The exact origins of Bingo are lost in the mists of time. But the general consensus of opinion on the subject is that the game as we know it today started out as a national lottery. This was in 16th-century Italy, shortly after the country was formed from the independent city-states that had existed before. La Giuoco del lotto d'Italia was played on a weekly basis and offered substantial cash prizes for the lucky winners. 

Although not exactly the same, research has shown that La Giuoco del lotto d'Italia was played in a way very similar to today’s Bingo. The tickets used resembled 90-ball bingo cards, and the main difference is that players would mark their chosen numbers off before any were drawn. By the 18th century, the game’s popularity had spread to France, where it was known simply as Le Lotto.

The French added their own modifications to the game, changing the cards to more closely resemble the ones we all know and love today, and the game spread further, most notably to Germany and the UK. Each country gave it their own particular twist, with the ever-practical Germans recognising its potential as an educational tool to teach children maths and languages.  

But it was the fun-loving Brits who came up with the tradition of using slang to help players identify the numbers as they were called. In the UK, Bingo was a social event, and games were well-attended and very noisy. This is why each number was also identified by a particular Bingo call, like duck and dive for 25 and 86, between the sticks.

Bingo didn't make it to the United States until the early 20th century. Here, it was originally called Beano, as players used beans to mark off the numbers. The game was popularised by a toymaker named Edwin Lowe. He is also credited with coming up with the name Bingo, as a friend of his accidentally shouted Bingo instead of Beano on completing a full house. 

Lowe thought this was a better name for the game, and since then, it has been called Bingo. It was also in the US that the game became a staple of church fundraisers, thanks to a young Catholic priest who saw its potential and approached Lowe to organise regular games for his church.

Nowadays, Bingo is one of the most popular games online. Modern Bingo has a lot of variants, but the most popular version of the game is still the 90-ball Bingo, like you would find in an old-time Bingo hall. But Bingo players can now easily find other variants like Speed Bingo, which only uses 30 or 35 balls or 80-ball Bingo, the first Bingo game to be developed for online players. 

This simple game of chance has stood the test of time and is now more popular than ever before, thanks to online bingo sites. Playing a game has never been easier, and the choice has never been wider. So check out all the great games we have here at Foxy Bingo, and you can even take part in tournaments with great prizes to be won.