A totally different game of luck is Bingo.
The famous parlour game with the numbered balls is a successor of the
Italian “Lotto” game, which made its way to the States in the
1930’s where it was then modified to the version which is played
until today.
The connection to lotto is not accidental because bingo is,
basically, a lottery. You buy a ticket with either a 5x5 grid that is
filled with random numbers between 1 and 75 (played in North America
and most other countries) or a 9x3 grid with numbers between 1 and 90
(traditionally played in Britain and Australia).
After that, your possibilities of interaction are rather low, that
is, you hope for the number on you ticket to be drawn. If this is the
case, you highlight it (so-called “daubing”). In traditional
Lotto, you win the jackpot when all the numbers you have chosen have
been drawn. In Bingo, you have to complete a certain pattern that is
announced before the game starts. This can be a horizontal, vertical
or diagonal line, the full ticket or whatever there is imaginable.
After completion you say “Bingo” and win a prize.
As no one can intervene into the gaming process (the numbers are
randomly drawn by a caller), all you can do is to enjoy the thrill of
hoping for the correct numbers. Of course, you also have to
concentrate on the announcements in order not to miss a single number
–and thereby your potential winnings.
Bingo was originally to be played at home with your family or
friends, but it is of course more interesting when there are prizes
involved. It is often used at charity events but there are also
commercial bingo halls all around the world. And since a couple of
years, it is also possible to play bingo online over the internet.
