Group GamesTambola number caller and ticket maker
Call numbers from 1 to 90 at random, with no repeats, and print fresh Tambola (Housie) tickets. Free, with no app and no login.
Each ticket has 3 rows with 5 numbers in each row, in the usual columns (1 to 9, 10 to 19 ... 80 to 90). To play on WhatsApp, take a screenshot of each ticket and send one to each player.
How to use the caller
- Give every player a ticket. Make and print them above, or send screenshots.
- Tap "Call next number". The big number is the one to announce. The board keeps every number called so far.
- When someone claims a prize, check their ticket against the green numbers on the board.
- The game is saved in this browser, so the board is still there if you close the page by mistake. Tap "New game" to clear it.
Winning patterns
| Pattern | What the player needs |
|---|---|
| Early five | Any five numbers on the ticket |
| Four corners | The first and last numbers of the top and bottom rows |
| Top line | All five numbers of the first row |
| Middle line | All five numbers of the second row |
| Bottom line | All five numbers of the third row |
| Full house | All fifteen numbers on the ticket |
Tips for the person calling
- Call slowly and twice. Say the number, pause, and say it again: "Four and five, forty-five." In a large hall, use a microphone.
- Announce the prizes first. Tell everyone which patterns are being played and in what order before the first number.
- Stop the game for every claim. Check the ticket against the board before calling the next number. A claim made after the next number has been called is usually not accepted; say so at the start.
- Keep the board visible. Turn the screen towards the players or connect it to a television, so that anyone who missed a number can catch up.
Playing over a video call or a chat group
Make the tickets here, take a screenshot of each one and send one to every player privately. Share your screen so that the board is visible, or type each number in the group as you call it. Ask a claimant to send a photo of the marked ticket. For a family spread across cities, this is one of the few games in which every age can take part at the same time.
New to the game? Read how to play Tambola. We suggest playing for fun, sweets or small gifts, not for money.