The Most Popular Bingo Variations

Yeah, we get it… Traditional bingo halls can be a little… well… old-fashioned and boring. When you think of bingo halls, you usually picture your granny hanging out there with her new gang of friends.

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But think again! There really has been a resurgence of bingo. Let’s leave that story for another time though… What we’re going to talk about here is a different way to play bingo; one that you don’t need to get your hair done and can enjoy while sitting on your own couch, even in front of the TV. We are talking about online bingo, which has seduced players from all over the world.

Online bingo has quickly become one of the most popular online games. In the online casino ratings for British players you will definitely find one that has a game of Bingo! Why wouldn’t you want to play the world’s most endearing game while still enjoying the comfort of your own home?

People all over the world are playing bingo more than ever and in many different ways. Let’s take a look at the most popular variations of online bingo being played around the world.

Italy

It’s hard to imagine that bingo could have been invented in any country other than the UK, but, surprise, surprise, it turns out that according to many sources, Italy was its birthplace.

Apparently, the first-time bingo was played was in the 16th century, where it then had the quaint name of Gioco del Lotto d’Italia.

The word “lotto” is familiar to you, isn’t it? They called it that because, in fact, bingo back then was part of Italy’s national lottery. And in fact, it remains so even today.

It’s a rather curious thing considering that Italian law had very strict rules regarding gambling and that, at one point, only the state itself could offer it. Luckily for the Italians, things started to change, and now other operators can offer their own versions of that game, as long as they have a maximum of 100 numbers or symbols.

Although there are other versions of online bingo in Italy, the most popular type is 90-ball bingo.

Japan

Currently, the 75-ball version of bingo is played online in Japan, and the country even holds the record for the largest online game in the world.

According to the Guinness Book of Records, this game was organized by Coca-Cola Japan and took place on September 3, 2010, with no less than 493,000 players taking part!

Spain

Being able to play bingo online has really breathed new life into bingo among Spaniards. In 2018, the regulatory authority reported that the value spent on online bingos had increased by 18% to over €13 million!

As Spaniards seem to really love playing online bingo, it is difficult to say which exact type is their favorite, although there seems to be a technical tie between the 75-ball and 90-ball versions.

Sweden

To say that it took Sweden a while to jump on the online bingo bandwagon is an understatement. The first online game was in 1996 and the first decent Internet bingo service is from only 2008.

But it has to be said, despite taking so long, the Swedish online bingo market reached already in its first year, in 2009, the astronomical record of over 153 million euros.

That may come as a surprise to you, but not to most Swedes. In fact, bingo has been adored throughout the country since the lively 1960s, when a small Swedish athletics organization visited England, fell in love with the game – which is not at all uncommon – and took it back with them.

While this game may be the love of the Swedish people, the truth is that it has a dark secret. Spelinspektionen, a regulatory authority, recognizes only three types of bingo: variantbingo, automatbingo, and storbingo. The Swedish Lotteries Act defines the online version as a simple number game, so it is not officially declared as bingo.

Despite this it is still played online, although it is called – you may have guessed it – Swedish bingo. In Swedish bingo, it’s a bit harder to win. It’s pretty much like the 75-ball version we know and love but includes a random number in the center square of the card.

Germany

Bingo is so popular in Germany that it used to be a teaching tool, back in the 19th century. Back then it was called “Tombola” which was used to teach math, spelling, and other disciplines. But it wasn’t long before the B-I-N-G-G-O we all know and love evolved into the game it is today. Today, our German friends play the version of 90-ball bingo online.

United Kingdom

Although the UK has always been and still is bingo crazy, there are fewer and fewer people playing in physical bingo halls. Yes, we realize that may be pushing your dream of a passionate encounter with a local bingo hottie further and further away every day, but don’t worry.

Their online version and the community of online bingo players continues to grow and there are loads of bingo games to play 30, 75, or 90 ball, Slingo, and many others.

Despite so many variations of online bingo, 90-ball bingo tends to be the most popular both in the halls and on the Internet.

United States

The US has given us many things, and one of them was surely modern bingo. It is believed that the man, the legend, Edward Lowe – toy manufacturer and salesman – was the first to play a game called Beano, at a fair held in Georgia.

It is also said to have been a game among friends. Lowe printed his own cards and eventually decided to change the name of the game after, in the excitement, one of his fellow players got confused and loudly chanted – you guessed it – “B-I-N-G-O” instead of “Beano”.

America’s preferred version of the modern game is 75-ball bingo. The difference with English 75-ball bingo is that it has a few fewer numbers and uses 5×5 cards. In fact, that makes the game a little faster.

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Dan Dunn

Executive Managing editor

Editor and Admin at MarkMeets since Nov 2012. Columnist, reviewer and entertainment writer and oversees all of the section's news, features and interviews. During his career, he has written for numerous magazines.

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