Bingo is a simple game that is incredibly popular in the UK – both in bingo halls and in non GamStop casinos offer bingo online. You don’t need much prior knowledge to be able to play this favourite, but it can be fun to have some facts on the back if you play with friends. Here we give you some “fun facts” with X things you might not have known about bingo.
1. Bingo Used to Be Called “Beano”
Bingo has a long history with its first inspiration from the Italian lottery “Lo Giuoco del Lotto d’Italia”. However, the name Bingo was not decided until the 20th century. The game was first known as “Beano” in the US because players marked their numbers with beans and shouted “Beano” if they won. But according to legend, salesman Edwin S. Lowe renamed it bingo after he heard someone shout “bingo” instead of “beano” when they won. This is how the name we know today was created, and it has now lasted for close to 100 years.
2. Different Versions of Bingo
If you think that “bingo is bingo”, you are probably not familiar with the many different variants of the game. In addition to different amounts of balls in play (such as 75-, 80- or 90-ball bingo), you can test out other variants with unique rules and payouts. Some examples are speed bingo (a faster variant), Deal or No Deal, Roll On and Lucky Numbers bingo. All these and more variations make the game a little different and more exciting even for driven players.
There are also different layouts of bingo boards around the world. In the USA, a 5×5 grid is used, which is also common in The UK, while in Great Britain a board with three rows and nine columns is used.
3. There Are Separate Bingo Bonuses at Non GamStop Casinos
Today, bingo can be played online on many different websites and non GamStop casinos at gamblingpro. One of the biggest advantages of playing online is that you can often collect your own bonuses for bingo games. Online casinos that offer a separate category for bingo games often also have a separate welcome bonus for players who register to play bingo. After this has been played, various promotions, tournaments and other bonuses specific to bingo games can also be offered.
Bingo bonuses are usually given in the form of free bingo boards or rounds, deposit bonuses up to a certain amount or a share of large jackpots.
4. Association Bingo & Contractor Bingo
In the UK, bingo is managed by the Lotteries and Foundations Authority. The game is regulated by the Lotteries Act and the legislation divides bingo into two types: Association bingo and contractor bingo. The former is bingo organized and run by organizations or teams with an approved lottery permit. This form of bingo is further divided into three types depending on the amount of turnover or for radio/TV stations, e.g. radio bingo Entrepreneur bingo has only one type and includes bingo games organized by a professional player on behalf of organizations/teams.
5. Bingo As an Expression
In the UK, bingo is not only used to describe the lottery game but also as an expression in everyday speech. The expression can be used to describe a hit or when something is certain, like when you have bingo on the board.
6. Bingo & Beans
Bingo was discovered by enthusiasts from the United States, which also applies to many of the games that we play en masse today. In the United States, the game appeared early and was given the name ‘beano’. This name did not come out of the blue and refers to the beans that were used as an essential part of the game of chance. The player could not yet cross out numbers that were called, but he could place a bean on the relevant number. In the UK, we also know bingo as ‘kienen’. And now let that be a reference to the number five. It is not without reason that there are five rows and columns on a bingo card.
7. Bingo Fails As a Party Game
In 1930, a toy dealer decided to release the game in the United States. Bingo would be a suitable game for every household, which later turned out to be the case. Nevertheless, the project failed ingloriously. This was due to a major production error. The maker only supplied 24 bingo cards with the game. That seemed like a good idea, but many bingo cards therefore matched each other. Several players won the round simultaneously and that was not the intention. A mathematician got to work and managed to create 6,000 combinations. Today there are more than one and a half million, so that problem has been completely solved.
8. Social Function of Bingo
In the 1940s, the European economy faced many challenges. The Second World War held the world in its grip and charities found it particularly difficult. It was also the glorious return of bingo. This time the game again had a social function. The money raised by the game was given to charities. In addition, the participants could also win nice prizes and the game made people forget their problems for a while.
9. Bingo Remained Popular in the 40s
The success of bingo ensured that the game was still widely played after the 1940s. The game gradually changed into a party game that was mainly played for the social aspect. Bingo became popular in community centres, retirement homes and nursing homes. This was partly because bingo has a positive effect on a person’s ability to concentrate and memory. In addition, bingo was also an ideal game for sports clubs, simply to raise some extra money and organize something fun for the members.
10. You Can Play Bingo Online at Non GamStop Casinos
Bingo then gained enormous momentum on the Internet. The online casinos decided to include the game in their game range. In the past, the player had to download a program to play online bingo at non GamStop casinos. This was quite common at the time, but it became easier when the bingo game became available in the web browser. Nowadays you can even take out a bonus bingo and enjoy a session of this popular game on a smartphone or tablet. It has been legal to play online bingo at one of the licensed casino sites since October 2021. It is therefore also possible to win real cash prizes by playing the well-known bingo game.