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History Of Bingo Games
If youre a fan of little bits of trivia, or a fan of bingo, or both, you might be interested in learning a little bit about the origins of bingo and its evolution into the games we know today. This article takes a look at important events in bingo history, purely for your entertainment.
The origins of bingo. Bingo can be traced to Italy, where it began in the 16th century. The date given for the first ever bingo game is sometime in the 1530s, played in a weekly Italian tournament called Lo Giuocu del Lotto del DItalia. This game is still played every Saturday in Italy. The first bingo game was the 90 ball variety instead of the 75 ball variety we play in North America.
The game was eventually picked up by the French, who perhaps believed that the name gave a little too much glamour to the actual game because they shortened it to Le Lotto. It was widely played among wealthy Frenchman from 1779 onward.
The Germans take Le Lotto to a whole new level. The educational potential of bingo was first realized by teachers in Germany, who began using the game to teach children basic concepts in math, spelling and history. By this point in bingo history, the game had spread throughout most of continental Europe.
Bingo comes to North America. Bingo didnt take root in North America until the early 20th century. It was commonly played at county fairs across the United States, and the first known game was played at a carnival in Atlanta in 1929. Beans were used as markers in the early stages, and so the game was known as Beano. This changed in New York when someone playing the game yelled Bingo instead of Beano and was overheard by a toy salesman. Edwin Lowe heard the accident, developed the game as a toy with the new phrase, and the phenomenon was born.
An important part of bingo history is the games continued role as a fundraiser for many different organizations, including churches and charities. An interesting piece of bingo trivia is that the game first gained widespread popularity after it began to be played in churches. Today, the game is played in casinos, churches, bingo halls, at schools, and online. The simplicity and the social aspect of bingo mean that it will always be a popular game all over the world.
Powerball Welcomes Florida
Powerball Welcomes Florida
It’s official! Florida will now be joining the states that offer their citizens the opportunity to play the Powerball Lottery. The number of states offering Powerball now stands at 32 states including, Arizona Lottery, Colorado Lottery, Connecticut Lottery, D.C. Lottery (District of Columbia), Delaware Lottery, Idaho Lottery, Hoosier Lottery (Indiana), Iowa Lottery, Kansas Lottery, Kentucky lottery, Louisiana Lottery Corporation, Maine Lottery, Minnesota State Lottery, Missouri Lottery, Montana Lottery, Nebraska Lottery, New Hampshire Lottery Commission, New Mexico Lottery, North Carolina Education Lottery, North Dakota Lottery, Oklahoma Lottery, Oregon Lottery, Pennsylvania Lottery, Rhode Island Lottery, South Carolina Education Lottery, South Dakota Lottery, Tennessee Education Lottery, Virgin Islands Lottery, Vermont Lottery, Wisconsin Lottery, and the West Virginia Lottery.
The addition of Florida means bigger jackpots and slightly altered odds. Players will actually have a better chance of winning smaller prizes according to the North Carolina lottery. Many new features have been added including changes in white and red ball numbers. White balls will now be numbered 55 to 59 while the number of red balls , the Powerball , a player can select will be reduced from 42 to 39. Odds of winning will now be 1 in 195 million and the odds of winning one of the many smaller prizes will improve to 1 in 35.
Other changes include,
1. The starting jackpot will be $20 million instead of $15 million.
2. Reduced odds will add an additional 3 million prizes.
3. The ticket price will remain the same and there will still be 9 ways to win. The power play option will be continued for an additional $1 and will be offering a random multiplier of 2X, 3X, 4X or 5X for all cash prizes won on the bottom seven prize levels.
4. The multiplier does not apply to the jackpot or 2nd prize.
5. The second tier Match 5 win now has a guaranteed $1 million prize when you purchase Power Play and match all five white balls. This $1 million prize will be paid in cash, in one lump sum less Federal and State withholdings.
The new Powerball game is expected to start in January of 2009. This is great news for lottery players nationwide and welcome Florida Powerball!
Several states now offer both Powerball and Mega Millions. States hard hit by the recession are looking for new ways to boost lagging ticket sales. Several states are exploring the possibility of allowing players to purchase lottery tickets on the internet. Most lottery experts agree that the merging of traditional lottery games with 21st century technology would be a wise move for state lotteries across the country.