A Detailed Look at the History of Bingo

Bingo is one of the few casino games that have been around for a long time and are popular among casino players even today. Legend says that the first form of bingo was invented more than five centuries ago in Italy. When you consider its longevity, it’s a remarkable accomplishment.

The popularity of bingo plummeted after it became mainstream in the post-World War II era. Since the introduction of online and mobile casino sites in the 21st century, bingo has become a popular casino game.

It seems like something interesting to know. Continue reading as we dive deep into the history of bingo.

The origins of bingo

The origins of Bingo can be traced back to 16th century Italy, where it first appeared in the form of a lottery game called “Lo Giuoco Lotto Italia”. Interestingly, the first version of Bingo shared a lot of similarities with today’s 90 Ball Bingo which is available at the UK online casino. Back then, players were given cards with several rows printed on them. Here, the player who first marked all the winning numbers (which were drawn from a sack) won the game.

The exciting nature of the game led to it making its way into the French aristocracy. By the late half of the 18th century, the game became a prominent part of the French casino gambling world. It’s worth noting that the French tweaked the Lotto game, which included changing its name to “Le Lotto” and modifying the cards to the standard 3-row format.

The advent of bingo in the UK

The early version of Bingo became popular in France and Germany in the 1700s. However, it wasn’t until the start of the 18th century that the game arrived in the UK. Again, the game quickly gained traction among UK casino players. While the game didn’t experience drastic changes in the United Kingdom, it did see the introduction of the concept called Bingo Lingo.

In a nutshell, Bingo Lingo is a list of nicknames for popular Bingo calls. Most of the names in Bingo Lingo can be traced back to East London’s Cockney Rhymes, though some are based on modern gambling terms. Some famous Bingo calls include Get up and run for 31; Christmas Cake for 38; and Top of the Shop for 90.

History of bingo in the US

In 1929, bingo was introduced to the United States. Atlanta was the first city in the world to play it as a carnival game that year. A turning point in the history of the game occurred at this point.

In the past, the game had been called several names, mostly bingo (in North America, it was called Beano). And the way the game got its current name “Bingo” is quite interesting. On a fine day, a New York toy salesman Edwin S. Lowe heard someone screaming “Bingo” instead of “Beano” while playing the game. The name instantly clicked with him, and he renamed the game as Bingo.

Lowe then started selling his Bingo cards to the public. But as the game had a basic design back then, there were usually too many winners in each gameplay round. To tackle that, Lowe decided to increase the number of combinations in the cards. So, he partnered with a Columbia University math professor named Carl Leffler, who then came up with 6,000 different Bingo cards.

Soon after, Lowe came across a Catholic priest who pitched the idea of using the game in churches. The priest intended to raise funds for worthwhile causes. Lowe’s agreed and soon the game became available in several churches in the US. It’s no wonder that Bingo quickly became popular among Americans since so many people were playing it in churches.

Today, the US sees millions of dollars being spent on land-based and online Bingo games every single week. Also, US Bingo players now have the option to use several online Bingo strategies to make the most of their gameplay. Indeed, the game of bingo has come a long way!

The rise of online bingo

It was the casino gambling industry that pioneered the online revolution. As a result, players can now play casino games at home or on the go. Additionally, the internet has revived several casino games that were once in decline. One of them is bingo.

Online bingo can be traced back to the internet revolution in the 1990s. Online bingo was launched for the first time in 1996. In the following years, many Bingo games and websites were created. Several mobile Bingo games were also introduced in the casino world, including Bingo Liner.

Today, you can play Bingo online with a variety of options. After all, the flexibility of the online world offers more room for innovation and allows developers to be more creative with their Bingo offerings. All in all, the convenience, availability and reliability of online platforms means it has never been easy to enjoy the game of Bingo.

Summary

From Italy’s Lo Giuoco Lotto Italia to modern-day online Bingo, the game of Bingo has evolved significantly. Today, it’s possible for players to enjoy Bingo whenever and wherever they want. In the next few years, we can expect to see the game of Bingo becoming more engaging and personalised in terms of themes available and bet types offered.