For hundreds of years, bingo has been the favorite game of those who wish to have a good time with friends, escape routine and, why not, win money. Besides, it is a very simple game and anyone can learn its rules and start having fun immediately.
According to historians, the game of bingo was first played in Italy, although at first it was a kind of lottery game called “Le Giuco de Lotto”. Up until now, there are thousands of Italians who every Sunday continue with the tradition of playing bingo, though they now play the modern version of the game.
During the 17th century, lottery gradually lost its popularity and gave way to bingo. In the 18th century, the game had followers all over Europe and in 1929 it traveled to the United States of America, where it would get its definitive name.
When it disembarked in the US, the game was renamed “Beano” and it was played for the first time in a carnival close to the city of Atlanta, in Georgia. From there, it spread to other town fairs, where the it was played in the following way: a person draw numbered discs from a cigarette box and the players marked those numbers on their cards with beans and shouted “Beano” when they won.
A few year later, a toys seller from New York, called Edwin S. Lowe, changed the name of the game after hearing a player shouting “Bingo!” instead of “Beano”. Besides, Lewis contributed to the game by improving it and developing new combinations of bingo cards.
Even tough through the years the game has suffered minor modifications, the truth is that now, as well as a hundred years ago, playing bingo is very entertaining and a great way to spend time.