History of Bingo

Bingo is one of the most popular games at both, land-based and online casinos. Many opt for it as it is a game of pure luck and does not require players to use betting strategies. The game is played under different names across the world. It was known as housey-housey in the UK and housie in Australia, New Zealand and India.

Origin – Italian Lottery in Early 16^th Century

The origin of the game is in an Italian lottery introduced in early 1500s called Lo Giuoco del Lotto D’Italia. It was a national lottery which took place every Saturday. The lottery quickly became the favorite game of the Italians and two centuries later the game was taken to other countries.

Late 18^th Century – Game Introduced in France and Renamed

France was introduced to the Italian lottery game and the French renamed it as Le Lotto. Some of the original rules were changed without affecting the concept of the game. It was in France that cards with numbers in horizontal and vertical rows were distributed among lotto players. The game was played only by the affluent people in the country at first, as the wagers placed were high.

19^th Century – Germans Use Game for Education

It was brought over to Germany a century later where it was launched with a different name, Lotto. The game was used for educational purposes, to help children learn history, spelling and mathematics.

20^th Century – New Yorker Lowe Invents the game

By the 20^th century, the game had reached England. It became an instant hit with the Army and military personnel. Housey-housey, the British version, was a favorite pastime for soldiers in the war. The US armed forces were introduced to the game by the British soldiers in mid 1920s.

The US soldiers brought the game to the US where it was named Beano. The lottery-style game was well-received by the Americans and was soon played at carnivals. In 1929, Edwin Lowe, a New York resident, was traveling to Jacksonville when he decided to stop at a carnival. At the carnival’s Beano game, players announced their win by shouting the game’s name.

Lowe realized that there were a huge group of people waiting to play the game. Back home in New York, Lowe redesigned the game and decided to test it among a group of friends at his house. A woman who won the game mispronounced Beano as Bingo in her excitement.

At that moment, Lowe decided to call the game that. When he introduced the game in the US market, it became a huge success. Lowe did not patent the game and it was replicated by numerous game manufacturers. With a few modifications, it was also used by churches to raise funds for local charities.

Online version

Online Bingo was included in gambling sites’ selection of games as they understood that many players enjoy the game. There are several sites that are dedicated to the game and offer a number of variations of the game along with bonuses and attractive prizes.