Take its use in Germany as an example. While countries like Italy used bingo as a game, the Germans viewed it as an arithmetic tool! How’s that for a twist? But this adaptation was not only in previous centuries. If you read reviews about the best bingo sites, you will learn that many people use the game to make friends!
Besides the money-making aspects and fun gameplay, bingo is a social tool for them. So, what other intriguing facts should you know about bingo?
Fun Facts and Figures About Bingo
Let’s start with a fun one - the making of bingo. When the game first made it to America, people knew it as beano as they used beans to mark the cards.
One industrious salesman, Edward S. Lowe, chanced upon the game and enjoyed it so much that he commercialized it. And because he had mistakenly heard someone yell “Bingo,” that became the mainstream name.
Plus, he worked with a statistician to create random cards with different outcomes, thus birthing the bingo we play today! Some even say that the combinations led to the statitician’s madness but since there is no documentation on this, we will let that slide.
Are you ready for proven facts and figures? Let’s get to it.
Bingo is Popular Worldwide
At first glance, one would think that bingo only has a big following in the UK. And this is understandable. After all, an average of 3 million people in the UK play bingo each day. But this game has spread its roots to other regions, including:
Italy- Interestingly, this is also the birthplace of this game, having started as a lottery,
Brazil - The legalization of the game in the 20th century paved the way for its growth, and
The USA: Who can deny the massive bingo market in the USA? It accounts for a significant market share. After all, players spend over $90 million on bingo cards each week!
And with the game now available online, the market now includes many other regions, including developing countries.
Bingo Knows no Gender, Race, Income Level, etc.
Bingo is one of the easiest games as it has simple gameplay. Add the fact that it is now available online and you have the recipe for a widely accepted game. So, with 1.6 billion players, what should you expect of the bingo population?
70% of bingo players are female. In the past, marketing antics targeted women as the audience and marketed the game as a pastime for women. But this has since changed as marketers now push it as a game for everyone. More men have gotten comfortable with the game and are not opposed to spending time marking cards and yelling “Bingo!”
50% of bingo players are aged 35 and below. Past records show that players were often seniors passing their time and making friends. But in the digital age, more millennials and gen Zs have taken up the game, having realized how fun it can be.
Over 100 million bingo players access the game via online sites. In the past, accessing bingo games required players to go to bingo halls. But with this out of the way, more people can access the game. Not only as this popularized the game but it has also increased the jackpot prizes. Moreover, some countries, like Japan, allow players to access online sites but bar physical bingo halls from operating.
Interestingly, most bingo players do not play the game to hit the jackpot. They are more invested in having fun, relaxing, and making friends. Plus, it is great for cognitive abilities.
Did you know? Statistics show that 96% of regular bingo players have won the jackpot at least once! So, while the game may rely on random number generation, you can stand a winning chance if you keep playing!