Bingo is a traditional game that has retained its popularity throughout the ages.
The Roots of Bingo
The Italians are credited with inventing the game we know and love as Bingo today. Starting out as a weekly lottery game, known as ‘Lo Giuoco del Lotto d’Itallia’, it spread throughout Europe and gradually evolved into the form of Bingo that we play today; with a playing cards, tokens and numbers called out.
Bingo is Born
Although the basic concepts were in place, the game was originally marketed by carnival stall holders in the early twentieth century as ‘Beno’, the name shouted out when a player won the game. ‘Beno’ soared to new levels of popularity when toy manufacturer, Ed Lowe, developed a boxed version of the game. Still called ‘Beno’ at the time, the name reverted to its current form when a player at Lowe’s house shouted out the wrong winning call. Lowe and his friends liked her version so much that they re-named the game and ‘Bingo’ was born!
Although Lowe became rich from his popular new family game, he was unable to patent the game itself. He did however want to ensure that the name became synonymous with the game and asked competitors to pay him a dollar for the trademark name.
The Game Evolves
The layout of the cards has remained the same over the years, although called numbers were originally covered up by coins or tokens. At one point hard cards with sliding windows to close over each number were all the rage. Today, the humble but colorful marker or dauber is used.
Bingo has always been a social game, with players enjoying a bit of banter as they play. For this reason it was often played within communities; perhaps a church hall or sports club. It became a popular and enjoyable source of fundraising. Gradually special bingo houses or halls were set up where the game was regularly played.
In the UK, Bingo became synonymous with holiday resorts and bingo halls were a popular pursuit during a relaxing break. They were present at all the popular seaside resorts and in the 1950s and 60s the game was also enjoyed at holiday parks, a tradition continued to this day. These holiday parks started the tradition of calling the numbers by nicknames, for example, ‘all the fives, fifty-five’ and ‘legs eleven’.
From Medieval times to Modern Times
Bingo has travelled from Medieval Europe to become an international best seller. It has moved from carnivals to a boxed set played at home and from bingo halls to cyber space!
Its popularity is continuing today and in recent years Bingo has been enticing new audiences. Online Bingo is attracting a younger, more affluent audience – bringing the game to new levels of popularity.
