Fascinating Bingo Facts
You might already know all about playing Bingo online, but the game has a long history and a strong position in popular culture. That means there are plenty of interesting stories and amusing anecdotes about it. Learn a little more about one of the world’s most popular land-based and online betting games here.
Background to Bingo
Games involving lottery-like cards with squares to be marked off can be traced back as far as the 16th century in Europe. They were used to teach children multiplication tables, spelling and other skills, and to simply amuse adults.
In 1778 the French Le Lotto appeared, involving numbered squared that had to be marked off in a design very similar to what is seen today. This was standardised over a century later in the early 1920s by Hugh J. Ward, who took it to travelling carnivals in and around Western Pennsylvania.
At one such carnival, the game was being played under the name “Beano”. Travelling salesman and toymaker Edwin Lowe happened to see it, and decided to recreate it and try it out with his friends. After proving to be a hit, Bingo was formally launched.
Lowe later enlisted Mathematics professor Carl Leffler to create new possible number combinations, and variations of these games are what we play today. Once you’ve decided to play the online Bingo Canada has available, you’ll be impressed by the wide selection of themes, card patterns and ball pool sizes.
Romance on the Cards
Both Thomas Wright and his sweetheart Claudia Freeman love Bingo, so Wright decided to propose to her in their local hall. At their weekly game night in Barnsley, a town in the English county of South Yorkshire, he got down on one knee and popped the proverbial question.
More than 350 fellow players shared the moment, so Wright said he was very relieved when Freeman said yes! Although most people in the hall had never seen a proposal quite like that before, manager Mary Rylance said it was the third she had witnessed in 35 years.
There are actually several stories of couples getting engaged while playing a few rounds of their favourite game, and it seems to happen especially often in Britain. Bridal Shower Bingo is also a popular engagement party activity, where guests daub the squares representing different gifts that the bride-to-be unwrapped.
Popular with Celebrities
Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William, Kylie Minogue, Katie Price, Sharon Osborne, Vinnie Jones, Peter Andre and Mel B are just some of Bingo’s famous international gaming fans. The members of pop group Take That were also known to enjoy the challenge of daubing the cards.
With so many proven benefits to the enjoyable game, this is not really surprising. Whenever you play for free or real money, get to interact with other people and sharpen your mental acuity as you try to complete your ticket first. Various studies have linked playing to improved mental and social abilities with Harvard researchers finding it to be as beneficial as exercise – even more reason to try a few rounds yourself.
