Bingo – both online and offline – is a global phenomenon. In 2022 the global online bingo gambling market was valued at around $60.01 billion USD, and this value continues to rise.
In this article, we explore where it all started, and how bingo grew to be such a popular game worldwide. We’ll also discuss how advances in technology have played a major role in bringing bingo to a global audience.
Read on to find out more about the history of bingo.
The Origins of Bingo
The origins of bingo can be traced back to 1530s Italy, where a game called ‘Lo Giuoco del Lotto d’Italia’ was becoming increasingly popular. The name of the game translated roughly to ‘the clearance of the lot of Italy’, and it had some similarities to the National Lottery that we play today. In fact, ‘Lo Giuoco del Lotto d’Italia is still played in Italy every Saturday, where players compete to win cash prizes.
In the original game players were given cards divided into squares, and the host would draw the numbers from a bag.
From Italy to France
In the 18th century, a French version called ‘Le Lotto’ became popular. The new game featured multiple rows of numbered squares, and players had to complete at least one row to win. The game was mostly played by the wealthy upper class.
Into Germany and Europe
Bingo continued to spread throughout Europe and during the early 19th century a German Tombola version was invented. It was also used for educational purposes to help children with spelling, maths and history.
Bingo in the USA
Bingo as we know it today was invented in the 1920s, when American toy professional Edwin Lowe saw a version of the game being played at carnivals and fairs in the USA. It’s said that players used beans to cover their numbers, rather than the daubers or marker pens that are used today. Instead of ‘bingo!’ players would yell ‘beano!’ when they won.
The story goes that Lowe took the game back to New York and introduced it to his friends. One day they were playing and one of them shouted out ‘bingo!’ by mistake. Lowe and his friends found this hilarious, and ‘bingo’ became its new name.
Bingo became a big hit in the US by the mid-1930s. An estimated 10,000 games were played each week, and churches and charities used bingo to raise funds.
Bingo in the UK
In the UK, bingo is thought to have been played around a similar time to when it was introduced in France. Versions of the game were played by soldiers and the navy in the 19th and 20th centuries, but it really took off in the ‘60s. Like in America, it was also used as a way to raise funds for communities and charities. In Liverpool, the Catholic Church even ran bingo games to help fund the building of a new cathedral.
In 1961, the British government began to regulate the game as it became increasingly popular. Large cinemas in London and further afield were closed and turned into bingo halls, and by 1963 14 million people were playing bingo.
As the game became more and more popular, the prizes on offer increased too. Bingo was a hit in seaside towns and holiday parks across the UK, as well as in working men’s clubs and social clubs.
The first purpose-built bingo hall was the Castle Club at Canton in Cardiff, which opened in 1988.
In 1986 the National Bingo Game Association launched the National Bingo Game, a bingo game that links all licensed bingo clubs in the UK. Until the introduction of the National Lottery in 1994, the National Bingo Game was the UK’s largest computer-controlled game.
Cultural Adaptations of Bingo
There are lots of different versions of bingo around the world. Here are a few of our favourites:
Mexico
In Mexico, a game called Loteria is popular – and very similar to bingo. It has images instead of numbers on the boards. To play, listen for the caller to shout out a riddle or the name of an image and then place a token on your board if you have it. The first player to get all tokens in a row or otherwise and calls out “¡Lotería!” (not “bingo!”) is the winner.
Japan
In Japan, bingo is popular at weddings and corporate parties. There may be cash prizes, although it is more likely that the winners would receive gifts.
Australia
In Australia, bingo is played similarly to how it is in the UK, although they call it ‘housie’ rather than bingo, and this is what you shout if you get a full house.
Sweden
In Sweden, bingo has become popular with a new generation of younger players, who drive to scenic locations to play ‘drive-in bingo’ – similar to drive-in cinemas! When players complete a row, they sound their car horn and an official comes over to check.
The Age of Online Bingo
In recent years, advances in technology have brought bingo to a whole new online audience. It’s thought that Cyberbingo.com, which was established back in 1996, was the first ever online bingo site.
The online version of the game enjoyed a gradual rise in popularity, but it wasn’t until 2003 that online bingo burst onto the mainstream as more and more people were able to access the internet. Around this time lots of different online bingo sites were created, giving players new and fun ways to play.
Bingo launched on Facebook in 2011, and around the same time free bingo apps started popping up everywhere. The internet helped to further bingo’s global appeal, and today it is enjoyed by players all around the world.
One of the biggest benefits of online bingo is that you don’t need to be in a specific location – such as a bingo hall – to play it. As long as you have an internet connection, you can play it whenever and wherever you like, whether that’s on the bus to work, at home in your PJs or out on the go. Read our blog to find out more about technology and bingo.
Online Bingo Today
Today there are hundreds of online bingo games to choose from. Online casinos like Spin Genie have made it easy for people to play on their mobile – you no longer need to sit at home in front of the computer screen to play bingo. You can play traditional 90-ball bingo, American-style 75-ball bingo, or 30-ball ‘speed bingo’ – the fewer the balls, the quicker the game! There are also games with progressive jackpots, fixed jackpots and community jackpots, so there’s certainly a lot to choose from.
The general principle of the game usually remains the same, with players trying to match up numbers to score ‘bingo’. The numbers appear on the screen, and are automatically daubed (or marked off) on your virtual bingo card. You can also choose to mark them off yourself if you like. Many online bingo games have chat rooms, and in some of them you may be able to play in-chat games with the host and with your fellow players for a chance to win additional prizes.
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