Bingo Familiarity
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by: stickystebee
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Word Count: 373
| Most of us at some point in our life will have become familiar with the game of Bingo. Its playing cards made of up a 5×5 block grid with the letters B I N G O spelled out along the top row are instantly recognizable. This game is a popular pastime for people of all ages with its own established culture. Recently, this culture has begun to change due to advances in technology, with the game now being played online by participants around the world. Bingo as it is played in North America is a fairly recent version of the game. It is said that the game upon which the present version is based originated in Italy sometime in the sixteenth century. From there it spread throughout Europe, changing gradually as it moved across the continent. Enthusiasm for the game seems never to have waned, as it had made its way to North America by the late nineteenth century. Bingo became popularized in the U.S. after a gentleman named Edwin Lowe observed a game called “Beano” being played at a fair in 1929. When a number was called out, the players looked at their cards and used beans to cover the spaces corresponding to the number called. Apparently Lowe decided to change the name of the game when one of the participants, upon realizing he had a winning card, called out “Bingo!” And a lottery phenomenon was born. Bingo is now a game played in a variety of venues. It is often featured in charity events, as a way to raise money for non-profit organizations, churches and other charitable causes. Furthermore, Bingo cards are often used in education to promote learning, with the numbers on the card being substituted for math problems, words or pictures. In many cities, large bingo halls have been established solely to house games involving large numbers of people on a regular basis. Casinos generally have an area dedicated to the game as well. However, with the advent of the internet, a new form of the game has become popular – online Bingo games. As with other versions of Bingo, some of these games are played for fun while others are played for money and prizes. |
About the Author
What effect internet games will have on traditional halls and casinos is subject to speculation, but Bingo is bound to remain popular as an entertaining lottery style game. Written by Lucy
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