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July 29, 2021

Bingo: How Technology Revolutionized One of Britain's Favourite Hobbies



Bingo, a favourite pastime for many in Britain today, originated from Il Giuoco del Lotto d'Italia - a traditional lottery game in Italy that emerged in the 1500s.

As the game's popularity grew, in the late 1700s, France renamed the game Le Lotto. With aristocrats and wealthy Frenchmen as the primary audience.

Over time the game evolved on its journey across Europe. Eventually featuring three rows and nine columns, with 27 squares and numbers ranging from 1 -90 scattered in each box. This design is the one that players are familiar with today on online bingo platforms and at bingo halls.



Back then, a bingo caller would pick a wooden numbered token at random and read it out to the players. Bingo players would then hurry to find the number on their bingo card to cover it.

Anyone lucky enough to clear a line on their card would alert the caller, have their card checked, and if they won, they'd get a prize!

Once the game arrived in America in the 1920s, Le Lotto earned a new name - Beano.

The name was derived from players at a carnival playing beano covering numbers on their cards with beans. And once a player covered a line of numbers with beans, players would shout Beano!

Having discovered Beano at a carnival in the US, Edwin Lowe loved it and, in turn, decided to popularize the game, bringing it back to New York to show his friends.

The game caught on, and on one momentous occasion, Beanos name was to be changed forever. After a beano player enthusiastically shouted BINGO instead of Beano - the new name stuck.

During the sixties, Bingo made its way across the pond to the UK. The game was trendy; in turn, multiple venues made space to host regular bingo events to the public.

Today, there are around 100 million bingo players across the globe, most of which are women between 30 and 50.

Of those 100,000 million players, 3.5 million are from the UK.

Technology Revolutionized Bingo

Bingo’s success in recent years is due primarily to bingo sites and companies utilizing and taking advantage of the technology below:

4G Connectivity

A party to the success of bingos, and most gambling platforms, was the rollout of 4G worldwide, which surpassed the speed and stability of its 3G predecessor.

Thus, providing smoother, speedier, uninterrupted bingo games online for players to indulge.

4G connectivity has enabled mobile bingo games to downloaded and streamed at fast spaces.

Smartphones

Coupled with the emergence of 4G, the development of smartphones was instrumental in the bingo industry's success.

For example, larger mobile screens allowed more room for a game of Bingo to span across the entire screen. In addition, higher-resolution screens could expedite enhanced gaming graphics for players.

Moreover, longer battery life, and increased memory, allowed phones to run complex games efficiently and for longer.

Mobile Optimized Bingo Sites

To improve the bingo gaming experience for all users on every device. Bingo companies created mobile-friendly platforms tailored to PC, tablets, and mobiles.

Mobile-optimized bingo sites reduced the need for customers to pinch and squint at the screen to play. As a result, playing Bingo on any device today is much easier to do.

Downloadable Bingo Applications

Bingo mobile applications accessible from the home screen make accessing and playing the game much quicker and easier. Thus, saving eager players time searching for their favourite bingo company in Google (News - Alert)'s search listings.

The creation of mobile bingo apps meant that players could easily access games from their mobile home screen.

Why People Enjoy Playing Bingo Online

Studies suggest smartphone-based bingo platforms have experienced exponential growth in recent years. With estimates predicting around 1.2 million could be playing Bingo on their mobile.

Here are a few reasons more people are opting to play Bingo online:

Play Anywhere at Any Time: Bingo halls have specific opening times and programs for bingo events. However, playing online gives customers the flexibility and freedom to play at any time and place that suits them.

A Click Away: Some bingo halls may be a bus ride or more away. However, access to user-friendly bingo platforms online saves players the money and hassle of traveling to a nearby venue.

Opportunity to Socialize: To keep the social aspect adored by many at traditional bingo halls alive online. Online bingo providers have set up chat options where players can connect and make new friends with like-minded people.

The Future of Bingo

Technology has undeniably changed the bingo realm in more ways than one for the better.

Online bingo platforms today offer an easy and accessible way for more people to venture online and play. Some of the benefits include access to more games, the chance to socialize, and generous sign-up offers for newcomers!

Bingo providers have remained relevant and entertaining while increasing convenience by using the power of technology to advance.

With a constant focus on bingo players' ever-changing needs and interests. Successful platforms are likely looking forward to future developments that could enhance the bingo gaming experience further.

Potential future technological changes to Bingo include 5G and VR.

For instance, 5G connectivity shall eventually take over 4G, giving players the means to enjoy Bingo online at a faster speed in more locations.

And, while still in its infancy, virtual reality could eventually allow players to virtually enter and play in a 3D bingo hall with a VR headset.



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