Fun and Interesting Facts about Bingo

An Italian game that players originally named “beano” bingo has been a favored game among people of all ages since the 1500s. There are a lot of fun and interesting facts about the game of bingo that every bingo enthusiast should know.

Fun History Facts

1. Originally known as “beano,” the game was renamed to its current name of bingo because an excited player got so excited when he was about to win the game that he accidentally shouted the word bingo instead of the word beano.
2. The Germans used bingo to teach their school children history and numbers.
3. The game was originally played by covering the numbers on the cards with beans, hence the name “beano.” This was because colored markers were not available at the time.
4. It is not just a game for little old ladies. People of all ages and gender play the game. According to various studies on the game, a minimum 30% of all bingo game players are at the age of 35 years old or younger.

Superstitious Players

Those who might be considered addicts of the game are often known for being very superstitious. They tend to bring with them a lot of things that they claim bring them good luck while playing the game. They bring with them things such as lucky pens, lucky chairs, lucky necklaces, lucky markers, and so much more. Most contend that they have lucky numbers, or even lucky cards. You might see avid bingo players even go as far as to walk around their chairs three times prior to taking a seat. Apparently, this is supposed to keep the bad luck at bay.

Bet You Didn’t Know – Just Plain Interesting

1. Americans alone spend upwards of ninety million dollars a week, just on bingo cards.
2. A Columbia University math professor named Carl Leffler actually went crazy after he came up with over six thousand possible number combinations that could be found in the game.
3. Women named Margaret win more often than women of any other name. Might be time to name your next born female Margaret, and teach her the art of the game, it might just prove to be your lucky name. However, that might work if you happen to be one of those superstitious people previously mentioned.
4. Churches have used bingo as a way to raise money since the early days of the game, and this is one reason why the popularity of the game soared.
5. Ever hear the saying you have “bingo wings?” That saying is referring to the flabby arm muscles found hanging undesirably on the underside of one’s arms.
6. Bingo was Bing Crosby’s nickname during his childhood.
7. Most bingo players admit that they also love to play the slot machines.
8. There have been actual scientific studies that have shown that the game is in reality good for developing our brains. People who play the game tend to fare better at particular mental activities than those who have not, or do not play the game.

Biggest Pet Peeve of all Bingo Game Players

When surveyed, most, if not all, bingo players will admit that the thing that bugs them the most when playing, is when someone shouts out “bingo” and it turns out not to be true. They understand how excited people can get when they think they might have won, but they want and have come to expect people to check and double check their cards and numbers before hollering out the magic word.

Gamble Aware (www.gambleaware.co.uk) is managed by the Responsibility in Gambling Trust, an independent charity which funds treatment, research and education about responsible gambling. The website has been developed by a Task Force made up of representatives from the Gambling Commission, DCMS, academia and industry.

Gary Beal

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