Bingo Across Cultures: Discovering the Unique Variations Worldwide
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When you walk around the globe you’ll see different people from different cultures. There are so many differences between people that it’s hard to comprehend how it was possible to share the same planet for so long and to be so different. Distance explains a few things in this domain. At the same time, it is even weirder when you realize that different people, cultures, and civilizations share the same traits despite being separated by miles and miles of seas, mountains, and open space.
Today, we live in a globalized society. We’re more connected than ever. Thanks to the technological boom, the internet, and progress in general, you can fly from one part of the world to another in a matter of a few hours. As far as communication goes you can speak from Europe to someone in South America in real time. Cultures are blending now, more than they ever have.
Despite the most recent developments societies and civilizations shared similar traits even in ancient times. Let’s take a simple game, a pastime, as an example – bingo. This game of luck has transcendent continents, countries, civilizations, societies, and people.
It is funny when you think about it. That one such simple game can enchant people in all corners of the world. Bingos is present in Europe, Asia, North and South America, Australia, and Africa. It has roots in all parts of the world. Even stranger, it remained popular to this day despite being invented back in the 16th century in Italy. It has evolved over the decades and centuries, and today people play it differently depending on the part of the world where they live. Each culture accepted bingo and made it their own in a way. Let’s see how this game is played in different parts of the world.
Bingo in Asia
We’re going to start with Asia as it’s the world’s biggest market in so many ways. When you have two of the world’s most populated countries things will be like that. Now, you’d believe that Bingo is so popular in Asia due to its widespread popularity in China or India but you’d be wrong. This game is played the most in Japan and the Philippines.
While in the Land of The Rising Sun, the version that remained popular is the basic one with a grid of numbers being 5×5, the Philippines took things a few notches further. If you ever visit this country during one of their festivities you will encounter a unique version of bingo called Housie. If you ever visit this archipelago you must try it. It is quite a popular pastime and it’s often played at weddings and birthdays.
UK Tradition
The United Kingdom is no different from the rest of the world in this domain. Bingo was and remains popular to this day. In the UK both the live and online versions are equally popular. As far as the rules are concerned, in Great Britain they focus on a 9×3 grid and they play the traditional 90-ball bingo. Players who participate bet on a series of numbers and if and when they wrote all of their numbers the win is claimed.
But, the Brits haven’t stopped there. In addition to the traditional version of this game, they have at least two more equally popular games. They’re called the 80-ball bingo and National Bingo Game. Both are quite popular and are often played live at bingo halls. If you want to play it online you can do so at outlets such as 1xBet and other online casinos that have bingo in their catalogs.
US & Bingo Love Affair
As one could have guessed, the popularity of bingo differs between the UK and the US. Across the pond, the good old Americans love to play a 75-ball version which is played on a 5×5 grid and the goal is to mark the numbers and complete the winning pattern. Bingo is one of the most popular games in US retirement homes and among the elderly crowd. To make things more interesting they haven’t stuck to only one version of this highly popular game. In some parts of the States, you will find people enjoying the traditional UK 90-ball bingo.
What Europe Has to Say?
As we already pointed out, the birthplace of this game is Italy, Europe. Back in the day when it was invented, Italy was the land of progress, with cultural centers such as Florence brimming with new inventions in scientific and medical fields. As you can see, they created a renaissance in the way we see modern gambling. Bingo was a pioneer in so many fields, and many modern casino games are based on it. Not wanting to rely solely on the Italian invention many countries adopted and evolved the way they play bingo. For example, Spain uses a deck of cards to mark off the numbers.
In Italy, the birthplace of bingo, the game is still played with 90 balls and is commonly referred to as ‘tombola’ which is a term widely accepted in other parts of Europe such as the Balkans. Germany took things a few notches forward and they played a 75-ball version which is in their region called ‘Lotto.’ That’s another version of bingo that found its way to the Balkans where it is really popular in countries such as Serbia and Croatia. As one could guess, each country has adopted this game and has its unique version.
Online Bingo
We live in the age of the internet, and having to play online is a perk many of us have taken for granted. One of the world’s most popular pastimes is available online in so many forms. You have regular free versions and you have Bingo as a casino game. Many gambling establishments have created their versions of these popular games, so every player can find the one that suits their needs and requirements. One of the most popular versions out there is called Lucky Six. Despite the widespread possibility to play bingo online, this game remains popular as ever among players who want to play it in person.
Bottom Line
Bingo has been around for so long that it’s hard to imagine that it will ever disappear. This game has immersed itself in many cultures that can only evolve further. If you love bingo, it’s good to know that it’s here to stay the same way it was yesterday and back in the 16th century.
