Last Updated on May 1, 2023 by Umer Malik
Remarkably, the game of bingo is actually one of the oldest gambling style games still played today, with only blackjack having evidence to suggest that it was around any earlier. Obviously, the first few forms of bingo were rudimentary, however it’s the same as any early form of gambling game really. Since its initial inception in the 1500s bingo has developed and evolved in many ways, also managing to appeal to a diverse range of demographics in the process too.
Indeed, there is a reason why bingo is quite common to find in schools, as well as its normal bingo hall setting, something that is unique in the context of other gambling games – join now. Oh yes, you really cannot beat the history of bingo for wow-factor, especially if you have no idea how the game evolved to become what it is today. Keep reading for an article on the brief history of bingo.
Italy: Il Giuoco del Lotto d’Italia
We already mentioned the fact that bingo has its historical roots back in the 1500s, however we didn’t say where or delve any deeper. Well, the answer is that the foundations of bingo are often traced back to 16th century Italy, where a popular lottery-esque game called Il Giuoco del Lotto d’Italia grew to be really rather popular.
Whilst it also used classic lottery principles, the Il Giuoco del Lotto d’Italia was also much like a rudimentary form of bingo, mainly due to the use of scorecards and numbers. This is why historians tend to agree that the roots of bingo are with the Il Giuoco del Lotto d’Italia.
France: Le Lotto
It would take a little while for the prototype form of bingo to leave Italy, however by the 1700s there were a load of wealthy Frenchmen who were amusing themselves through a game called “Le Lotto”. This was like a refined version of the Il Giuoco del Lotto d’Italia, and it was an important stepping stone for bingo, mainly because it catered the rules to a smaller number of contestants than the nationwide game in Italy.
Le Lotto was also important in that it brought the bingo concept closer to countries like the UK and Germany, places where it would later flower.
Germany: An educational tool
By the 1800s the game of bingo had spread across Europe and further ashore too, however the first recorded instance of bingo being used as an educational tool was in 1800s Germany. In the 19th century the Germans were instrumental in turning bingo into something could greatly help students in classrooms learn, especially with things like mathematics.
The effects of this can still be felt today, as bingo remains an important educational tool even today.
America: Modern day commercial bingo
Despite the fact that bingo has its roots back in the 1500s, the start of modern day commercial bingo was only in the 1920s. An American man called Erwin S. Lowe had the idea to create a universally accepted set of bingo scorecards, and the rest is history!
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