History Of Bingo
Bingo, the fun game as we know it today was first played in
Italy around the early to mid-1500s. The game structure has
remained almost the same despite the many names it has had to
adopt every country it has been exported to. The earlier
versions were essentially a country fair style game that
involved a dealer selecting numbered discs out of a cigar box
and with every pick players would put a mark on their cards
corresponding to the number picked by the dealer. Strange as it
may sound, bingo's true ancestor. The game was initially lotto,
a name it retained in France where it was played only by nobles.
The name bingo was first used in North America; initially the
Americans called it beano because they marked the numbers in
their cards with beans whenever a corresponding number was
called. It is said that a New York toy salesman, Edwin Lowe
christened it bingo after one of the players faultily called it
so. There is however a tale that associates this hackneyed
proclamation to a famous cry one female player once made when
she literally went speechless on hitting it big in a bingo game
in New York.
Bingo got to the UK much later; sometime in the 1960s. No one
seems to have a good reason why this is so but since then it has
gained immense popularity. Its growth has received a couple of
boosts in its short history in the UK; the 1968 Gaming Act that
allowed bingo games in licensed premises and the launch of the
National Bingo Games in 1986. These two events actually brought
bingo to a similar standing with the much cherished rainy summer
day's fish and chips. This game that was once a senior citizens'
pastime is now ingrained in the British culture; it is both a
fun way to socializing and exciting money making game.
The growth after bingo after 1968 piece of legislation has been
alluring. Brits now cannot resist the excitement of tickets with
a set of numbers, patterns and 'fat' marking pens (dabbers) have
become an official way to attractive cash prizes. They have even
identified themselves with the 90-ball bingo game, a variant of
the 75-ball bingo that is popular with North Americans. With the
advancement in technology, electronic and online bingo has also
become an addition to the gaming menu. Electronic bingo is more
attractive because it gives players a chance to buy more than
the six cards as required traditionally. It has also made
playing more fluid increasing bingo hall managers' ticket
selling options. The other inherent advantage of electronic
Bingo has been the elimination of need for players to carry cash
along with them. Another technological advancement that has
worked in favour of bingo is the introduction of random number
generators (RNGs) to ensure fairness at all times. This has
helped advance the game to lessen the role of the caller hence
affording players more gaming activity.