A bingo system for managing bingo games includes a central computer and a printer which is usually located on site at the game location. The computer stores a series of bingo cards in memory and is arranged to printout the bingo cards on pages or in books for playing by the players. The computer can be programmed in dependence upon the requirements of the bingo hall management to customize the pages and books to particular games and game formats. Each bingo page or bingo book printed carries a bar code which is associated in the memory of the computer with all of the bingo cards in the page or book sold. The location is supplied with a plurality of portable bar code readers which are used by the cashier and floor runners to read the bar codes of papers and books to be purchased. The central computer communicates price information to the readers and can decline a paper or book if it contains duplicates of bingo cards already sold for that game. When commencing the bingo game, therefore, the computer has information identifying all of the bingo cards sold for that game for record purposes and for confirming that the winning card is one which was properly sold for that game.