Most people are aware that the game of bingo has been around for a long time. What most people do not know is that the origins of the game can be traced back as early as the 16th century. The game may be popular in the United States, but the history of bingo started in Europe.
The game of bingo is actually a descendant of an Italian lottery game “Lo Giuoco del Lotto D’ Italia,” something that is still being played every Saturday in Italy. In fact, it has been played since 1530 every week up to this date. It is interesting to know that this form of lottery goes beyond providing entertainment for Italians, as the game provides an ample contribution to the government’s budget annually.
In the 18th century, the game was introduced to France as “Le Lotto,” a game that captured the interest of wealthy Frenchmen. During this time, the playing card used for the game had three horizontal rows and nine vertical rows. Each horizontal row had five numbered squares and four blank squares. The first person to cover a horizontal row was declared the winner.
These days, bingo is still making waves in Europe thanks to Bingo Port. As the largest free bingo site in the United Kingdom, this online bingo portal has been considered as the UK’s favorite online bingo community. From 2007 until today, the website has been entertaining bingo enthusiasts with free games and great prizes. Aside from free bingo, those who sign up with the site can make use of the free slots as well as forums, just to name a few. Because of all the features that Bingo Port Promotions provides, people in the UK as well as others throughout Europe can better enjoy the old game at present.