History of Bingo
Sunday, January 11th, 2009
Bingo is the game practically everybody has heard of, majority of the people have played online bingo at some time. Though bingo in the present form has been developed in 1920’s and 1930’s, and bingo has history that will date thousands years back.
Bingo, a game keno & lotteries are based on the drawing numbers for prize. For a moment 205 BC to 187 BC, lottery similar to the keno that was played in China and we know this just because keno will slip dating back to Han Dynasty had recovered.
Other lotteries were most likely being played for thousands of years before this and there is proof that there were European lotteries for a time before 100 BC.
Early lottery champions were rewarded with the prizes rather than the money, however about 5 hundred years before (in 1530), Italian Lotto (that is the Italian term for the lottery) started. It was the first bingo lottery which was held at Europe.
Lotto proved to be popular in Italy, as well as merchants & sailors from some other countries have learned of lotto when they traveled to Italy and these same merchants & sailors spread game to lots of areas of world after going away from Italy. Game played then was much simpler than today’s edition of bingo, however it was similar.
In France at 18th century, idle & wealthy aristocrats enjoyed this game that was very similar to the game of bingo, like we play it at present. Cards had 3 horizontal and 9 vertical rows. The caller was selected who called out the numbers; players need to cover the numbers call aloud.
From France, bingo like games then passed to Germany and here they were received as educational tool for kids. Numbers were substituted with animals & historical events to help the students remember. However actual game we identify as bingo, had birthplace in US.
