Bingo 101: An Introduction to the Game
Bingo is an old game where the chances of the players depend on randomly drawn numbers; bingo is one of the most common lotteries around. It is a favorite pastime and fund-raising gimmick in the United States and other countries.
Bingo History
Bingo started off as a carnival game in the US. It was called beano because the players would mark the numbers with dried beans. The players who won were usually given a Kewpie doll as a prize.
It wasn't until Edmund Lowe, an enterprising salesman form New York, decided to capitalize on the marketing possibilities of the game that the game finally began to be played by more and more people until it became a household name.
The history of the game can be traced back to Italy. Upon the reunification of Italy the government decided to sponsor a national lottery to increase funds. Thus the Lo Giuoco del Lotto D'Italia was born, the predecessor of the game we know today. It came to France in the late 1700s and the French elite changed the name to Le Lotto. Bingo was also popular in Germany, altough more as a learning tool for small children than as a lottery.
How the Game is Played
Bingo cards have a printed design of five rows of five rows containing five squares each, twenty five squares in total. The letters BINGO appear above this grid, each letter heading each column. The numbers one to seventy-five are printed in each square except in the center square, which is left blank and is called a free play. There are seventy-five bingo balls that are marked with a number from one to seventy-five and a letter from the word BINGO. These balls are drawn out randomly one at a time, and the number and corresponding letter is announced by the caller for all to hear. Those who have the right number and letter combination will then mark their numbers on their cards with bingo makers, called daubers.
As soon as five numbers are marked in a straight horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line, the player with the numbers can call out 'BINGO!" and is usually given a prize. The person who manages to cover all his cards in a cover-all game usually wins as bigger jackpot or prize.
Bingo is a very simple game to play, and its not that difficult to set this game up either. And because this game can be played by many people at one time, it is no longer seen as a simple game of winning and losing, but instead has acquired the reputation as an excellent opportunity to unwind, socialize and catch up with friends. This is probably why bingo has become such a favorite activity for people worldwide.
