Origins of Bingo: A Multi-Faceted Story 

It is incredibly interesting to trace the history of any popular gambling game in the 21st century, mainly because these games tend to have quite complex and fascinating back stories. However, we’re not sure there is any other game out there today with such a multi-faceted history as bingo does, it is truly remarkable! 

Whilst the vast majority of popular casino gambling games at Umbingo played today were designed to be gambling games right from the very offset, bingo is slightly different. Sure it had its uses as a gambling game over the years, however as we will see, it also proved instrumental to things such as education. Let’s take a look at the origins of bingo, a truly multi-faceted story. 

16th Century: Italy 

So then, the bingo story originates all the way back in the 16th century, where the Italians first formulated a bingo-lottery hybrid called “Lo Giuoco del Lotto D’Italia”. Funnily enough this game is still played in the 21st century every Saturday, proving that it must be good! Lo Giuoco del Lotto D’Italia was (and still is of course) a rudimentary early form of bingo, and it undeniably helped to set the scene for what was to come. 

It was slightly different to the lotteries we all know today because players were given scorecards rather than trying to guess the numbers themselves, hence its closeness with the game of bingo. 

18th Century: France 

The Lo Giuoco del Lotto D’Italia was played solely by Italians for a number of years, however due to its fun it inevitably started to spread across the continent.  In the 18th century the French were particularly keen on a variant called “Le Lotto”, which was mainly played by wealthy noblemen. 

This was an important stage in the overall development of bingo, because it was the first time the game was contracted in size, resembling something more like the bingo we play today. 

19th Century: Germany 

Whilst the French and Germans were using early forms of bingo as fun gambling games, the Germans were meanwhile adapting it so that it could be used for the education of young children in schools. They made bingo an indispensable part of the classroom during the 19th century, using it as an invaluable tool for teaching mathematic principles. 

This is still a use of the game that carries on to this day, testimony to bingo’s power as a gambling game and genuine form of education. 

20th Century: US 

By the time the 20th century had rolled around bingo had reached the US, however here it was originally called “beano” and was only really played at fairgrounds. A man named Edwin S. Lowe saw an opportunity, however, and with the help of a mathematician he created a set of standardised scorecards to be used commercially.

He also changed the name to bingo, and very quickly saw the game blow up first in the US, and then all over the world!