Bingo around the World

You would be forgiven for thinking that bingo was invented in the United Kingdom such is its connection with British culture. However, historians believe that the game originated in Italy in the 1530s under the moniker ‘Gioco del Lotto’.

The game slowly spread throughout Europe before making it to the British Isles in the Victorian Era. It wasn’t until the 1960s though, and the relaxation of gambling laws that bingo really began to take off in the UK.

However, the game that we all know and love in the UK is somewhat different to the bingo enjoyed in other European countries and farther afield. Grab your passport and pack your bags, because we’re about to embark on a world tour to explore how bingo is played around the globe.

The UK

Before we set off on our mystery tour of the globe it’s best to take a look at how bingo is enjoyed in the UK. Half a century ago the game was enjoyed by millions of players in the many bingo halls dotted around the country.

The 90-ball version enjoyed in the UK was originally called “Housey-Housey” and became renowned for it’s off the cuff, comic calls such as “two fat ladies, 88.” That humour proved popular in the 1960s and 1970s but had soon lost its shine at the turn of the millennium.

In 2005 bingo halls in the UK were closing on an almost daily basis and a world without bingo seemed increasingly inevitable. Fortunately, the game was offered a facelift in the digital era and moved online targeting a whole new demographic.

Gone were the foibles of classic bingo, replaced by fresh, cutting edge technology that introduced the game to a younger and more modern demographic. Bingo in the UK is now enjoyed primarily online, with a small number of bingo halls still plodding on. Many now enjoy bingo online due to the choice available for players. Some bingo sites now have many versions of bingo and offer players a list of bingo games to choose from.

Bingo in the UK is now often enjoyed online rather than in a traditional bingo hall.

Romania

When you think about the countries where bingo is enjoyed you could be forgiven for not immediately bringing Romania to mind. Well, the European country is actually ranked at number two in terms of bingo popularity.

Following the fall of Nicolae Ceausescu in 1990, Romania’s gambling laws were dramatically relaxed allowing popular pastimes like bingo to spread in popularity.

Playing at bingo halls remains more popular than the online alternative in Romania with venues throughout the country drawing huge crowds of players throughout the week to play 90 ball bingo. There is also a history of showmanship in Romanian bingo with many event organisers using bingo as an excuse to organise theatrical spectaculars such as ‘Bingo Romania’.

Whilst land-based bingo is expressly allowed by the Romanian government, the laws regarding online gambling are slightly less clear. As a result, online bingo hasn’t really taken off in the country and only a small percentage of players enjoy the game on their PC or phone.