All you need to know about Bingo
Bingo is a game of probability in which players mark off numbers on cards as the numbers are drawn randomly by a caller, the winner being the first person to mark off all their numbers. The game itself, not originally called bingo, is thought to have had its roots in Italy in the 16th century, specifically, around 1530.
The origins of the modern version of the game, and its current name of bingo, are unclear. Early British slang records bingo as: “A customs officers’ term, the triumphal cry being employed on a successful search”. But it definitely gained its initial surge of popularity with the first modern version of the game appearing at carnivals and fairs in the 1920s and is attributed to Hugh J. Ward, who for marketing reasons most probably took the name from pre-existing slang. The patent for a modern bingo card design went to Erwin S. Lowe in 1942.
The game also has other different names, In Quebec, this game is called Kinzo. In India, it is known as Tambola.
The game is presided over by a caller, whose job it is to call out the numbers and validate winning tickets. They will announce the prize or prizes for each game before starting. The caller will then usually say “Eyes down” to indicate that they are about to start. They then begin to call numbers as they are randomly selected, either by an electronic random number generator (RNG), by drawing counters from a bag, or by using balls in a mechanical draw machine.
Calling may take the format of simple repetition in the framework, “Both the fives, fifty-five”, or “Two and three, twenty-three”, but some numbers have special calls due to their significance. In some independent clubs, numbers ending in a zero are described as ‘blind’. So for example, thirty would be called as ‘three-o blind 30’ The use of blind numbers is generally restricted to independent bingo clubs, as it is not common practice in either of the largest chains of bingo club operators, Gala and Mecca bingo.
The prevalence of Bingo Online games has increased the number of online gamers and many online gaming community members in the UK have started learning and participating in bingo.
As each number is called, players check to see if it appears on their tickets. If it does, they mark it off with a special marker called a “dabber” or “dauber”, or simply cross it off with a pen or pencil, depending on the venue. When all the numbers required to win a prize have been marked off, the player shouts in order to attract the caller’s attention. There are no formal rules as to what can be shouted, but most players will shout “yes” or “bingo”.
Some players may also choose to shout “line” or “house” depending on the prize, whilst others choose to shout “house” for any win (including a line or two lines), players may use any other call to attract the caller’s attention (should they wish). An official or member of staff will then come and check the claim.
Online forms of gaming have many perceived benefits for both novice and regular gamblers. For example, they provide an easy initiation for the novice, whereby they can play for points or free money until they have developed the experience and confidence to use their own money, and where the potential anxiety and embarrassment of entering a brick-and-mortar establishment and having to master new rules are lessened, offer almost unlimited opportunities to game, with no closing hours and no need to leave one’s own home and offer a vast variety of games.
In addition, they are perceived as a good value for money form of entertainment; offer social contact and a sense of community, reduce isolation and boredom, particularly for those with limited real-world social contact; and offer a form of escape and release from the stresses of family life. For women, online gaming is seen as less of a male domain and a fun and safe environment where they can learn to gamble. Female online gamblers have been found to prefer easy games and to be attracted by features such as sound and graphics and large jackpots.