Success gets evaluated using different parameters in different fields. In terms of pop culture, scope and longevity are the two main factors that determine if something has had a massive impact or not. Bingo, a game of chance where players match drawn numbers on cards, definitely qualifies as a global phenomenon that has persevered the test of time. Famous as a lottery-style gambling pick favored by the elderly, bingo is likely the top charitable gaming choice in most corners of the globe.
In the subheadings below, we do a quick dive into the rise of real money bingo games, how they have changed over the years, and what the future holds for them.
History of Bingo
Lotteries are likely the most popular form of gambling on Earth. Though, most people more commonly associate betting pastimes with casino games like slots, and blackjack, which are more taboo options than lotto draws. The latter often get considered as a bit of harmless fun.
In general, lotteries consist of machines drawing balls with numbers on them at random. The players who have cards with numbers they have picked or received that match those drawn win prizes. The first recorded evidence of a lottery game is keno-like slips dating from somewhere between 205 and 187 BC China, during its Han Dynasty. Ticketed lotto draws showed up in the Netherlands and Belgium region in the 15th century as a method to help the poor and raise money for town fortifications.
Bingo draws its roots from the 16th-century Italian lottery, the Il Gioco del Lotto d’Italia. Many believe that around the 18th century, this game, known as Le Lotto back then, started to spread to France and other parts of Europe. By the start of the 20th century, bingo, in the form we know it as today, had attained significant popularity virtually everywhere. In Britain, the introduction of the Betting and Gaming Act of 1960 legalized operators to offer sizeable cash prizes, and in the US, at this time, bingo games had already been running throughout the country and in Las Vegas. It is vital to note that the US standardized version is a byproduct of carnival draws originating from the Western Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh areas.
Incorporating the Social Element
The popular belief is that bingo is a gambling pick that mainly gets favored by the elderly, as discussed above. Now, while this is not 100% correct, there is indeed some truth to this statement. In the US, community centers regularly host bingo draws for seniors to help them engage in social and physical activity that aids in combating the loneliness some members of this demographic often feel. And at the same time, it boosts their cognitive abilities by immersing them in a hobby that makes them keep track of numbers.
Land-based bingo gets played in vast parlors. Halls packed with hundreds of people gathered to test their luck in this popular game of chance. While usually raising money for a good cause and socializing with like-minded individuals.
Nowadays, online bingo sites aim to capture some of the social aspects of this activity by incorporating chat rooms where gamblers can converse with each other while chasing after dramatic rewards. Hence, playing bingo is not all about getting a decent return on investment. It is also about sharing a potentially exciting experience with others, online and offline. Moreover, fun-play apps available on Google Play and the Apple store have grown to become an established option for friends and family members looking to have a dose of social entertainment from home.
A Tech-Driven Renaissance
In the mid-1990s, online gambling started developing. The sphere got created thanks to the passing of the Free Trade and Processing Act. That is a law that the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda started enforcing in 1994. Since 1996, this sector has been growing at a rapid pace. At first, its gaming product offer only consisted of reel-spinning titles akin to the fruit machines found at brick-and-mortar locales. Nevertheless, once the late-2000s rolled around, bingo picks entered the mix.
Slingo, an online single and multi-player game that blends bingo and slot gameplay, created in 1994, is now available at most internet casinos. Multiple variations of these games exist, where the concepts pioneered by its inventor, Sal Falciglia, have gotten combined to create games that are a mix of famous slots like Starburst and Rainbow Riches and bingo. These get supplied by the provider Slingo Originals.
Furthermore, online bingo keeps evolving with each passing year to compete with slots, the dominant interactive gaming genre. Some companies are now also exploring the option of launching presenter variations that would fall into the game show category in streaming dealer lobbies.
Bingo in the Future
It seems like the most natural progression of bingo is for it to make its way onto metaverses. These are virtual shared spaces, super similar to open-world games, such as entries in the GTA and Elder Scroll series.
Decentraland, the most renowned metaverse, is home to multiple token-based casinos that feature traditional slots and table gaming products, plus a few novel choices unavailable at physical casinos. Hence, it should not surprise anyone to see these digital venues incorporate bingo halls, places that would be a mélange of many aspects provided at physical parlors and online gambling sites. They would allow users to interact through avatars in the same fashion one can do in a real-world locale, but the betting fun here would be blockchain-driven.
Summing Up
Undoubtedly, playing bingo is a pastime that residents of pretty much every country on the planet have enjoyed at some point. Nowadays, more people are choosing to partake in this gambling form over the World Wide Web due to the enticing bonuses gaming platforms offer, a trend that will not end soon. And, it should not be long until bingo halls begin popping up in metaverse casinos, bringing the game’s virtual iteration to a whole new level.
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