When it comes to gambling, Bingo is amongst the most popular gambling games to be played. But did you know that bingo game was originally a form of lottery?

Slowly, by the 1700’s, this lottery or Lotto game started catching the attention of intellectuals too. The classic Lotto game was mainly played with a card that was divided into three horizontal and nine vertical rows. Each horizontal row had five numbered and four blank squares in a random arrangement, with the numbers ranging randomly from 1 to 90. All the Lotto cards were different from one another. Players would be given one lotto card each, and someone would draw the numbered chips, marked from 1 to 90, from a bag and read out the numbers. Players ticked the particular numbers on their cards, when they were read. The first player to cover a complete horizontal row was the winner. Till today, games, similar to this one, are very much popular and in demand, in the toy and game market.

But how did this lottery game landed up with a name… Bingo!!! When toy salesman Edwin S. Lowe stopped at a carnival, he had no idea what he was about to discover. All the shops at the carnival were closed except for one, which was jam-packed with people. Someone was drawing the numbers from a bag and reading them out loud. The players were all checking their cards, on every number announced, to see whether they had that one in their cards. The winner was the person who came first in filling, either a horizontal, vertical or a diagonal row of numbers and yelled “Beano”. The winner was then, to receive a prize. In that region of carnival, this game was called Beano.

Lowe saw the latent potential of the game immediately and went back home, to produce his own Beano game. He tested this game on his friends and realized that the game was fun and addictive. And one day while playing, one of his friends yelled Bingo, instead of Beano, that is from where Lowe got the name for his new game.

The first Lowe bingo game was available in two sets – a 12 card set for $1 and a 24 card set for $2. The game was an instant success and many imitators started to market this same product. Lowe could not get the patent for the game and therefore, offered to pay his competitors $1 if they would call their games, Bingo too.

In early 1900’s, when Italy was united, the Italian government set up the Italian National Lottery, and since then, the Lottery has been held almost every week in Italy. Today this Lottery is earning more than $75 million yearly, for the Italian government!

Bingo is one of the most popular games in the world today and most people are familiar with bingo games, playing it in parties and functions. And now, there is a new trend picking up pace, which is the Online Bingo.

Online bingo game was developed almost 10 years ago, and within five years it became even more popular than the big banner movies or concerts of that time. And today, Online Bingo is much more than just a game; it is a full fledged entertainment package.

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