The popularity of bingo gaming in South Africa

Online gaming is popular all over the world. It’s the biggest form of entertainment and it just keeps on getting more and more popular. One of the most popular forms of entertainment are bingo sites and they have really gained popularity in South Africa.

We’ll be looking into the history of bingo and what makes it so popular in South Africa.

History of bingo

Bingo is a lot older than you might have originally thought. Although it’s disputed as to the exact date that it started, it’s most likely to have been created in Italy. It was actually formed as a spin off of the lottery and its original name is of Italian origin.

The original name, before it was called bingo, was Lo Giuoco del Lotto d’Italia or the Italian national lottery. It might not seem like these games are related when we take them at face value, but they do have similarities.

If you were to have a random bunch of numbers selected on your lottery ticket instead of choosing your own, it would look a lot like a bingo card. When you play bingo, all of the numbers on your card are selected at random so they are actually a very similar game. 

This was way back in 1530 and bingo has only gotten more popular since then. As it travelled through Europe, it gained more and more fans. It spread into the UK and other European countries by the 18th century and was mostly played by common people. 

This was unusual for games as they tended to be played by people in the nobility who had time and money to spare. But the normal people played for everyday items such as food or utensils. This made it a popular game for anyone to play. 

As people started venturing further overseas, it eventually made its way over to America. During World War I, it was often played by fighter pilots who had learned the game from their British friends. This is where the game’s name changed to ‘bingo’ as this was a phrase used when an enemy plane was shot down. 

Bingo has always been popular in the UK, but the turning point was in the 1960s when the Betting and Gambling Act was passed through Parliament. This legalised large cash prizes which meant that bingo halls started springing up all over the country.

Therefore the age of the bingo hall began and every town in the UK ended up being incomplete without a bingo hall. It became a popular game to play with everyone, but especially with women who were typically not casino goers. This gave them their own game to play without having to step foot in a casino.

Africa was the last continent to jump on the bingo train as it didn’t make it over in the same way as the others. It was only when online gaming started becoming a big hit that the game made its way over to the African continent. 

But once it made its way over, it became one of the most popular games to play. Just like everyone else, people across Africa, and especially those in South Africa, fell in love with the game of bingo. 

What is it about bingo that South Africans love so much? We’ll be investigating why the game is so popular there. 

Why is bingo so popular in South Africa? 

• Easy to play

Bingo is one of the easiest games for people to play so it’s no surprise it’s so popular. Lots of people prefer to play games that aren’t too complex with lots of rules to remember. 

All you have to do in bingo is match the numbers that are called with the numbers on your card, so it couldn’t be more simple. It’s also a very social game to play, even when you play online which is another reason the game is so popular. 

• Play from anywhere

As there aren’t a lot of bingo halls in South Africa, playing online means that it’s easy for everyone to play. There’s no need to travel and waste time and money in doing so. The only thing you need to do is log on to your favourite site or app in order to play.

• Online promotions 

Online promotions are another reason bingo is so popular in South Africa. As there are lots of online bingo sites, they’re all competing for players. The one way they can make themselves stand out from the crowd is through promotional deals. 

This means that players get more for their money and the online bingo sites manage to get the customers they need. It’s a win-win for everyone involved – and is another reason South Africans love playing online bingo.

What are the reasons you love playing bingo online?