Woman's Own

A little history of BINGO!

How our favourite game first started!

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Have you ever wondered how the game of bingo began? It has been popular for decades and has a rich and interestin­g history. Here’s a quick overview for you to enjoy and some facts so you can wow your friends in the chat rooms with your newfound knowledge!

Italy

Some scholars suggest that the game goes way back to the Roman Empire – just imagine that – the emperors in their white togas suddenly shouting ‘BINGO’ while strategisi­ng the next big invasion! More widely acknowledg­ed is the theory that bingo has its roots in 16th-century Italy, under the name Lo Giuoco del Lotto.

France and Germany

The game was further introduced throughout Europe but was especially successful in France with the aristocrac­y in the late 1770s. Their version with squares, rows, columns and random numbers looked like the design we know today. In 19th-century Germany, bingo was not only a fun game, but was used to help students to learn maths, spelling and even history.

USA

In the 1920s, the game arrived in North America where it was named ‘beano’ as the players used to place beans on their numbers. It is widely believed that toymaker Edwin Lowe came across the game while visiting a carnival and decided to make his own version. Six thousand bingo cards were made and it’s said he called it bingo, because he heard someone shout it instead of ‘beano’.

UK

Bingo migrated back to the UK and, from the 1960s onwards, its popularity continued to grow. Millions of people like to play bingo as the game does not only provide fun but also friendly social interactio­n. And, with the introducti­on of online bingo, it shed its traditiona­l format and keeps attracting young and old. Bingo is a game for every generation! Join Woman’s Own Bingo today and have fun!

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