For as long as any of us can likely remember, there has been the game of Bingo. If you try to think back to the very first game of internet bingo you played, you may come up with school or a church bazaar or Fete. Bingo is an extremely popular game that has seemingly transcended western culture. Nearly everyone that comes from North America or Europe has played a game of bingo at one time or another. In this article we will discuss a brief history of the game of bingo and touch on some of the bingo superstitions that have risen up around the game.

If one attempts to trace the origins of free online bingo or any casino game, they are likely to be led either to Europe or China. It is believed that Italy had the first recorded games of bingo in the 1500’s. Not much is known about the early versions of Bingo except that it did not use the cards that have become so associated with the game. The game did not spread quickly or change much until a version was discovered in France in the early 1700’s. The French also added their own twist to the game by introducing a deck of cards. Bingo again changed very little over the next 150-200 years.

In the early 1900’s the UK casinos game was discovered in Britain. The British military were reported to play a game called house which highly resembled the game that had evolved in France. No one really knows how the game jumped across the channel but could have been brought to Britain via the military as well. At the same time a game called Keno was gaining popularity in American culture. Keno was highly similar to the British military game of house and was later to explode with popularity.

Ironically, it was the great depression that helped to spread the popularity of bingo or Keno. On both sides of the Atlantic, old movie houses and theaters that had closed due to declining revenue were quickly converted into the first bingo halls. For the same price of a movie ticket a person would receive several bingo cards and play with the hope of winning cash prizes. The game spread like wild fire due to its low cost and high entertainment value.

The game became known as bingo quite by accident. In America, up until the late 1920’s the game was known as Keno or Beano. A traveling salesman stumbled upon the game at a local carnival. After realizing that he had won his game he shouted out Bingo instead of Beano, most likely due to the excitement. This slip of the tongue however, stuck and we have the name that has become so popular today.

As the game grew in popularity, rules and rituals came about believed to help aid a player’s chance of winning. Almost instantly, regular players of the game would flock to a certain seat believing it to be lucky. Soon after, the idea of lucky numbers began to evolve. Many would choose numbers with some historic or emotional significance to them believing the chances were better that they would be called. Some players began playing on certain days of the week. Usually a day that they had won on previously believing that luck would strike them again. Finally, the charms started to be used more and more. Player began bringing objects such as rabbit’s feet, plastic elephants, teddy bears and frogs. These items were supposed to bring luck as well as keep evil away. Some would bring more conventional charms such s pictures of children or grandchildren believing that they would have the same effect.

As superstitions began to evolve, so did rules about Bingo etiquette. Certain actions were considered not unlucky but bad taste when practiced in the Bingo hall. Behaviors, such as bragging about every win or leaving money on the table were considered rude and inconsiderate. Whining about your losses was also considered a no a as well as taking another player’s lucky seat and taking your frustrations out on the bingo caller.