Bingo popularity around the world

By Editor |   23 May 2021   |   2:13 am  


The traditional game of bingo is one of the longest standing games that is still played across the world today. While today’s modern game comes from a variety of different variants across the world, today’s games are all quite similar and feature the same excitement and great themes of modern bingo.

One of the game changers that has made bingo popular today is the introduction of online bingo. Today, players from across the world can get involved in a game of bingo from anywhere and at any time, whether that be on a desert island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean (as long as there’s Wi-Fi of course), to the comfort of your own sofa… at 2am in the morning if you wish.

For bingo lovers across the world, it’s important to be able to play from anywhere. So, whether you’re going on vacation or relocating to another country, here’s some crucial info to know about bingo in different countries around the world.

The UK
The UK is one of the leading nations in the gambling industry.

The UK is a nation of bingo lovers, with statistics suggesting there are more than 3.5 million players. Bingo has been part of mainstream culture in the UK since as early as World War One, however it didn’t become legal by the introduction of the Betting and Gambling Act until as late as 1960.

Since then, hundreds of commercial bingo halls have popped up across the UK, with over 1600 venues throughout the nation by 1980. However, between 1995 and 2000, the popularity of bingo halls began to fall due to the introduction of the National Lottery and the rise of internet enabled games.

That being said, today, bingo is still an intrinsic part of UK culture. Traditional games revolve around 90 balls, in which Brits have even developed their own language for certain numbers such as ‘all the two’s, twenty-two’, ‘two fat ladies, eighty-eight’ and ‘two little ducks, twenty two’. There are also games with 75 balls, although 90 is the most common.

Italy
European bingo is said to be derived from Italy, as far back as 1530. During this time, bingo was considered as a form of the national lottery and was named Il Gioco del lotto d’Italie. The traditional game was played on a rectangular square with 9 squares across and 3 squares down, with a total of 27 squares per board.

From here, the game quickly gained popularity as it spread into France and across the rest of Europe. Today, bingo in Italy is just as popular as it was back in 1530.

The USA
The USA is one of the best gambling destinations on the planet with the likes of Las Vegas and the famous casino resorts on Indian reserves. To this day, the US retains its reputation as a popular gambling destination and bingo is no exception.

Bingo games in the US usually revolve around 75 balls and were initially popular with catholic churches as a fundraising activity. During the 30’s and 40’s local communities would host bingo games in order to raise funds for the church and different community projects.

Before this in the 1920’s, an entrepreneur saw an opportunity to commercialise the game and copyrighted it for use at carnivals across Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania. Since then, numerous commercial bingo games are run in casinos across the country today.

In addition, bingo is still a popular game in small communities and is still used by the church for fundraising activities, although in mainstream culture, online bingo has also become popular.

Nigeria
Nigeria runs a strict code of conduct when it comes to gambling activity, in which games that are wholly based on luck are not permitted. That being said, there are an abundance of online bingo games that can be played in Nigeria, with many different varieties being offered by offshore providers.

With a population of over 200 million, many Nigerians successfully enjoy online bingo games offered by offshore providers as these fall outside the scope of Nigerian jurisdiction. There are also many benefits of playing online, including more game choice and an abundance of offers including free sign up offers, mini games and much more.

Japan
Japan is well-known for their love of bingo globally.

Japanese gambling laws are similar to Nigeria when it comes to games that are based on chance rather than skill, and bingo falls into this category. Due to this, online bingo provided by offshore providers is incredibly popular in Japan. In fact, japan is known as the second largest market for bingo in the world.

Japan is famous for its Pachinko machines in which this game is ingrained into the culture of Japanese people. However, for those looking to try something different, there are a huge variety of themes available when it comes to playing online bingo, in which loopholes in the law mean that it’s perfectly ok for Japanese residents to play bingo online.

Overall, while bingo originated in a few small places across the world as a traditional games, today it has gone viral across the globe and is used for a number of purposes, from commercial gaming, to fundraising and community events.

While there are a few different varieties that exist, one thing is certain – that the game of bingo brings the whole community together.

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