Bingo is one of the best-recognised games in the UK, earning itself a place in the local community in the mid-20th century. But where did this activity come from? Discover the origins of bingo and its journey from the beloved bingo halls to the modern world of mobile gaming.
Where did bingo begin?
Italy is widely credited as the birthplace of bingo. The most common opinion is that the game emerged in Florence in 1530 in response to the way Roman Emperors bestowed their wealth.
The game was called Lo Giuoco del Lotto D’Italia, which translates as ‘the Italian lottery game’. Astonishingly, this 16th-century initiative worked in a very similar way to the national lotteries of today. The public could buy rectangular boards with random numbers on them and would watch as a selection of numbers were pulled out of a sack. The aim was to match as many numbers as possible.
Communication limitations prevented this from becoming one national lottery as we know them now, but the game garnered much interest and was played in separate sessions all over the country. By the late 1700s the game had spread to France and throughout Europe, arriving in the UK and Germany at the turn of the century.
The bingo hall
It was the British who most keenly adopted bingo into their communities.
In the early-20th century, the game was commonly found at the funfairs which were a traditional staple around the country. These travelling shows were only temporary however, and soon grew the desire for more permanent entertainment centres: enter the bingo hall.
During the 1950s and 1960s, local ballrooms and other communal buildings were used to host bingo sessions. Benches and tables were laid out so people could sit together while playing, with food served and conversation encouraged.
Soon the local bingo hall was a key venue in the community, and the game seen as a shared social event. For the lonely women following WWII, this was especially welcome.
Bingo halls were most popular in East End London, which is when the game became associated with the use of Cockney rhyming slang, the local dialect that replaces words with rhyming phrases.
The two are now intrinsically linked because callers still use Cockney slang to announce the numbers. For example, five is given as ‘man alive’, while ‘Tom Mix’ means six.
Going digital
The rise of the internet during the 1990s took many activities online, such as high street shopping, which has now transformed into a global e-commerce network. The game of bingo was no exception.
Dedicated websites and bingo apps are now available, allowing enthusiasts to play the game on the go via their mobile phones. While this is a far cry from the bingo hall, the principles of the game remain, and there is still the opportunity for social interaction in the attached online chat rooms.
