Bingo has been an extremely popular game in the 20th century in the US. But while the popularity focuses there, the game has actually been around since 1530, and no, it did not originate from the US. It all began when a state-run lottery called “Lo Giocco del Lotto d’Italia” had started in Italy, which attracted many players, including the French. In one of lotto versions, each player would hold a card of nine columns and three rows that had four free spaces for each row. The announcer would reach into a bag and randomly pick out a numbered wooden chip in each round. Whoever had a whole row covered first would be the winner. This game became an instant craze throughout Europe.
The popular game of Bingo was not actually known as “Bingo” originally. It was actually called “Beano”, which is a game where people would use dried beans to mark their cards when certain numbers matched their cards, and then shouted “Beano!” if they completed a line of numbers. They would then be awarded a small prize พนันบอล.
What a struggling but enterprising toy salesman named Edwin S. Lowe noticed at a country carnival in Atlanta, Georgia, was that people who had the chance to play the game would be captivated by the game. Amazed, he brought it back home to introduce it to his friends. Then in one fateful game, instead of calling out “Beano”, one lady blurted out of excitement over her win, saying “Bingo!” From then on, “Lowe’s Bingo” became a great success, and by the mid-30s, the game of bingo mushroomed all over the country, especially when churches and social clubs found that they had big potential in raising funds. People are still actively playing the game, with small to big scale games available.
Nowadays, there is Internet bingo as well. Internet bingo is a version of the game that can be played online at the convenience of time and place. Without taking away the socializing factor of the game, players can meet other players from all over the world. There definitely isn’t a specific stereotype of who plays Bingo. They can be of any age, gender, color, or creed, but one thing they do in common is love for the game.