The History of Bingo and How the Game Evolved

Lo Giucco del Lotto D’Italia, which was the Italian National Lottery in 1530 planted the seeds for the future game of bingo, which today is an extremely popular game that developed into many versions of bingo. In the beginning, the Catholic Church was against the popular game of bingo, saying that it was evil and the work of the devil. However, people still loved the game of bingo and its roots spread to France by 1770 and then across the Continent and then to America.

In time, the game of bingo developed differently in the United Kingdom and in the United States giving birth to different versions of bingo such as 75 Ball Bingo and 90 Ball Bingo. Most players wouldn’t have known that there were two different versions if they didn’t play bingo online or travel but due to the internet, they do now.

90 Ball Bingo is the British version of bingo played in the UK, Ireland and Australia. Such bingo versions are based on ninety numbers and are played on a rectangular grid called a ticket. On the ticket of this game of bingo are nine vertical columns and three rows, with five numbers printed on each horizontal line. The rest of the spaces are left blank. A player can yell ‘Bingo’ when one line is completed but there are also played special games of bingo played for two and three lines with the three lines known as a full house, or housie.

75 Ball Bingo is the American version which evolved slightly different. When first arrived on the continent the numbers were drawn from a cigar box which had discs with numbers printed on them. Bingo players verified their bingo cards and covered the numbers with pinto beans. When a bingo player completed a line, he would shout ‘Beano’.

Edwin Lowe, a toy salesman discovered this game of bingo in the early 1920’s and rapidly understood the potential of the game and transformed it in a new version of bingo, known as the American, or the 75 Ball Bingo. He was helped by a hired mathematician to develop six thousand unique cards. He invented the square five number by five number grids with the letters of the word bingo across the top. In his version of bingo, when a player completed a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line he won. Special games can consist of various patterns or coveralls.

Also, Lowe changed the name to Bingo and during the Great Depression of the 1920’s he and his game of bingo met with immense success. He started to market the game cards game to church parishes which offered it as a form of fund-raising. This is a role which the game of bingo still fulfills today.

Ironically, the Catholic Church now embraces the game of bingo as an affordable form of fund-raising. Today, the game of bingo is widely enjoyed and is played in many variations and forms. The game of bingo can now be played not only in land based bingo halls, but also bingo fans can play bingo online or on their mobile phone.