The word “bingo” may spark memories of a winning shout at a church basement or fire hall, but the game’s story begins nearly 500 years ago.

In 1530, Italians gathered weekly to play Il Gioco del Lotto d’Italia, a lottery still played today. By the 1700s, the game had spread to France, where aristocrats played Le Lotto on numbered cards. A century later in Germany, teachers used similar games to help children learn math and spelling.

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