo guide explains the traditional format in more detail.

Low ticket prices are part of the design: the listing's safeplay heading talks about low-stake gaming, and 1p tickets let you play a session for very little. Room schedules, jackpots in individual rooms and chat features are not described in the listing.

An in-house lobby: what that means for players

The listing promises more than 100 exclusive games and states that all of them are made by tombola for its players. That sets it apart from most GB bingo sites, which fill their lobbies with slots from outside studios. The trade-off runs both ways. You will not find familiar third-party slots here, and the listing does not describe a live casino. On the other hand, the games are designed around the same low-stake approach as the bingo. Any tombola slots still follow GB rules: a maximum stake of £5 per spin, or £2 for 18-24s, and no spin faster than 2.5 seconds.

The tombola welcome offer worked through

The welcome offer advertised in the app listing is: 100% deposit match up to £50 plus 1 free play per £1 deposited (up to 50).

The listing's terms say the match is for the first deposit only, with a £10 minimum, and that one play is awarded for every £1 deposited, up to 50. The listing calls these Free Plays; because they come only with a deposit, this guide calls them bonus plays. Here is how the numbers run:

The most important line in the terms is that bonus money cannot be withdrawn, while any winnings can. In practice the bonus is a stake you can play with but never cash out as such. The listing does not state a wagering requirement, an expiry period or which games the plays can be used on, so read the full offer terms before depositing more than £10. GB rules cap wagering on bonus funds at 10x since 19 January 2026, whatever form an offer takes. The bingo bonuses page compares deposit-match offers on the same points.

Free bingo, free fivers and no-deposit offers

The listing does not describe a tombola free fiver, a no-deposit bonus or free bingo rooms, so this review cannot confirm any of them. If you see one advertised, check whether a deposit or stake is needed: GB advertising rules allow "free" only when you do not have to risk your own money. The free bingo guide explains how genuine free rooms work at GB sites.

Deposits, Apple Pay and cashing out

The first deposit has a £10 minimum. From the second deposit, the listing says, Apple Pay and £5 deposits become available. Other payment methods and withdrawal times are set out in the operator's own cashier and terms. Credit cards cannot be used for gambling in Great Britain, a pending withdrawal cannot be reversed to keep playing, and the operator may ask for ID before paying out.

The tombola app

The UK App Store entry, checked on 1 November 2026, reads: iOS app, rated 4.7 from 66,318 ratings on the UK App Store (1 November 2026). With tens of thousands of ratings, that average rests on a very large sample. The listing presents the app as the place for the full bingo, slot and instant-win range. See bingo apps for how other sites' apps compare.

safeplay tools and low stakes

The listing groups its safer gambling features under the name safeplay, describing low-stake gaming and tools designed to help you stay in control. The individual tools are not listed there. Every GB-licensed site must prompt you to set a deposit limit when you open an account and take part in GAMSTOP, the free national self-exclusion scheme at gamstop.co.uk. tombola is for adults only: 18+, with age and identity checked before you can deposit or play. The responsible gambling page lists support, and the National Gambling Helpline is free on 0808 8020 133.

tombola and Tombola Arcade

Searches for tombola arcade slots lead to a separate site on the same licence account. The Tombola Arcade review covers that brand: in-house slots, instant wins and jackpot games, with its own welcome terms and safer gambling page. This review focuses on tombola bingo; if slots are your main interest, the Arcade review is the one to read.

tombola rating

tombola scores 6.8 out of 10. It earns credit for a clear GB licence, bingo from 1p across four formats, a lobby built entirely in-house, withdrawable winnings from the welcome bonus and a heavily rated iPhone app. It loses points because the bonus money itself cannot be withdrawn, there is no third-party slot range or live casino, and payment methods and withdrawal times are not set out in the listing.

Visit tombola (opens the operator site in a new tab)