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Bingo
has to be one of online gaming's biggest success stories and has a
huge, ever growing base of dedicated fans that log into online bingo
site from across the world every day. This phenomenally popular game
comes from humble beginnings though and has seen several changes of
name and character in its long and colourful 480 year history.
Most
historians believe that Bingo has its origins in an Italian lottery
game know as Beano that first saw the light of day in 1530. By the
late 1700's the game had found it's way to France and was becoming
extremely popular with cards divided into 3 horizontal and 9 vertical
columns. By the 1800's Beano had spread to the rest of Europe and was
a well established and loved game of chance.
The
game found its way to the United States via one Edwin S. Lowe a
travelling toy salesman visiting Germany on business. He saw the game
played at touring carnival and realised its potential immediately.
When Lowe returned to New York he set about creating his own version
of the game using a rubber number stamp, cardboard and beans.
He
enlisted the help of a group of friends and staged the first official
beano game in his New York apartment. The game was a resounding
success and legend has it that in the excitement one of his friends
yelled Bingo
by mistake and bingo was born!
There
are 3 main variations of this evergreen favourite:
75
Ball Bingo
This
is the traditional American version of the game and is a little
quicker and more challenging than its British 90 ball counterpart.
The game is played with a 5 x 5 card and features only one winner in
the first player to fill the pre-determined pattern. 75 ball bingo
is
a marker game with called numbers being marked or daubed on the card.
90
Ball Bingo
This
is the traditional UK favourite and is played with 6 cards of 15
numbers each and features three winners per game. The first to fill
one line, first to fill two lines and first to "Full House"
or fill an entire card. This game is a little slower than 75 ball
bingo but many believe it gives better value. 90 ball bingo is also a
marker game.
80
Ball Bingo
80
ball bingo is a relative newcomer and uses a 4 x 4 card having
specific colour rows for each group of numbers. Although similar to
75 ball bingo this is not a marker game and a shutter board is used
to exclude the called numbers.
Although
there are several other variants of the game such as 30 ball "speed
bingo", these games are the most popular choices at online bingo
sites and which ever one you choose you can be sure of having hours
of fun playing this universal favourite.
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