Bingo : The history of Bingo

The game of Bingo is a game with a long history. Sometimes called beano, the corn game, and yes, Yvonne, even Housey-Housey is thought to be a game created by the Italians. The game’s first name was “Lo Giuoco del Lotto D' Italia”, however when the French got hold of it in the late 1770's, they shortened the name to “Le Lotto.” In the beginning, Le Lotto was played strictly amongst opulent French aristocrats.

The development of the word Housey-Housey can be traced back to England because that was what the popular game was called amongst seafaring British troops during both World War I and World War II. The soldiers back then used a dice and a blanket, because dice games probably kept more soldiers on their knees than did any Chaplain.

Edwin S. Lowe, a traveling salesman who accidentally chanced upon the game at a carnival in Atlanta in 1929, is credited for making the game popular, but the word Bingo itself, suggesting a bell’s ring, was added a bit prior in 1925 to announce a win.