New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Are you a
Bingo's fan? Ever wondered where the name
Bingo comes from? This really popular game has a very multi-faceted history on its back. The original version was called 'Lo Giuoco del Lotto d'Italia' and was born in Italy already in 1500. It was 1700 when a simple version of it appeared in France.
In 1900, Bingo (at that time known as Beano) developed in America. It was also a game played in churches. Then, at the end of 1900, it first appeared in the UK. And now, an easier access to play online bingo whenever you want.
The Italian version of Bingo
'Lo Giuoco del Lotto' was played every week in Italy. This version was similar to the one we are still used to: players had to cover up all numbers of a card formed by rows. The sequence of numbers was extracted from a bowl. It suddenly became that popular that Italian people never stopped playing it.
The French and the German versions
The French version of the game (known as 'Le Lotto') has seen the introduction of 3 horizontal rows and 9 verticals. The winner was the player able to cover a horizontal row.
The history of Bingo in Germany is completely different. Born in 1800, the game had educational purposes. It was used in schools to teach math and history.
The American version
A man travelling to Germany discovered 'Lotto' and decided to launch it in America. Known as a Carnival game (at that time it was Beano), it was very appreciated by players. Similar to the French version, it was formed by 3 horizontal and 9 vertical rows. To win, players had to fill up a horizontal or vertical line.
Driving near Jacksonville, a man named Lowe got its first contact with this game during a Carnival party. When he got how strong was the excitement of the crowd while playing it, he decided to replicate it with his friends at his house.
This domestic event was amazing and incredibly successful. The legend tells that a lady in a mix of confusion and excitement for winning the game shouted the word 'Bingo' instead of 'Beano' to announce its victory. From that moment on, it took the name of Bingo.
It was a priest, Wilkes-Barre, who to solve his church financial problems thought that a solution could be to introduce Bingo in churches as a way to get some funds. Thanks to this introduction, Lowe had the chance to become aware of the enormous potentialities of this game. That's why he decided to ask for the help of a mathematician who introduced more winning combinations.
Now, it is also used in voluntary associations or nursing homes.
Bingo in the UK
Known in the UK as Bingo Lingo, the game was introduced in 1800. It is now very popular among British people who love it and regularly play it.
According to some research, it is now the second most played game, immediately after tennis, in the UK both among women and men aged 40.
