Bingo is a game played with cards of 5 X 5 grids with 25 numbers. Players mark their spaces when the caller picks a number at random. It is often used to earn money for charitable organizations and has internet gambling sites. Lotto is similar but numbers don’t have to form a line. In Scrabble, using all seven tiles in a word is a bingo.
Bingo is a game often played with large numbers of people in halls or other venues. People get or buy cards of 5 X 5 grids that have 25 total numbers on them. Each section of the grid has a number which is usually associated with letters that run across the top of the grid. A caller draws cards or uses balls to pick each number at random. Players mark their spaces if they have the letter/number combination on their grid. The object of the game is to be the first to get five numbers in a row, horizontally, vertically or diagonally. When a person hits five numbers, they shout “BINGO” and can be rewarded with prizes or cash, or just the satisfaction of winning.
While it can be played as a game for children, bingo is much more common as a gambling game used to earn money for charitable organizations. Many churches offer bingo nights once a week, and some players attend them more religiously than they do Sunday services. People often buy more than one grid for each game to increase their chances of winning. In this setting, winners usually receive money if they are the first to get a bingo and can call it before anyone else does.
Since bingo is a popular game, there are now numerous internet gambling sites offering some variations of the game. These games may include automated features, which mark cards when numbers appear on screen. Some dedicated players who enjoy the social nature of bingo nights find the internet versions a poor substitute.
Types of bingo have been played since the 16th century and have also spawned the lotto. Unlike bingo, lotto numbers don’t have to form a line on any sort of grid for people to win. Most lotto players win simply by calling all the lotto numbers.
Within the game, there is another definition of bingo. In Scrabble, when a player is able to use all seven tiles in a word, he’s scored a bingo. Finding one and being able to spell more of these words during games of Scrabble significantly increases a player’s score, as each is awarded an additional 50 points.
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