Bingo facts for kids
Bingo, also known as Housie, is a fun game where players match numbers called out with numbers on their special cards. When a player gets a winning pattern, they shout "BINGO!" or "HOUSE!" so everyone knows they've won!
Contents
The Story of Bingo
Bingo started a long time ago in Italy, back in the 1500s. It came from an Italian lottery game called Il Gioco del Lotto d'Italia. Over time, this exciting game traveled to other countries. It became popular in France, where rich people played it as "Le Lotto." From there, it spread across Europe and eventually became popular all around the world.
How to Play Bingo in the UK
In the United Kingdom, players use a special card with 27 squares. These squares are arranged in 3 rows and 9 columns. Out of these, 15 squares have numbers between 1 and 90. Each row has 5 numbers. To win, a player must be the first to mark all 5 numbers in one line. Another way to win is by marking all 15 numbers on their card. This is often called a "full house."
Bingo Cards in the UK
Bingo cards are usually printed in strips of six. A full strip of six cards has every number from 1 to 90. In the past, many players bought only four cards, which meant two cards were often not used. To reduce waste, a company found a way to print strips of 12 cards. This made sure that any six tickets would still have all the numbers from 1 to 90.
UK Bingo Rules
In the UK, there are rules about prize money. All the money collected from selling bingo tickets must be given back to players as prizes. However, a bingo club owner can charge a small fee to enter the club or a "participation fee" to play the game.
How to Play Bingo in the US
In the United States, Bingo is played a bit differently. A group of people play together, and everyone has their own cards and small tokens. When a number is called out, if you have that number on your card, you place a token on it. The first person to make a line of 5 tokens wins the game. This line can be straight up or down, across, or even diagonally. Winners usually receive prizes.
See also
In Spanish: Bingo (desambiguación) para niños
