How has Bingo Changed Through the Ages?

Over a few centuries, the game of Bingo has been through some major changes and transformations. When you think of Bingo you probably don’t think of a classical game played in the ballrooms of French aristocrats!

It’s a fascinating path from its origins to the Bingo we know today, a journey that also resulted in variations that can be seen when you play Slingo online. So, let’s have a look back at just how this gaming classic has changed through the ages.

Early origins and development

The earliest ancestor of Bingo is thought to be a game known as Il Giuoco del Lotto d’Italia, which as the name suggests was played in 16^th century Italy. This didn’t look all that much like the game we know today, with only one number being drawn for players to try and match.

It was popular enough, being played every Saturday, that it inspired imitation. The next big step for the game came thanks to the French.

Le Lotto was played by many of the French aristocracy, but it had already started to evolve from its original inspiration. Players now had a card to play from, with a set of numbers to be marked off as they were drawn from the lottery.

From there the game spread across Europe and, eventually, to the Americas.

Bingo gets its name

In the early 20^th century, a game by the name of Beano was making inroads across the US. Played at county fairs, Beano saw players marking called numbers off their cards with beans. It was there that a New York businessman by the name of Edwin Lowe came across the game.

Lowe took the Beano format, tossed out the beans, and turned it into Bingo. He sold Bingo sets to families around the country, with more than 6,000 different Bingo card combinations created for an even greater degree of variety.

But it wasn’t just in the US that Bingo took off.

After gaming laws were relaxed in the 1960s dedicated Bingo halls began to crop up throughout the UK. The game had the same name but it played a little differently to the US format, with a higher ball count and very different card layout.

The online revolution

The next big change for Bingo came when gaming began to move online in the 90s. Like many other games, Bingo proved easy to adapt to the digital format, and the number of online games available to choose from soon increased.

Developers were able to experiment with the format, adding animations, graphics, and soundtracks to the online gaming experience. New varieties of Bingo like 30-ball and Slingo also arrived on the scene, in addition to the classic 90-ball and 75-ball formats players were already familiar with.

After so many decades of change and innovation, Bingo has transformed from its origins as a regional lottery to the sleek modern game it is today. With so many formats and varieties to choose from, the chance-based game of Bingo has never been so good.