BINGO

We lift the lid on one of Britain's most popular leisure activities

- STEVE CAIN

THE HISTORY OF BINGO

The origins of bingo can be traced right back to Renaissance Italy. In 1530, an amusing game of chance, Il Giuoco del Lotto d'Italia, captivated the masses. By 1778, the game had become prevalent in France, where it was called Le Lotto.

It's thought that bingo was first introduced here in the early 1800s. But it was only in the 20th century that it took off, becoming a popular form of entertainment for troops in both the First and Second World Wars. Because it was illegal to play for money, the prizes were practical items such as boot polish or hair cream.

Afterwards, in the post-war period, bingo became popular in British holiday camps such as Butlin's and Pontins. It was prohibited for the camps to profit from the game, so most of the winnings were given to charity. Butlin's alone was donating £50,000 a year from its bingo sessions in the 1950s.

However, it was about to become even more widespread. When the popularisation of television in the 1950s led to a decline in cinema attendances, Eric Morley, of the Mecca leisure organisation, began buying empty cinemas all over Britain and reopening them as bingo halls. By 1966, an incredible 24% of the British population regularly played bingo.