Tambola number generator
Housie without the number bag: 1 to 90 shuffled, called one at a time, never twice.
How to host a tambola game
Tambola, housie, or 90-ball bingo: same game. Players get tickets with fifteen numbers between 1 and 90, the host calls numbers one at a time, and players mark the ones they have. This page is the host.
Hand out tickets. Printed sheets or a ticket app, numbered 1 to 90. One ticket per player to start; more for a longer game.
Announce the prizes. Say which claims win before the first number: usually Early Five, the three lines, and Full House.
Call numbers. Press CALL NEXT or the Space bar, or turn on auto-call and read-aloud and let the page do it. Cast to a TV so everyone sees the board.
Check claims. When someone shouts, pause and check their ticket against the lit numbers on the board. A wrong claim is a “bogey”; play on.
Tambola prizes and claims
The usual dividends, in the order they tend to be won. Kitty parties and office games often add their own, like “Lucky 7” (any seven marked) or “Breakfast, lunch, dinner” for the three lines.
- Early Five
- The first ticket with any five numbers marked.
- Top line
- All five numbers in the top row.
- Middle line
- All five numbers in the middle row.
- Bottom line
- All five numbers in the bottom row.
- Four corners
- The first and last numbers of the top and bottom rows.
- Full house
- All fifteen numbers on the ticket. Usually the biggest prize.
Playing with 75 balls and B-I-N-G-O letters? That is American bingo; use the bingo number generator. Need plain random numbers in a range instead? Use the random number generator.
Tambola calling style
A good tambola caller says every number twice: digits first, then the number, so a noisy room can’t confuse 15 and 50. Single digits get “single number”. The read-aloud option follows that pattern and adds the classic nicknames: “two two, twenty-two, two little ducks”, “eight eight, eighty-eight, two fat ladies”, “nine zero, ninety, top of the shop”. The nickname also shows under the current number, so a first-time host can read it out.
Tambola caller questions
How does the tambola number generator work?
All 90 numbers are shuffled when the game starts. Each press of CALL NEXT, or the Space bar, reveals the next one, so a number can never come twice. Called numbers light up on the board for checking claims.
Can I generate tambola numbers from 1 to 100?
Yes. Switch Balls to 1–100 before the first call. Standard tambola tickets use 1 to 90, so pick 1–100 only when your tickets or house rules need it.
Does it read the numbers aloud?
Turn on “Read numbers aloud” and your device speaks each number the traditional way: the digits first, then the number, then its nickname (“two two, twenty-two, two little ducks”). It uses the voice built into your phone or browser, so it works offline once the page is open.
Can it call numbers automatically?
Yes. Tick Auto-call and choose 3 to 20 seconds between numbers. Untick it to pause while someone checks a claim, then tick it again to carry on.
What if I refresh or lose the page mid-game?
The game is saved in your browser, so the board and every called number are still there when you come back. Press New game when you want to start over.
Is it random enough for prizes?
Yes. The shuffle uses your browser’s cryptographic random number generator, the same source used for secure keys, so every order of the 90 numbers is equally likely and nobody can predict the next call.
How do I show it on a TV for a big room?
Open the page on a laptop or phone and cast or mirror the screen to the TV. The current number is large enough to read across a hall, and the board underneath shows everything called so far.
Where do I get tambola tickets?
Any printed or app tickets numbered 1 to 90 work with this caller. It only calls the numbers; it doesn’t generate tickets.