In the 16th and 17th centuries, aristocrats in Italy and then France played an early form of bingo at social events. While the two most popular variants of bingo, the British and US versions, have slightly different scorecards and winning sequences, they both come from the same root. The first player to match a particular sequence gets a prize, normally in the form of cash.
So, as the old-time Bingo callers used to say: 'eyes down, look in!' A quick overview of bingoīingo is a popular game of chance that involves players matching numbers on their individual card to numbers drawn at random by a person or machine. You can also read about the history of bingo here, how to play the game and which variants to look out for. Maybe you'll be surprised at how many added features they have, and how entertaining it can be to just play for fun. If you feel the urge to play online, then you can play a wide range of free bingo games on this page. The game is so popular because it's so easy to play – and many players love the suspense of waiting for the next ball and being the first to shout 'Bingo!' Whether playing with your friends at a bingo hall, or giving the online games a try, you've probably played bingo before.