Bingo is such an interesting game.  Its a social game, unlike poker, where you hide your cards, and have to read opponents.  But a game like Bingo didn’t just invent itself.  The story of bingo is as follows:

Italian Lottery Winners

Bingo is a rip-off of a lottery game which originated in Italy in the mid 16th Centry, called “Lo Giuoco del Lotto D’Italia,” which, believe it or not, is still actually played today in the country every Saturday.  There are also descriptions of several “bingo-like” games that popped up over the past few hundred years, including France and Germany.  In fact, most lotteries are based off bingo..  So, that means we’ve had lottery winners since 1500!

Bingo Goes “American”

The game we now call bingo got its start in Atlanta Georgia in 1929.  Of course, it was called beano at the time, but today’s game was essentially the same as this version.  Carl Leffler, a famous mathematician, created 6,000 different combinations for the card, and the game grew from there.

Bingo began to be played in Churches and VFWs all over the country in the 1950s, what with the post-war boom and Americans first middle-class citizens had time on their hand. Its a leisurely game so not a lot of effort was involved.

The game of Bingo has always been a “social game”.  The aristocracy played the game so they could discuss “important” matters.  Today many retirees play the game while they brag about grand-kids, complain about the weather, and cheer each other on.

More on The History of Bingo

Wikipedia – This site always seems to have some good information, and their info on Bingo is no exception.

Strangelife – These guys have some interesting facts listed about the game

Home Poker Games – They have a neat take on the history of Bingo