Cage or Screen? How to Run Charity Bingo With a Ball Cage and a Digital Board

Can I use a bingo app for a charity or fundraiser bingo game? Usually yes, just not for the drawing. Some states require licensed or charity bingo to use a physical draw like a ball cage or blower, and some ban electronic number generators. So keep your cage. Then enter each ball into a display or caller, and the TV and players' phones show every number.

Last updated: Oct 2026. This isn't legal advice. Check your state's rules.

I've helped run a bingo fundraiser for Royal Family Kids since 2011. The cage worked fine. What didn't was the back row asking "Was that B-7 or B-11?" That's the job a screen does. Here's how to add one while keeping the draw physical. Your state's rules still decide what's allowed.

Can you use a random number generator for charity bingo?

Sometimes. It depends on your state, so check before you plan around one. Two examples:

• Oregon says bingo numbers "shall be physically selected from a container," with players able to see the container or blower, and "shall not be selected by electronic equipment, such as a computer." (OAR 137-025-0160(3))
• Colorado requires the caller to "draw a ball from the receptacle," show it to players and announce it twice. A camera and monitor are allowed, but a sign by each monitor must read "Ball on TV is not official until called." (8 CCR 1505-2, Rule 3.1.3)

The North American Gaming Regulators Association publishes bingo standards you can compare against your state's rules. For the license side, see our church bingo fundraiser guide.

Our support docs say the same. For paid or fundraising games, "we'd steer you away from auto-draw." Draw the way your rules require and enter the numbers by hand. (Dauber HQ support)

What does "cage plus screen" mean?

It means each tool does one job.

• The cage or blower is the draw. In states that require a physical draw, it's what the rules point to, and it stays in your hands.
• The digital board is a display. A TV or projector shows the room every call. Anyone who wants the numbers at their seat can follow on their phone.
• Players keep marking their own paper cards; the phone just shows the calls.

We display the numbers. We don't take the money. Dauber HQ doesn't take bets or handle prizes. The phone view is a convenience for people already there, not a way to play from somewhere else.

How do you set it up?

Setting up the session and games in Dauber HQ is quick and easy. Your total setup time depends on whether the screens or projector are already in place.

1. Sign up and start a session. You pick 75 or 60 ball when you set it up.
2. Open the remote display on the TV or projector. Click "Open remote" on the caller screen and put that new window on the big screen. It can show the current pattern, recent calls, the QR code and the join URL. (Remote display help)
3. Show the QR code. Players scan it to follow on their phones. Nobody needs an app or an account. (Do players need an app?)
4. Auto-draw is off by default and enter numbers by hand. Draw a ball from the cage, then click or tap that number.
5. Call it out loud, like always. If your state requires it (Colorado does), post a sign by each screen: "Ball on TV is not official until called."

Numbers big enough to read from the back row. Every phone stays on the same call, from the first ball to the last.

Who does what on the night?

You need three roles. One volunteer can cover more than one.

• Cage operator: turns the cage and pulls the ball.
• Caller and data entry: reads the ball out and taps it in. In a small hall this is often the same person as the cage operator.
• Floor checker: walks to anyone who yells "Bingo!" and reads their card back.

What if someone mis-keys a number?

Undo it from the caller screen, then enter the right ball. The display and every phone update together. Say the fix out loud too, so the room hears it. (See Calling, undoing, and resetting numbers.)

How do you check a winner when the draw is physical?

The same way you always have. The host or floor checker compares the card to the called balls, the way your rules say. The screen is there to read from, but the call made out loud is what counts.

Dauber HQ doesn't check cards or pick winners, on purpose. That call belongs to the people running your game.

On Plus, the full call log is kept on the server, timestamped down to the second, and you can export it as CSV. It's a timestamped list you can point to when a player swears B-7 was never called. Additionally, call history is updated live on the screen.

When is auto-draw fine?

Auto-draw is built for the fun stuff: family game night, a party, a classroom, any casual get-together where nobody's paying to play. It picks the numbers for you, so nobody has to run a cage.

Once money changes hands (entry fees, buy-ins, prizes), switch back to the physical draw and enter the numbers by hand.

FAQ

Can I use auto-draw for a fundraiser? For games where money changes hands, we'd steer you away from it. Some states require a physical draw for licensed bingo, and some prohibit electronic number generators. Draw from your cage or blower and enter each number by hand. You still get the shared display and the phone view. Save auto-draw for casual nights.

Do players still need paper cards? Yes. Dauber HQ shows the called numbers on the TV and on phones. Players mark their own cards the way they always have. Your players stay anonymous, and nobody needs an app or an account to follow along. Depending on your location the player cards may be regulated as well.

What if I type the wrong number? Undo it from the caller screen, then enter the right ball. The TV and the phones update together. Say the fix out loud too, so the people watching the cage hear it.

Does Dauber HQ check winning cards? No, on purpose. The host or floor checker verifies the card against the called numbers. On Plus, the timestamped call log, exportable as CSV, is there to check against if someone questions a call.

How many people can follow on Free? Up to 10 viewers. The caller screen doesn't count. A TV or projector display counts as one viewer, and the whole room can watch it. So on Free, the room follows the big screen and phones are the extra. Upgrading to Plus is $15 a month or $120 a year for unlimited viewers, and it can run multiple sessions at once.

Is Dauber HQ an online bingo caller? It runs in your browser, for games played in person. Players follow on the TV or their phones while they sit in the room, marking their own cards. 

Sources

• Dauber HQ support: auto-draw for paid or fundraising events; in-person bingo only; the remote display; do players need an app?; plan limits explained; calling, undoing, and resetting numbers
• Dauber HQ Pricing
• Oregon Administrative Rules 137-025-0160, Conduct of Bingo in General, Oregon Secretary of State
• Colorado Secretary of State, 8 CCR 1505-2, Rules Concerning Bingo and Raffle Games, Rule 3.1.3 (version effective Oct 15, 2024)
• NAGRA Bingo Standards 

Keep your cage. Add the screen.

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