* * * * * * BINGO FACTS * * * * * *
Bingo originated in Italy and is descended from Lo Giuoco del Lotto d'Italia, the Italian national lottery, which has been played since 1530.
Bingo was popularized by a New York toy salesman, Edwin S Lowe, who, back in December 1929 came across the game being played at a fair in Jacksonville, Georgia. The pitchman told Lowe that he had come across the game being played at fairs in Germany. Lowe returned home and recreated the game for friends. Upon seeing how popular it proved to be he decided to produce it as a boxed game, ‘Beano.’ It is believed that the name change came about as a result of a friend, who when playing got so excited that she shouted ‘bingo!’ A similar version of the game known as ‘Housey-Housey’ was also being played in the UK at the same time, which went on to also be known as bingo.
Bingo can be played using sets of 90, 85 or 75 numbers. The National Bingo Game is played using a set of 90 numbers, 1-90.
Between 120 - 180 clubs link together to play the National Bingo Game twice a day, everyday, except Christmas day.
Over three million people play bingo regularly in the UK (at least twice a week).
Eight per cent of the UK population play bingo - 10% of all women and 5% of all men. And in the US, there are approximately 60 million bingo players accounting for 1.2 billion visits annually to commercial, charitable, military and casino bingo operations, with 70-80% of those being women.
The most common reasons for playing bingo are because it’s fun and offers the chance to socialize and win big money.
Celebs love bingo! Catherine Zeta Jones can thank bingo for her career after her dad won enough to afford to send her to theater school; Robbie Williams went to his local Bingo club in Stoke and played bingo with Daryl Hannah in his music video for Feel. Other celebrity fans include: Denise Van Outen, Scott Mills, not to mention her majesty, rest in peace, the Queen who apparently chooses to call ‘Palace’ rather than ‘house’!
A number of celebrities also started their careers in bingo calling including Simon from boy band Blue, EastEnder’s Shane Richie, Russell Crowe and Kian from West Life.
Total prize money distributed to date by The National Bingo Game is over £1BILLION!
The biggest bingo win ever was John O., a 60-year-old former factory worker from Lincolnshire, UK. One fateful evening in 2012, John decided to play at an online bingo site. His seemingly meaningless 30p investment in the game made him one of the biggest winners of all time with an unbelievable £5.9 million ($7 million) win!
Congrats to Jimbolaya! for FTF!