who invented bingo game?

Ah, Bingo, such a classic game! It brings back memories of family gatherings and community events. Your grandmother has good taste in games!

So, to answer your question, Bingo can trace its roots back to a game called "Il Giuoco del Lotto d'Italia," which was played in Italy around the 16th century.

It's basically the Italian National Lottery, and it's still played there every Saturday!

The game then made its way to France in the late 1770s, where it was known as "Le Lotto." It was particularly popular among the French aristocracy.

Fast forward to the 1920s in America, a guy named Hugh J. Ward started running the game at carnivals in the Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania areas.

He's the one who standardized the game and created an official rulebook.

But here's a fun fact: the name "Bingo" came about when a player accidentally yelled "Bingo" instead of "Beano" (which was what they were calling it at the time because players used beans to mark their cards).

Edwin S. Lowe, a toy salesman from New York, saw the game's potential and popularized it further.
He's the one who hired a math professor to create more combinations on Bingo cards, and the modern version of Bingo was born!

I hope this gives you and your grandmother a bit of insight into the rich history of Bingo.

Maybe you can impress her with these fun facts during your next game night!

For even more fun facts and rules to discuss, you can check our Bingo Academy to discover more guides.