Bingo History
Bingo and online bingo, the history of online bingo and where it originated from and more amazing facts.
Bingo History
As far as we know, bingo originated in Italy in 1530, where it was probably the first ever lottery. The Italians called it Lo Giuoco del Lotto D’Italia and the game was played every Saturday, much as many of the national lotteries are played in the world today. In the 1770s the game was discovered by the French. Le Lotto was mainly played by wealthy Frenchmen. Then to Germany in the 1800s where they played a version intended as a learning game for children and students.
Bingo made its way to America in 1929 when a carnival pitchman touring Germany stumbled across the game. The game was a country fair game and played when a dealer would select numbered discs from a cigar box, players would mark their cards with beans giving the game the name of Beano. Once a player had marked off all numbers on their card, they shout “Beano”. Originally a carnival game in America, by the 1930s the game was played to help raise money for worthy causes.
The name “Bingo” came about when a New York toy salesman, Edwin S. Lowe, overheard someone shouting “BINGO” instead of “Beano”. The name has stuck ever since.
Not until 1960, when Parliament passed the Gaming Act, did Bingo become widely known in the UK. Games were only allowed in members only establishments. 1968 brought about the passing of another Gaming Act which allowed clubs to play for prizes and cash prizes, as well as establishing a Gaming Board to regulate clubs that played Bingo. Bingo was becoming extremely popular, so popular, in fact, that Bingo Halls were starting to pop up in most major towns around the country in the 1980s. Bingo was enormous, the game to play and many of these halls still remain to this day.
Due to the ever changing world of technology, Bingo can now be played online at anytime, anywhere.
If you haven’t played yet, what are you waiting for?
