Bingo History

The game of Bingo is one that is loved all over the world, and has many roots in history. There are dozens of ways to play the game of Bingo. Bingo history began in the sixteenth century in Italy. It was called Lotto back in those times. The game of Bingo was played even more and soon made its way to the French courts, who loved the game. Bingo then came into the country of the United States around the early twentieth century. Today, it is a popular choice of games for clubs, senior citizen events, fairs, fundraisers, and much more.

The first game of Bingo started out with the name Beano. When the game was played, the first person who matched up a pattern of numbers yelled out "Beano!" The game was different from Bingo today, as a caller called numbers from one to ninety, and players had to match up numbers that were already predetermined. The name supposedly changed to Bingo when someone accidently called bingo instead of beano, and it began to stick.

Edwin Lowe, an American, is credited with modifying the game of Bingo, along with the help of friend and colleague Carl Leffler, a math professor. Leffler set upon the task of making over 6,000 different bingo cards to be played. It was developed to be more family oriented, so the game would hit a wider spread audience. The new version of Bingo was born, and people everywhere began to enjoy it. By the early 1930's, thousands of bingo games were played every week. Bingo began catching on as a way for places to raise money for different causes. Bingo became popular in churches, schools, festivals, and much more. Everybody turned out to play Bingo, both young and old.

Today, bingo history has evolved into a game with cards numbering one through seventy-five. Five columns and rows make up the bingo card, each with a number on them. The square in the very middle of the card is blank, and Bingo players are permitted to put a chip on it at the start of each game. This is called the free space. A rolling ball is used to randomly choose numbers, while someone takes the place of the caller - shouting them out to the rest of the Bingo players. If you have the number called, you mark your card by either using a chip or a dauber. To get Bingo, a row must be covered, such as in a horizontal, vertical, or a diagonal line. However, there are many ways to play Bingo, and many people change it up. One other way to play bingo is to get a coverall or blackout - meaning all numbers must be covered on the card in order to win.

Bingo has also always been used as an educational game. This started in the European countries where teachers and parents alike used the game of Bingo to help their children learn math and counting. Bingo is now sold in many different versions, and by different companies. On average, people in the United States Bingo spend around $90 million dollars every week for the chance to play the game of Bingo.

Bingo history has quickly evolved into a game enjoyed by many. Nowadays, it is not just played in churches or in Bingo halls. Bingo is an online game, played for both fun and for money, and can be found in many forms at various casinos. It is a game of chance that will be played for many years to come, no matter how old or young a person may be.