Bingo

The game of bingo is very popular in several countries around the world, notably the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Although the manner in which the game is played varies slightly in these countries the principle remains the same and players are required to mark of numbers that appear on a bingo ticket as the yare called out. Players who mark off the complete set of numbers of their ticket are awarded monetary prizes. The origins of bingo are unknown and there is no proven record of home the game came about or how in became so popular, particularly in the UK where bingo enjoyed a massive level of popularity and is now undergoing somewhat of a resurgence.

In the UK bingo is traditionally played in specialised bingo halls. The games are hosted by a caller who draws and then reads out the numbers which players are to mark off on their bingo tickets. As the caller reads out the numbers they often accompany them with a humours description or phrase such as ‘two fat ladies 88’. The tradition of bingo calling is in decline in modern bingo halls which are trying hard to shed their campy kitsch image, which can be seen as being partly responsible for the decline in the popularity of bingo. Most modern bingo halls utilise an automated random number generator in place of a traditional bingo caller, particular in halls where there is a focus on fast and efficient competitive play.