Bingo has long been an 'offline' favorite and over recent years has enjoyed increased popularity as an online game. With 100,000's of people playing online everyday, Bingo is currently the hottest game on the Internet.

The origins of the game can be traced back to Italy in the 1500s. Bingo evolved from the Italian lottery, known as Lo Giuoco del Lotto d'Italia. First played in 1530 during the unification of Italy, the Lo Giuoco del Lotto d'Italia is one of the longest running lotteries in the world and is still operating today with draws being made every Saturday night.

Well over 200 years later, the Lottery became popular in France and in 1778 the French developed their own version of the game called Le Lotto which was played by the wealthy upper classes. Le Lotto consisted of cards which which were divided into three horizontal and approximately nine vertical rows of numbers. Each horizontal row contained five numbered squares and four blank squares randomly arranged. Each vertical row had a selection of numbers from 1 to 90 grouped on separate rows of each card. No two cards were alike. The game also had chips numbered 1 to 90. A player would receive a single card and a caller would draw a number and call it out loud. Le Lotto players would then proceed to cover the numbers called if they appeared on their particular card. The first player to cover a horizontal row would be declared the winner.

In the late 1800s lotto games became popular as an educational tool. In the 1880s teachers in Germany put the game to good use by designing a form of Lotto to teach multiplication tables and other subjects to school children. These educational games had names like: Spelling Lotto, Historical Lotto etc.

In 1929, a game called 'Beano' is played at traveling carnivals in the Southern states of America. Beano was based on Lotto with players having cards with a unique selection of numbers printed on to them. Wooden disks were drawn from a box by the Caller. Painted on to each wooden disk was a different number. As a each disk was pulled out of the box, the caller would shout the number aloud. As the numbers were called, players marked their cards by placing a bean on the number. The aim of the game was to cover all numbers within a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line before any other player. Once a line was completed, the player would shout "Beano!" and claim their prize. The game was later introduced in New York by a toy salesman named Edwin S. Lowe who saw the real potential and mainstream appeal of the game

Lowe altered the original game on his return to his native New York. Lowe played the game in his apartment with his friends and he assumed the duties of the caller. During one game, on completing a row, a woman shouted “Bingo!” instead of "Beano". Lowe renamed the game Bingo and it became an instant success and as a result, Lowe's company benefited from the success.

After the success of the game of Bingo, it was only natural that many imitators were born. Lowe was not bothered by the whole issue. All he did, was ask his competitors to pay him a dollar a year and rename their games to “Bingo”. This move made Lowe millions of dollars.

In 1930, a priest from Pennsylvania realized Bingo as the answer to his church's financial problems. This is the first example of Bingo being used to raise funds for a charitable cause. Today, charitable Bingo games raise literally millions for good causes across the world every year. The priest bought several sets of the Bingo game. However there were problems arose when each game produced more than one winner. The problem had to be solved by adding more combinations of numbers and increasing the number of Bingo cards available. For this reason Lowe went to a professor of mathematics at Columbia University by the name of Carl Leffler for help.

Leffler created 6,000 different new Bingo cards containing no repeating number groups. This proved to be a very difficult task for the professor as each card became more complex. When the task was completed Low paid the professor $100 per card. This project allegedly drove the professor insane.

This new improvement in the game of bingo saw the church of Wilkes-Barre saved from financial constraints. The news spread rapidly and the high demand saw the publishing of Bingo’s first instructional Manual and later a monthly newsletter called the Blotter was issued.

In the mid-1970s, Bingo seemed to hit its popularity peak. It was a cheap and cheerful way to provide mass entertainment but the advent of television seemed to cripple the game and its popularity fell dramatically until the end of the 1990s when this trend started to reverse.

This new surge of popularity has been partly due to vigorous marketing campaigns by Bingo operators to promote Bingo as a cool game rather than a game reserved for old women. The game has also been modernized with the development of state-of-the-art Bingo venues offering better entertainment and casino-like decor. To attract more new players Bingo halls are offering larger jackpots and 'national' or 'state' games in jackpots are networked across numerous venues. Though the game has been updated, it has retained its charm with the traditional way in which the balls are called by nickname.

While famous names such as Bill Clinton, Elle MacPherson and Jade Jagger are said to be regular players of the game, it is not the glitz and glamour of the game that is so appealing, it's the warm, social aspect that seems to attract bingo players around the world. For regular players, it is a safe opportunity to socialize, have fun and experience the thrill of gambling whilst being surrounded and protected by a friendly atmosphere.

Of course it is not just the Bingo halls that are profiting. The internet revolution has left its mark on the Bingo industry. Now, at the switch of a button and the click of a mouse, prospective Bingo players are able to play from the comfort of their own living room. What is interesting to note is that the majority of the players are female, seeking a non-threatening, welcoming environment to play in. Chat rooms have become the absolute equivalent of socializing in a Bingo hall - with the added advantage that there is no closing time and no travel times.