BINGO BONANZA

u3a Bromley is holding its first ever Bingo event on 9th September 6-8pm.  Open to members, who can also bring a partner or friend. Online booking.

How Bingo Reached Britain
Bingo’s British story starts well before the modern bingo hall. In the Elizabethan era, lotteries were usually for the wealthy, while Tudor ale houses gave lower-income players a chance to try simple wagers. By the early 1700s, British women were gathering to gamble for low stakes and relatively high prizes.

Another influence came from the Royal Navy, where a tombola game was legalised on ships from around 1880. Around 20 years later, at the turn of the century, British Army soldiers were playing a rudimentary version known as “house”.

The game also had a place in churches and charities, where it was used to raise funds and was often referred to as tombola rather than bingo. Through the First World War and beyond, that social and fundraising role helped the game take root in Britain.

The Gaming Act of 1968 changed the landscape. By largely restricting gaming to public places, it created room for clubs to host public bingo games with generous cash prizes, and that pushed the game into a new phase of popularity.