History of Bingo

Bingo history got its start in 1530, in Italy as a lottery game called “Lo Giuoco del Lotto d’Italia.” The game made advancements in France in the 1700’s and continued to mature into the 1800’s in Germany where they widely used the game for educational purposes to help children memorize math and spelling.

Like most casino or gambling style games, bingo made a jump to the US and found an opportunity for expansion. The man who noticed the potential was Edwin Love. While watching the game (then being called Beano) being played in Atlanta in 1929, he observed how engaged the players were and brought it back to his friends in New York. He introduced the game similarly to the way he witnessed it in Atlanta which was played with dried beans, a rubber numbering stamp and card board. An accepted legend in the history of bingo says that the name bingo was first initiated when someone got so excited after a win that that screamed out “bingo” instead of “beano.”

The lottery style game has seen a consistent following in the United States since the 1940s. The rules are very easy and the history of bingo hasn’t produced any major changes in the overall concept. Bingo is widely known for being staged at churches and charity events. Although the game is not that common in standard casinos, the internet has made the game widely accessible and established a new online bingo history.