Bingo news
Missouri Reaches 25th Year of Legal Bingo
In 1981 the Missouri General Assembly legalized bingo, as most of the populace was forced to go to Illinois or other bordering states to enjoy a bingo game, since then the cry of bingo callers has resounded across the State.
It's been perceived that only those people like droputs, housewives, senior citizens and the like are interested in bingo, while in fact professionals, top students and teens are playing bingo.
To be fair, bingo dates back to almost 500 years ago and did not just pop out of the woodworks. It can trace its origins to Italy around the year 1530 from a state-owned lottery called Lo Giuoco del Lotto D'Italia. This was exported to France in the late 1700s as Le Lotto in a form similar to the bingo we know today. Germany used bingo as a teaching device in the 1800s.
Modern bingo traces its origins in America to 1929 and from a game called beano which was very similar to the versions of bingo in Italy and France. A carnival in Atlanta had the opportunity to witness it played for the first time on American soil. A player yelled "beano" when he filled a row. Bingo got its new name when an excited player managed to garble beano into bingo, and the name stuck.
All of the bad happenings that opponents of bingo have predicted did not happen. The "worst" thing that happened were some heated arguments between veteran players and newbies.
Whatever the opponents of bingo think of it, every bingo games' revenue goes to charitable causes so whatever money a player spends in a game, it goes to help people who are less fortunate.
So it is only right to do so that people, whether pro or anti bingo. remember the anniversary of this game and give importance to this 25th year anniversary, a milestone indeed. Legalizing bingo is a good decision and was one of the most important legislation.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Karen Jacobs