Bingo History: Story of the Game Bingo

The game of Bingo has been around since the 1800s but it wasn't until the 1930s that we know of its first mention in reference to a card game.

The modern version which is done with a chart where numbers are marked off as they are called and with multiple cards was popularized by Thomas P. Barry's children's story "Bingo Brown and the Seven Little Rows".

"Bingo Brown and the Seven Little Rows" became famous in 1932 and many people have credited this book for inventing the bingo game that gives players prizes when they achieve certain patterns across their cards.

The first bingo game to use the cards and the numbers as we know it today was invented by Edwin S. Lowe in 1931. He patented his invention which he originally called "beano".

In this version of the game, every card had two sections with twenty numbers each and a prize would be awarded for every pair of certain numbers that appeared on a card. There would be five different prizes for winning at least one of these pairs, but no prizes were awarded if none matched. This version came to be known as "Beano" or "Beans", due to Lowe's intentions to introduce a vegetable known as Lima Beans to ensure healthy teeth. His idea was to get his game called "Beans" into restaurants to be used as a healthy alternative.

As Beano evolved, Lowe changed it from two sections of twenty numbers each to four sections of ten numbers each.

Later that year, Joseph Malins devised the version that most people know today, he had cards with a unique number hidden behind each of the 25 squares in three rows and two columns. This is where the name "Bingo" comes from as Malins called it "Bingo" after his dog. The first Bingo hall was opened in Newport, Rhode Island where the game became a huge success.

Bingo today is played in many different forms all around the world, with varying rules. Many only allow numbers to be called while others have a specific set of numbers that have to be called. Bingo games can also vary greatly in the amount of prizes that are awarded as well. Even different games are played with different numbers of cards, from 20s and 30s to 50s or even more!

These days Bingo is still quite popular and although it's never gone away completely, it's not as popular as it was back in the day where some Bingo halls would hold hundreds of bingo balls at a time.

In Europe where Bingo is still very popular and where it's known as "Bingo" rather than just "bingo", the game has evolved a lot since its original inception. In many European countries, especially Spain, 1-90 are called in their original order from 90 to 1 whereas in America and Britain we only call from 1 to 75 or 80 and then start at 90.

Another variation in Europe is that bingo balls can be drawn in any order rather than the balls being drawn in random order which is how it's done in America.

Conclusion

Bingo History: Story of the Game Bingo is not your average history lesson. It goes into details about the history of a card game, and not just that, a card game related to numbers! This is an article that will interest many people who have an interest in cards and numbers. It is written by an expert in the field who has done his research well enough for you to believe him.

However, it does not give the reader as much action as other history articles do. It talks mostly about variations of bingo rather than about its original inception; this would be only interesting to someone with a keen interest in bingo itself and passionate enough to study bingo's evolution from the start till its latest development stage.