How Did Bingo Get Started?

Gambling is one of the most common forms of entertainment in the world. It is considered by many as the best way to unwind. Through time, an increasing number of people have been attracted to the different kinds of gambling such as bingo.

Just like the other forms of gambling, bingo which was known to be a derivative of lottery, is a game of luck. Gamblers who want to play bingo simply buy cards with numbers that correspond to the letters making up the term "bingo." Numbers are drawn randomly by a pitchman and players need to match the numbers drawn to the numbers found on their cards. The objective of the game is to complete a called bingo pattern with five numbers. This pattern can be in a vertical, horizontal or even a diagonal row. The first one lucky enough to complete a pattern should alert others by shouting the word "Bingo!" before this player claims the prize.

As mentioned above, bingo is another type of lottery which is considered to be a descendant of the Lo Giuoco del Lotto d'Italia. According to most gambling historians, bingo originated in Italy in 1530. In 1778, French people adapted the game and played it using a deck of cards. After several years, Educational Lotto games became prevalent in different nations.

Edwin S. Lowe, a salesman from New York City, saw bingo played in a carnival in Jacksonville, Georgia in 1929. When he has returned to his home, he invited his friends to his apartment to play the game. Afterwards, he established a company that introduced the Lowe Bingo game. He recruited Carl Leffler, a mathematics instructor at the Columbia University, to improve the number combinations in bingo cards. Leffler was able to develop 6,000 various bingo cards in 1930.

After several years, a priest from Pennsylvania asked Lowe to use bingo in raising funds for the Catholic Church. Afterwards, the game became increasingly popular to church goers. Approximately 10,000 bingo games were played each week in 1934. At the present time, bingo serves as a major source of income for most local governments. In some countries, this type of lottery is believed to be contributing over 75 million dollars to their annual budget.

History plays a significant role in the present popularity of bingo. Hence, players should know that the rules and ways of playing the game will not be organized without the help of those people who have worked hard to introduce the game in the gambling industry.