Bingo has seen something of resurgence in popularity in recent years. Doom merchants began to predict that it would disappear in light of a number of factors; the breakdown of working class communities based in industrial towns, the smoking ban and the worsening economic climate.
But in spite of all this bingo has become more popular than ever in recent years with a new generation discovering the attraction. The relatively simple rules together with no requirements for any special equipment or attire make it accessible to almost anyone. And of course there is money to be won!
Bingo has its origins in various other games of chance, some dating back 500 years. Early examples of Bingo related games can be seen in European countries such as Italy and France and in Germany it was even adopted in the education system as a way of teaching children.
For anyone who has played bingo its attraction is obvious. As with all games there is an element of wanting to win. Combined with the fact that bingo is a game of chance and therefore in theory any one player has as much chance of winning as another (no need for expert knowledge or a fitness regime) and the reason it is so obvious becomes clear.
Perhaps one of the reasons it has continued to thrive and become as popular as it is though, is the communal element to playing. Most card games for instance involve only a few players whereas any one game of bingo can be played, literally, by thousands of people at any one time. Psychologists and philosophers have long argued that a shared experience is as important to human beings as oxygen.
The name derives from an incident in America in the early part of the 20th century when an excited winner called out 'Bingo' instead of the proper name 'Beano'. The name stuck and the rest as they say is history.
Bingo thrived in post war Britain. It was the perfect antidote for the austere circumstances that many people found themselves in. I provided a much needed dose of excitement while the country struggled to find its place in the new world.
At the same time industry in Britain started to see improvements. The car industry, textile industry and coal industry all became more important than ever in building a post war Britain. The knock on effect of this was that new communities sprung up around the centers of industry and a new social network developed.
These new towns, villages and societies needed all the obvious things like houses and roads but they also needed entertainment and places to relax. Clubs started to be built that catered for this need and almost all of these places featured bingo as an important part of the week.
This carried on for several decades but cam under threat with the dawn of the internet and online gambling. Many predicted that the popularity of being able to play games like poker and bingo online would signal the end of those games being played in clubs and pubs. In fact the opposite has happened.
Online gambling has broken down the stigma of gambling and made the industry more acceptable to a whole new generation of players. The people who use the internet to play are also the people who are visiting casinos and bingo halls to play.
With big name celebrities like Robbie Williams and Bono admitting to a fondness for the game and adding to its improved reputation it seems that Bingo will be with us in its traditional form for some years to come yet.
Author Resource:-
Dominic Donaldson is an expert in the bingo industry.
Find out more about Bingo and the gaming industry.
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