Bingo is one of the most loved games not just in the casino, but practically in the neighborhood or in the living room of a house. Bingo, while being a chance to win prizes big or small, is generally treated by players as a way to interact and socialize with other gamblers.

Just like everything, bingo has origins. It started life as a lotto game in Italy. This game was called the “Lo Gioco del Lotto d’Italia.” Bingo is actually a very old game, with its progenitor created during the 1530s. It became such a hit in Italy that it was eventually imported to France. The French made use of a playing card that can be considered the ancestor of the modern bingo card. This card, however, consisted only of nine columns and three rows as opposed to the five-column, five-row design of today’s cards. The French card also had four free spaces in every row.

Aside from those differences, French bingo worked the same as today’s Bingo albeit simpler. The goal is to complete a whole row, and then you can win a prize. The game is also ruled by numbers, with the number reaching up to 90 in the French version.

The game was simple, and soon it was popular all over Europe during the earlier part of the millennium. In France, it was only played by the members of the higher classes of society. Soon enough it found its way in the other parts of the continent and was gradually adapted by people from all walks of life. It was even modified in Germany during the 19th century. This version, however, was not made to gamble. It was in fact created for children, as a way for them to learn subjects like math, spelling and even history.

It was not until the recent century that bingo found its way to the United States. It had its debut in 1929 at a country fair. Back then, its moniker was “beano.” This is because of the fact that players used dried beans to mark their cards each time a number is called out. Just like French bingo, one has to complete a pattern in order to win. Winning was signified by raising one’s hand and yelling out, “Beano!”

So how did beano become “bingo” as we know it today?

During the fair, a man named Edwin S. Lowe who liked the game so much that he introduced it to friends in his neighborhood. It became an instant hit. In one of these games, one player who was ecstatic of her win yelled out “bingo!” instead of “beano” due to excitement. Lowe, hearing the mistake, decided to coin the name for his game and eventually set out to promote and develop the game.

With the help of math instructor Carl Leffler, Lowe created 6000 bingo cards with different number combinations, a project that was completed in 1930. Lowe’s version of the game debuted at a charity event for a Pennyslvanian church, and the rest is history.

Search about online bingo in any search engine online and you would easily see the answer: online bingo is gambling. And yet, so many people do not think so. This is one of the reasons why a number of people hesitate to play online bingo despite its obvious benefits and advantages. These people may think that they shouldn’t play because bingo is the silly child’s game they used to play in their school or for church charity events. Of course, their idea of what bingo is and isn’t doesn’t change the fact that online bingo is indeed gambling. So how come people think online bingo isn’t gambling despite the very obvious indicators that it is?

First, why is online bingo considered as a gambling game?

Gambling is any activity where the player wagers money for the chance to earn more. Many say that bingo is not gambling because the players pay for the card, not the chance to win. This is nonsense; the cards are the instrument for the wager, like how lottery tickets serve as the instrument for those who bet on a particular set of numbers. Obviously, bingo players wage money (the price of the ticket) for the chance to win the game’s jackpot prize. It doesn’t really matter if the game is a game of chance of chance or a game of skill; if there is wager in exchange for the chance to win, it’s gambling.

Of course, the counter argument here is that players do not necessarily pay for the chance to win the prize; rather, they are paying to enter the game, much like how an athlete pays for an entrance fee in order to join a competition. In this case, online bingo isn’t gambling; but then, poker, blackjack, rummy and similar online card games are not gambling too.

In any case, why do bingo and online bingo have this reputation of not being a gambling game? For one, people are accustomed to bingo being played in children’s parties, carnivals, and church charities. Why would people let children play bingo if it is a form of gambling? Why are these games allowed when gambling should be controlled and done in certain places only? If there is no wager being done, it isn’t gambling. This means a simple game of bingo in a carnival isn’t gambling because it’s different from the format of online bingo or traditional bingo halls.

Also, in the case of bingo in charities, wagers are allowed as long as it is not done for profit of the organizer. Since it is charity, it is being done for a cause—not for the benefit of the organizers. Depending on the location, charity organizers may need to have the necessary permits for this. Nevertheless, in this case, bingo is not gambling.

It should be clear, however, that these do not only apply to bingo. Basically, this is how any kind of gambling games work. And besides, gambling or no gambling, online bingo is extremely enjoyable.

The game of bingo has become a popular pastime not just in America but in all over the world. This is because the game is easy to pick up and play; moreover, it gives an excitement like no other. Aside from its simplicity, it is also known by the fact that it is governed by chance. This means that there is no sure strategy to win, giving an equal opportunity to every player.

It is possible that all countries have some form of bingo games, and UK is probably one of the most bingo-crazed nations. An interesting note is that UK bingo has several differences to the bingo you are accustomed to. However, it is just as exciting.

How Different Is UK Bingo?

One thing that you would notice is that the card has a different orientation. American bingo cards have a five-by-five grid with all the boxes filled with numbers except the middle one. A column can have entries within a 15-number range. This means there is a limit of 75 numbers that will be randomly drawn.

UK bingo cards, on the other hand, have three rows divided into 9 columns. Each column can contain entries within a 10-number range, but each row can only have 5 numbers. Essentially, this means only 15 numbers are at play with some of the boxes left blank. Also, there will be 90 numbers that will be drawn.

Playing Bingo in UK

Because of the fixed numbers, UK bingo plays a lot like lottery combined with American bingo. The numbers are still drawn either manually or through an electronic number generator from the range of 1 to 90. The numbers will be drawn continuously until the winning pattern is called. However, there are no complicated patterns here. If all the numbers in a row are called, you already win. The two-lines patterns obviously mean a card has two matching rows. Mark all the numbers, and you get a full house.

How Popular Is It?

Because of its mechanics, it is very apparent that UK bingo is much easier to learn. The winning patterns are much easier to identify. Even if you had multiple cards, you can still catch up to what the bingo caller says. Nevertheless, though it is much easier to play, the fact that there are 90 numbers to be picked means that the chances of winning are slightly in UK bingo are lower than those of American bingo. However, this has not deterred thousands of people from playing UK bingo every day. It has become so popular that a national game has been organized for it.

Popularity

The fact is UK bingo has an easier learning curve than American bingo. This attracts a lot of people because it takes less than 30 minutes to learn the ropes of the game. The winning patterns are also simpler.

Nevertheless, despite what seems to be its simplicity, it still offers some form of challenge. Remember that 90 balls are being randomly chosen, which means it is harder for you to get some patterns in UK bingo.

National Bingo Game

UK’s National Bingo Game has two regular games every day. Players can win from £1,000 to £25,000 depending on the time or date. Because of the large jackpot, over 3 million people play National Bingo. The large jackpots become possible because a lot of bingo clubs had pooled together their individual prizes. The game can also be played online or through the bingo clubs that are participating.