Bingo continues its charitable history

The origins of bingo can be traced back to Italy in the 1500s, where it was a kind of lottery. From there it spread across Europe as an aid to help children with arithmetic. From there, it eventually crossed the Atlantic to America. Originally, it was a country fair game, where the dealer would select numbered discs from a cigar box. The first player to cover all the numbers yelled BEANO. After a travelling toy salesman accidentally heard somebody call BINGO instead of Beano in 1929, the game came to be known in its present form.

And after this point, bingo has always been used to raise money for charity. Churches and private groups use bingo to collect funds for various causes. Leaky roof? Play bingo. Scouts need new uniforms? Need money for new bingo equipment? Play bingo. This long and esteemed history of raising money for charity still takes place today, with many online bingo sites donating to charity and bingo halls holding special events.

The simple manner of the game, the fact that so many people enjoy it, and also that it is exceptionally cheap to set up and play, makes bingo a winner with any organisation trying to raise cash.

Next time you have an event where you need to raise cash, print off some card templates from the internet, get some counters, and tell everybody that they are going to be joining in and playing one of the oldest games in the world. BINGO!