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Bingo isn’t just for senior citizen communities. This interactive game is fun for the whole family, and many restaurants have weekly events complete with food and drink specials. Here’s some insight into how bingo was created and the ways it has changed over time.

Origins

Bingo is likely related to an Italian game from the 1530s called Lo Giuoco del Lotta D’Italia. The game became Le Lotto in the 1770s when well-to-do French people began playing. In the 1800s, German families used this game to teach their kids spelling, math, and history. 

Americans first played the current version of bingo, which was first called beano, at a county fair in Atlanta in the early 1920s. Players marked numbered cards with beans and hoped they had the same number as the discs the dealer selected from a cigar box.

Winners yelled beano to indicate the end of the game. A toy salesman named Edwin S. Lowe misinterpreted beano as bingo, changing the name. 

Evolution 

Lowe worked with a math professor from Columbia University to create bingo cards with many combinations. The mathematician created 6,000 unique bingo cards by 1930, making the game more interesting and difficult. 

Bingo was hugely popular during World War l and ll, as British and American troops looked for distractions in boot camp or while deployed. Churches also began hosting bingo nights to raise money for causes and non-profits. Casinos soon featured bingo to provide easy games of chance.

Today

restaurantNursing homes have bingo nights that play on the nostalgia of the resident's childhood church games, offering a game that is accessible for individuals with limited mobility or memory.

Many restaurants across the country feature bingo nights to unite the local community around fun and games. Some give out prizes for winners, like gift cards or discounts. Restaurant game participants may play for the glory of knowing they’re the latest bingo champion and have to come back next week to defend their position.

 

Families looking for casual dining and friendly servers should visit Bungalow Inn. The restaurant in Lakeland, MN, hosts bingo on Saturdays and karaoke every Friday. Call (651) 436-5005 for information on their dine-in and takeout menus, featuring favorites like loaded nachos, chicken quesadillas, and charbroiled burgers.

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