Bingo Facts Through The Ages - Where Did It All Start & When?

Here are some interesting Bingo facts, see how many of them you already know!

Bingo first originated from Italy and is derived from Lo Giuoco del Lotto d'Italia, otherwise known as the Italian National Lottery. It has been played since 1530 and without it there would be no Bingo facts today!

Bingo became popular in the United States thanks to a New York toy salesman Edwin S. Lowe. Back in 1929 he ran across the game being played in Jacksonville, Georgia at a fair.

The pitchman running the game told him that he had first seen it played at fairs whilst in Germany. When Lowe returned home he introduced the game to friends and upon seeing their enthusiasm for playing, decided to create it as a box game called 'Beano'. It is believed he came up with changing its name when an excited friend who won shouted "Bingo!"

Around the same time in the UK a similar version of the game was doing the rounds under the name of "Housey-Housey." This also went on to later be known as Bingo.

Bingo can be played with the use of 3 sets of numbers, 75, 85, or 90, with the UK National Bingo Game that's played using a set of numbers between 1-90. The game is played between 120-180 different clubs all linked up to play the game every day twice a day, except Christmas Day. Over 3 million players participate in Bingo on a regular basis in the UK at least twice a week.

Eight percent of the population in the UK play Bingo that's around 5% of all men and 10% of all the nation's women. Most common reasons offered for playing the game are the fact that it is fun, and also offers the chance to socialize with others and win big money. Interestingly this element has been captured online as well, with players from all walks of life and countries being able to chat as they play.

Many celebrities enjoy a good game of Bingo and the actress Catherine Zeta Jones who's married to film star Michael Douglas can thank Bingo for kick-starting her acting career, when her father won enough money at the game to send her to drama school.

Our Bingo Facts would be incomplete without listing the biggest Bingo win which took place on March 23, 2008 when Soraya Lowell from Motherwell in Scotland scooped £1,167,795 when visiting the Club 3000 in Coatbridge. Will this ever be beaten by a player playing online? We wait with baited breath!