Little Known Facts about Bingo

Most of us enjoy playing bingo. Whatever be our reasons for playing, most of us manage to squeeze out a few minutes every day from our daily schedules to indulge in the game. While winning is big on everyone’s agenda, a survey reveals that it is only the 5th reason why lovers of the game flock to online sites for a good game of bingo. According to the survey, most players come looking for fun and companionship. And who can blame them? With bingo chat rooms providing players with ample socialising opportunities and some fun games too, bingo sites are definitely the go-to places for entertainment. Bingo is not a modern day favourite. Though we are all well-acquainted with the online form of this game, bingo originated from an Italian lottery game known as Lo Giuoco del Lotto d’Italia in the 1530s. Bingo was also played by the Romans in the 1700s. Known as ‘Lotto,’ bingo was considered a children’s game by the Romans. In fact, bingo was used in Germany in the 1800s as a medium for teaching multiplication tables as well as number tables to students. However, the credit for properly establishing and commercialising bingo goes to Edwin S. Lowe, who popularised the game in the year 1929. The bingo fever took the UK in its grip first in the 1960s where it continues to enjoy immense popularity till date. Today, more than 3 million people in the UK play online bingo. Out of the huge number of active bingo lovers in the UK, 85% are females. With the game enjoying such widespread popularity in the female community, it isn’t surprising to see that most bingo sites cater specifically to them. What is even more interesting to note is that 96% of all those who play UK bingo have won bingo at least once in their playing careers. This partially explains bingo’s grip on the market. Mathematically speaking, the number of arrangements that can possibly happen on a bingo card is 552,446,474,061,128,648,601,600,000. Yet, for 96% of the playing population to have tasted at least one win makes bingo all the more special. The biggest win in bingo was witnessed on December 22nd, 2002 wherein a player won a whopping £950,000 in one single turn. An average game of bingo in the UK takes between 4 and 4.5 minutes. In other words, it takes less than 5 minutes for fortunes to take a sharp turn for glory. This realisation is perhaps another reason that hooks players to bingo. Instant games, which are available on almost all bingo sites, are at par with bingo in terms of popularity. The prizes to be won are also equally big which is why most bingo players also indulge in slots, video slots and other casino games. Bingo has been quick to climb the rungs of the success ladder and is sitting on top as the most popular leisure activities. However, bingo does not just benefit players who stand to win in millions by playing the simple game. By giving jobs to approximately 20,000 people in the UK alone, bingo has also established itself as a major employment generator.