The history of Bingo goes way back in history. Some may think it started in the 18th century, when it became popular in the United Kingdom, but its history goes beyond that. The original bingo game dates back to the 16th century when Italians invented it. It has since then seen numerous modifications, such that you can see in the modern-day bingo games available on some popular bingo UK sites. However, these sites still use technology to make the game feel like an old game that gives players a similar feeling of playing in bricks-and-mortar bingo halls.
Brief History Of Bingo
Bingo originated from Italy in the 1500s, derived from their traditional lottery game called “il giuoco del lotto d’italia.” After becoming famous in Italy, the game found its way to France in the 1700s, where they changed the name to “Le Lotto.” In France, the game was mainly popular among aristocrats and wealthy Frenchmen. The game began to spread rapidly across Europe, with each country creating its version. In the 1800s, Germany used their version of the bingo game to educate children by teaching them mathematics, history and spelling.
Bingo continued spreading until it found its way into North America, from which it earned its current name. When it got to North America, they initially referred to it as Beano. The story claims that Edwin S Lowe, a toy salesman at the time, heard a player scream Bingo instead of Beano out of winning excitement. Ever since then, the name bingo has stuck.
Although bingo had amassed popularity across Europe and globally but the golden age of bingo was in the 1960s when a bingo hall attendance for the week outnumbered the overall attendance of high calibre football matches in England.
Bingo is still a globally popular game today, and many people still enjoy going into bingo halls to play land-based bingo games. However, the invention of online bingo games is a significant factor in why the game is still popular today.
Countries Where Bingo Is Still Popular Today
- United Kingdom: Bingo game is believed mainly by most people to be a traditional culture of the United Kingdom because of how much they love the game. Bingo has been popular in the United Kingdom even before it became a legal activity in 1969 due to the introduction of the Betting and Gambling Act.
As of 1980, there were over 1600 commercial bingo halls across the United Kingdom. However, with the arrival of online bingo games, there was a decline in the presence of bricks and mortar bingo halls, albeit not so much. Bingo game remains one of their favourite games till today.
- Italy: Italians being the originator of the game, are still very much active when playing bingo games. The game is still as prevalent in Italy as it was when it started in the 1500s. Similar to the United Kingdom, Italians also play online bingo games a lot. However, there are still land-based bingo halls available for people who prefer to play the game the traditional way.
- United States Of America: The USA is one of the most popular destinations for the best gambling and casino games. With bingo being a popular casino game, it is only normal for it to still be a popular game in the country. Bingo has been a popular casino game in the United States since the 1920s when an entrepreneur copyrighted the game for use at Carnivals across Western Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh.
Since the 1930s and 1940s, local communities have been using bingo games to raise funds for the church and other community projects. This act is still prominent in the United States today. Like in the United Kingdom and Italy, online bingo has also become popular in the United States of America’s mainstream culture.
