The popular game, bingo, has been around for a very long time. While its name and rules have varied somewhat over time, the basic concept has remained the same. The oldest ancestor to today’s modern bingo would be a game that is still played today in Italy. This game is known as “Lo Giuoco del Lotto D’Italia,” or “The Clearance of The Lot of Italy”. Originating during the early 16th century in Florence, Italy, the game became so popular that it quickly spread to other Italian cities such as Genoa and Venice. Eventually, the game became the beginning of the current National Lottery of Italy.
During the late 18th century, bingo was introduced in France where it was dubbed, “Le Lotto”. Here it was played mainly by the affluent nobility. This game used a playing card that consisted of 27 squares. These squares were formed from three rows and nine columns. The cards used in Le Lotto were unique and different from one another. Later the game found its way to Germany. Here the game was used for an educational purpose rather than merely entertainment. German school children played a game similar to bingo to learn things such as math, history and spelling. Bingo remains a popular learning tool in classrooms today.
The game did not make its way west until the early part of the 20th century. Then it finally came to the United States. Originally called “beano”, the game was commonly played at country fairs. The name “beano” referred to the markers used for game cards. Dried beans were markers covering the card. When a player got five beans in a row, they would call out “Beano” to win the game.
The actual name bingo has been around for less than a century. In 1929, a businessman named Edwin Lowe marketed the game of beano under the name bingo. The name came from a mistake a player made when playing the game. The player meant to call out “beano” but accidentally said “bingo”. This mistake ended up being a blessing in disguise. The name continues to remain with this global favorite pastime.