Online Bingo is a prevalent form of entertainment in the 21st century. It is played over a platform of computer networks by numerous people from different parts of the globe. It is a game gaining popularity with time, and its origins are pretty interesting.
The history of modern online bingo is not something you can easily Google. Some mentions of the game being played online as far back as 2004. Online bingo has been around for more than two decades now. The modern form of online bingo has been around since the launch of QuikTrip back in the 1990s. This was also when a flash version of online bingo started expanding to numerous online casinos.
There have also been many other exciting advancements in online bingo throughout its lengthy history. Let’s look at the history and its development into an online form. Is online bingo worth all the hype today? Let’s find out below in our detailed analysis of the historical rise of bingo.
- It Comes with different variations depending on casino
- Also, payouts depend on game developer
History of Bingo
It remains an extremely popular game for many years. The game is easy to pick up and play with a relatively simple set of rules. That simplicity is one reason why this has such broad appeal among players. Another reason for its popularity is that bingo offers players the chance to win prizes and even cash jackpots.
Gaming historians believe that bingo evolved from an Italian lottery game that dates back several centuries. The first recorded mention of bingo came in the early 1700s when a French priest named Beuno described a lottery-style game called Le Lotto in his diary. The French version had no cards or numbered balls but did have a playing grid and draw tickets to select numbers.
The modern bingo we know today came into existence during the 1920s in North America to generate revenue for charities and churches. The game’s first appearance was in New York in 1929 when an entrepreneur named Edwin Lowe introduced it to the public under the name “beano.”
One of the first notable online sites was Bingo Zone in 1996. This site was invite-only for the first year. It introduced chat rooms, which became a staple of the game that added even more to the social aspect. The site had a large following and was one of the pioneers in bringing this kind of entertainment online. It also offered a number of side games like slots, video poker and blackjack.
The site eventually changed its name. Moreover, bingo as well as other popular online games like casino and card games were on display. The site remains active today, although it no longer offers this option. If you’re familiar with bingo today, you’ll know that there are different prizes for different combinations of numbers. In the early days of bingo in Italy, there would be prizes only for players who correctly guessed 15 numbers in a row. In case more than one player guessed correctly all 15 numbers. Moreover, they would split the prize between them all according to our smartbingoguide.
Modern Day Bingo
The man who ran it had a board with 24 squares, each containing a number from 1 to 75. The players started playing with cards numbered the same way. Moreover, the players were calling out each number individually as the game went on. There were many versions of this game at this time in history, but they all shared many common elements — 24 or 25 numbers, a certain amount of squares, etc. Since then, it has gone through many changes.
Some games have bonus spaces on their boards, while others have changed the numbers per square to 30 or 32. One other significant change came in the form of “instant play,” — which is what we know today as scratch cards. Instead of waiting for numbers to be called out throughout several rounds, players scratched off their cards and won according to whether they got three in a row, four corners, or other patterns. This was very popular in Canada under “Tic Tac Toe.”
Today, it continues evolving once again. Buying cards is still the most popular form of playing. However, the patterned bingo met their replacements with the introduction of the 75 and 90 ball games. These ball games are becoming the staple that we all know and love today. You can play these ball games by buying a set amount of tickets based on how many numbers you want to cover on a card.
Moreover, each ticket will generally cover 1 or 2 numbers per turn. Modern technology also brings about another change in the gaming scene. It has become hugely popular due to its accessibility, ease of play, and portability. In modern-day Bingo, you can choose from many games to play. In addition, you can play online bingo in many languages around the world. Moreover, you can play it in various ways. You can play online using a computer or using a card with numbers. Many types of Bingo are available today.
Final Takeaway
It’s easy to think of it as a silly way to pass time that exists only in senior citizens’ homes, but it has a surprisingly rich history. And as you see above, it didn’t start as the game we think of today. Is worth learning about to embrace history. But there’s no denying that the arrival of it was a massive hit with players, and this popularity has continued through to the modern-day.
Halls across the world are now full with players who all enjoy the opportunity to play a game, chat with friends and have a great time. Bingo is also available online, which means people can play from the comfort of their own homes. There are many sites that all offer some fantastic prizes and promotions. You can play the game at your own pace, and you can even buy more than one ticket at a time. So, whether you fancy playing online or visiting a local hall, why not give it a go today?
