Bingo - 10 Interesting Facts

Whether people are playing online, competing in person, or just watching National Bingo Night on television, there’s no doubting that bingo is a game which continues to grow in popularity. With its so-simple-a-child-can-understand-them rules and the allure of all sorts of prizes, it’s no wonder why bingo halls across America and Europe are packed every evening.

But even those who’ve already caught bingo fever might be surprised to learn some of the interesting facts which surround the game. For your enjoyment, I’ve compiled 10 of them below. Enjoy!

10 FACTS ABOUT BINGO

1. Ninety-six percent of bingo players have won at some point while playing the game.

2. When polled, fans of the game listed ‘enjoyment’ as the number one reason why they play bingo. ‘Winning money’ finished 5th.

3. The first bingo game played in North America was held to raise money. It was played at a church in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

4. The largest bingo game in history took place at New York’s Teaneck Armory. There were 60,000 players in all, with an additional 10,000 being turned away at the door.

5. An average game of bingo takes between four and four and a half minutes.

6. The game was originally called “Beano” due to the dried beans which were used to cover the numbers on the cards. A woman mistakenly called “Bingo“ instead of “Beano,” and the name stuck.

7. 8% of the European populations enjoys playing bingo (5% men and 10% women).

8. There are 2.5 million regular female bingo players.

9. The first version of the game was a 16th century Italian lottery game known as Lo Giuco del Lotto d’Italia. The modern game dates back to 18th century France, when cards, tokens and numbers were introduced.

10. Bingo was popularized in the United States by a toy salesman named Edwin S. Lowe. He charged game organizers $1 a year to use the idea and the name ‘Bingo.’ He also employed a math professor to come up with 6000 unique bingo cards. According to legend, the poor professor want insane after completing his task!

For more gambling articles, please take a look at the following:

Florida Poker Bill Becomes Law

Internet Poker Editorial Links

Bingo - 10 Interesting Facts