You’re probably familiar with the concept of bingo: marking off numbers on a card (or cards) in the hope of winning a cash prize!
But where did it all start? In this blog post, we explore how bingo has evolved over the years, from its origins in Italy back in the 1500s to present-day online bingo games.
Keep reading to find out more about the history of bingo and how it all started.
Once Upon a Time in Italy…
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.
The First Bingo Card
Games that were similar to the Italian version of bingo continued to be popular around the world, but it wasn’t until 1929 that the first modern bingo card was invented. The story goes that New York toy salesman Edwin S. Lowe was visiting a carnival and played a game called Beano, which involved a caller drawing numbered balls from a cigar box and players using dried beans to cover up numbers written on their cards.
After returning home, Lowe decided to print bingo cards and increase the number of possible combinations. He even hired Columbia University maths professor Carl Leffler to help him create over 6,000 different bingo cards, which were designed to have fewer repeating number groups and conflicts when more than one person got Bingo at the same time.
Church Bingo
Although it may not seem like an obvious pairing, bingo was – and in some cases still is – played in churches in both the US and the UK. This evolution came about when a Catholic priest from Pennsylvania asked Lowe if it would be possible to use bingo as a way to raise money for the church.
By 1934 an estimated 10,000 bingo games were being played weekly in America, and the game continued to increase in popularity.
Even today some churches in the UK still host bingo events as a means of fundraising, although there are certain rules in place to moderate these events – such as a maximum prize pot of £600, for example.
Bingo at Physical Casinos
As the popularity of bingo increased, it was introduced at casinos all around the world. Edwin Lowe, the creator of bingo as we know it, even built a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip called the Tallyho inn where players could enjoy in-person bingo games in the glamorous surroundings of Vegas.
Bingo and Bingo Halls 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. 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.
Players like the social aspect of the game and bingo clubs sprung up all over the country. It was seen as a sociable pastime, with the chance to win real cash prizes too.
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.
The Rise of Online Bingo
The invention of the internet opened up the world of bingo to a whole new generation of players around the world. The first ever online bingo site, ‘Bingo Zone’, was launched in the USA in 1996, followed by ‘Bingo Blitz’ in 1998. Although the games were very basic, they set the scene for more advanced online bingo games in the future.
By the year 2000 there were about 20 online bingo sites to choose from, and as technology evolved the game became increasingly popular.
Bingo launched on Facebook in 2011, and around the same time free bingo apps started popping up everywhere.
Online bingo appealed to a younger demographic of players, who could play from the comfort of their own home in a safe and sociable online environment.
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.
The Future of Bingo
Bingo has proved that it can stand the test of time, with a huge variety of different formats and bingo-inspired games that appeal to players all over the world.
Bingo is constantly evolving, and the future is looking bright for global bingo growth. Virtual reality bingo is just one fun possibility, which could allow players to immerse themselves even more into the atmosphere of a real bingo hall from the comfort of their own home.
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