Bingo is a game of chance that most people have played at one time or another. Bingo is still going strong in the 21st century despite the simple aspects of the game.
Origins of game traced to Italy
The origins of the bingo games that are played today date back to the 16th century in Italy. When the country was united in 1530, a lottery was developed. The game was known as “Lo Giuoco del Lotto d’Italia.”
The next major evolution occurred in France in the 18th century. In 1778, “Le Lotto” became a popular game in the country. The cards utilized within the game were divided into nine vertical and three horizontal rows. The horizontal rows featured five squares with numbers, as well as four squares that were blank, placed in a random arrangement. The vertical rows possessed numbers ranging from 1 to 10 for the first row, 11 to 20 in the second row, proceeding all the way up to 90.
In the following century, lottery games became a popular educational tool in some countries. One of these games helped children learn multiplication tables in Germany.
Bingo arrives in the west in the 20th century
A traveling carnival salesman took notice of the lottery games being played in Germany and brought the concept to the United States. He made some adjustments to the game that was observed in Germany. His version of the game allowed players to complete a row diagonally, horizontally or vertically. The pitchman called his game Beano.
In 1929, New York toy salesman Edwin Lowe observed the game being played at a carnival in Georgia. Lowe noticed how many players were involved and interested in the game. Winning players would shout “Beano!” when they had the required numbers on their card.
click here to see most Popular PagesOn his return to New York, Lowe introduced Beano to his area. He used some dried beans, cardboard and a rubber numbering stamp to play the game. It didn’t take long for the game to become popular among Lowe’s friends. During one game, a woman yelled “Bingo!” upon completing a winning card instead of Beano. The new name would stick.
Lowe offered his game in several variations. Players could purchase a 12-card or 24-card set. By the 1940′s, the game was widely popular around the country. Many imitators copied Lowe’s game during this time. In the end, Lowe simply asked his competitors to pay him a dollar a year and use the name bingo for the games.
Churches offer the game
A short time after Lowe’s game became well-known in the market, a priest from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, approached Lowe about his game. The priest felt that the game would help to solve some of the financial problems at his church.
It was through the initial church games that another development in bingo occurred. It soon became apparent that there wasn’t a big enough variety of different bingo cards for the games. This led to Lowe utilizing the services of a Columbia mathematics professor to create 6,000 different bingo cards.
Today, bingo is still a popular game in many churches around the country.
No wonder that online bingo also goes hand in hand after church ceremony or on Sunday gatherings.
Leo Watkins[Quote] [Reply]