New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Bingo hasn't just been the province of OAPs forever you know, there is actually a very interesting story behind its history, one that makes the game seem all the more exciting. And anyway, this is a game that is played in anywhere from casinos to village fetes, all the way through to school assemblies.
In actuality Bingo transcends the world of simple gambling, it is so much more than this. It is rare to be able to find another such game that brings people together in such a joyous manner as Bingo. But what are its origins and how did it evolve into an online bingo enjoyed by players today? Well, read on to find out...
Prehistory
As with a large number of popular casino games, Bingo can actually be traced back to 16th Century Italy. In particular to a lottery called Lo Giuoco del Lotto D'Italia that amazingly is still played today. From here it spread to France where wealthy aristocrats would play something called Le Lotto. Interestingly the Germans also adopted use of the Bingo game, but this time it was used for the education of children - one of the main reasons why it is still so prevalent in schools today.
The Beginnings Of Modern Bingo
Bingo continued in the same vein for a few hundred years, but in the early 1900s when it had properly succeeded in crossing the Atlantic an innovator called Edwin S. Lowe changed the face of the game forever. Before him it was referred to as "Beano" by Americans and was played exclusively at country fetes.
Edwin S. Lowe changed the name to "Bingo" and hired a Mathematics professor to greatly increase the amount of Bingo cards available, thus beginning the era of genuine modern Bingo.
Surge In Popularity of Bingo
The proliferation of multiple Bingo cards and new name meant that the game once again surged in popularity, this time finding its way into a variety of different institutions, proving highly useful for a variety of reasons. For instance it proved to be a crucial way for churches to raise funds in the early 1900s, with an estimated 10,000 Bingo rounds being played each and every week by 1934.
Of course casino was quick to jump on the Bingo bandwagon as well, and as soon as regulations were lifted across North America the game became a key part of casinos across the continent.
One of the best things about Bingo, however, is its key position in a variety of care homes all across the world, giving old people and those of us who are less fortunate a chance to play a game that requires minimal effort or skill. You really cannot overestimate the powerful affect this has on many communities.
The Modern Day
Modern day Bingo is a truly multi-faceted activity, with kids, old people and hard-core gamblers all revelling in the activity just as much as each other. In the US, for instance, $90 million is spent on Bingo each week, all for varying reasons.
