Bingo - Age Old Tradition
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by: stickystebee
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Word Count: 331
Bingo is a game that has been around for centuries. Its popularity traces back to around 1530, when bingo was played as a lottery game in Italy. By the 1700s, new ways to play Bingo emerged in France; playing cards, reading numbers aloud, and the use of tokens had been added to the game. Later, Bingo became an educational game used in Germany for educational reasons to teach young children spelling, mathematics, and names of animals. A man named Edwin Lowe took the game to a new level in 1929. After observing the popularity of the game in Atlanta, Lowe brought the idea of Bingo to New York. His friends loved the game, and led Lowe to start Bingo game nights. He had two versions of the game, one that had a 12-card set for one dollar, and one that had a 24-card set for two dollars. Bingo was a widespread game by the 1940s, but Lowe kept his name in it by requesting competitors to pay one dollar a year to hold games and use the name “Bingo.”
Today, the game is usually organized by churches or charities. Different regulations determine the stakes of bingo, or if there are any stakes at all. Most of the time the games are played for modest stakes, but the final game usually contains the largest jackpot. Some organizations even postpone the giving of the jackpot if it is not won after one night. Larger organizations hold commercial Bingo games, primarily in casinos. Although popular, Bingo is usually only offered to local gamblers in Nevada, and generally is not offered at tourist attracted casinos. Many Bingo halls, however, may offer a special game containing a very large jackpot that involves players from several other bingo halls. The jackpot is often increased through the use of telephones, because the game involves more players from other locations. Although the stakes may be higher, the chances of winning are decreased because of the larger number of players.
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