Bingo in the UK

Bingo is a form of gambling that has a long history in the world. Its roots are in medieval Italy and we all know how the story of it continues. The game is known everywhere and nearly everyone has tried it. Find out the full history of this beloved game of numbers and see where you can play it in the world of online casinos. 

You don’t need a huge amount of money to enjoy this game. As a matter of fact, Bingo is a unique game where the social aspect matters more than its dynamics. Bingo players enjoy the game just like any Friday night outs and other special days away from work. Moreover, the biggest market of Bingo is composed of players under the working class. Most importantly, you don’t have to be young and rich to play this game.

Now, take a look at when and how Bingo was introduced to us before it became popular today.

Online casinos with bingo in the UK

Regardless of your location and the time you want to play, you can enjoy Bingo without a hassle. All you have to do is take note of the Bingo software providers above and follow them in online casinos. Depending on your taste and preference, you can choose from our wide range of online casinos that offer Bingo games. So, be sure to check out the latest variants of Bingo games in any of our online casinos below:

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History

“Lo Giuoco del Lotto D’Italia”

Bingo’s history goes back in 1530 where the National Italian Lottery was a hit. Italian Lottery back then was still called “Lo Giuoco del Lotto D’Italia” which is played using cards with numbered boxes. Each box in the card contains a winning number that is drawn from a sack. As the game became more popular among players, it made its way to establish its name in France.

“Le Lotto”

It was in 1778 when the French press reported that “Le Lotto” had captured the interest of the intelligentsia. During the 1770s, the classic version of Lotto was developed and introduced in France. It was a young Frenchman who developed the game’s playing card which is divided into 3 horizontal and 9 vertical rows. Each horizontal row had 5 numbered boxes and 4 blank boxes that are arranged randomly. The first vertical row had 1 – 10 number while the second vertical row had 11 – 20 number.

The third vertical row had 21 – 30 number which went on to the last row with up to 90 number. If there’s one more thing in common about the classic Lottery cards, it’s the fact that they’re all unique. This means that each card contained a unique set of numbers in each row. The Lottery set included chips where the winning 1 – 90 numbers where written. Each player had 1 Lotto card while the wooden winning numbers were drawn from a sack and read aloud.

Players cover the drawn numbers that also appeared in their card. The first player to cover all his/her horizontal row was announced as the winner.

Educational Lotto games

Later on, the educational Lotto game became popular in the 1800s. This time, the German Lotto was introduced in the 1850s that taught children about Multiplication tables. At the same time, other Lotto games were also introduced including the “Animal Lotto”, “Spelling Lotto”, and the “Historical Lotto”. Up until now, these Lotto games remain competitive in the market under the toy and game categories.

“Beano”

Before Bingo got its name that we use today, it was originally called “Beano”. Beano had become part of the game’s history when it was discovered by a toy company owner named Edwin Lowe. It was in December 1929 when Lowe entered a country carnival on his way to his appointments. Curious that all booths inside were already closed but one which is still packed with people, Lowe stayed and observed.

Through peering over the shoulders of the players, he noticed the horseshoe-shaped table that is covered with cards. Not only that, the cards were numbered and some were even covered with beans. Then, there’s the caller/pitchman who pulled the small wooden disks with written numbers from an old box of cigarette. The players checked their cards when the caller read the numbers allowed to see if they had it too. Those who got the same number on their card placed a bean over the number.

The first player who filled the entire line of numbers vertically, horizontally, or diagonally was the winner. Of course, the signal was when someone shouted the word “Beano!” to receive a Kewpie doll prize. After observing and playing the game himself, the pitchman told Lowe that he developed Beano from the Lotto game. While the pitchman was travelling with a carnival in Germany, he discovered Lotto and decided to apply his own ideas. The pitchman brought the game with him when he returned to New York.

After returning to the Carnival Circuit in the U.S. he continued working on his own version of Lotto. So, he altered the game and changed its name into “Beano” which attracted bigger crowds and money.

“Bingo”

After witnessing how Beano became a real “crowd pleaser” and a money maker, Edwin Lowe returned home inspired. Thus, Lowe bought a rubber numbering stamp, cardboard and dried beans. He also invited his friends over his apartment and carried out the pitchman’s duties in the game Beano. When one woman filled a row with beans, she jumped up and stammered the word “B-B-B-BINGO!” instead of “Beano”.

Apparently, the word hit Lowe real good which gave him the idea of coming up with is own version too. When Lowe introduced his own version of Beano, he offered 2 variations. One was a 12 card set which cost $1, and another was a 24 card set which cost $2. Lowe Bingo became a hit game which helped Lowe’s company to get back on its feet after a year. Bingo became one of the hottest games played by men and women which also provided a new blueprint to imitators.

Regardless of the copycats that spread in the industry, he was cool about it and focused on his own business. Lowe hired Carl Leffler who’s a math professor from Columbia University to increase the number combinations in his Bingo cards. In 1930, Leffler successfully invented 6,000 unique Bingo cards to reduce the reappearance of the same groups of numbers. It also prevented conflicts between 2 or more players who won at the same time. 

Software providers

Since Bingo became one of the most popular forms of gambling worldwide, people continue to play it almost everywhere. In fact, it’s normal already to see people play it in carnivals, Bingo halls, casinos, and at home. Thus, there is no way you can ever miss it on online casinos too. So, these are the casino software providers you can follow if you want to play Bingo online:

• Microgaming
• Playtech
• IGT

How to play Bingo

Bingo is one of the easiest games to play whether you are online or not. In land-based gaming sites, Bingo is played by simply dealing numbered cards to players. Depending on how many cards you want to play, you can get them and pay for each. Once the game started and random numbers were drawn one at a time and read it aloud. If you have multiple cards, check them all as quick as you can to fill the patterns first. The game continues until a player fills a vertical, horizontal, diagonal, or any other pattern and shouts “Bingo!”

The first player to fill the required patterns or shapes and shouts Bingo is the winner. Once you shout the magic word, someone from the staff will check your Bingo card to verify your winnings. In case there are other players who won at the same time, you have to divide the prize equally. But when you’re playing Bingo online, the gameplay is almost the same except that there won’t be a caller. In this case, the randomly generated number by the game will be shown on your screen.

You can daub or fill your cards by clicking the winning numbers you have in your card/s. Once you complete a pattern, you can finally press the “Bingo” button to claim your prize. On the other hand, don’t expect the prize to be as huge as other games. Since Bingo usually has many participants, the prize must be divided equally to all players who won at the same time.

Final words

Overall, Bingo is indeed one of the most entertaining and exciting games to experience. It’s not as risky as other games which get more deposits than provide winnings to players. Most importantly, it is very easy to learn and to play that even newbies will certainly enjoy it.

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Play safe!