Bingo has quite a lengthy history. It’s suggested that the game originated in Italy at the beginning of the 16th century. By the 18th century, the game’s evolved to more closely resemble the modern version, and as such became quite a hit among the wealthy Frenchmen.
Today, the game enjoys quite a loyal fanbase and is played by millions around the world. Online bingo is quickly growing in popularity among the younger generations and even attracting countless older fans.
With such a long history, it doesn’t come as a surprise that there are numerous bingo records you might not have heard of so, let’s take a look at some of the more interesting ones.
The biggest bingo event (game) in the world
When most people think of bingo, it’s usually a quiet Sunday game night at church that comes to mind. A few dozen people, everyone having a lovely, peaceful evening.
So, when you hear about a big bingo event, you likely envision a slightly larger charity event held in a school gym. Maybe about a hundred or so parents, teachers, and locals.
However, the largest ever bingo event held involved exactly 70,080 participants. To put that into perspective, the average school stadium has a capacity of only a few thousand. The largest NBA arena, United Center, can seat only 20,917 spectators.
The largest bingo event was held on December 2nd, 2006, in Bogotá, Colombia. Organized by Almacenes Exito S.A., this bingo game entered the Guinness World Records.
The largest prize ever
Many prizes in bingo games can be quite appealing. The winners could often get a few hundred dollars, maybe a valuable gift card, or a piece of new tech. It’s these prizes that make the game worth playing.
But, since it’s challenging to skill up and get better at bingo and similar games, you’ll often find amazing prizes for the winners. They’re virtually unachievable, so game organizers don’t have much to lose.
Luckily, fortune is sometimes on the player’s side, and huge winnings are possible in a bingo game.
The largest prize ever won in a classic bingo game was worth £1.1m. The winner was 53-year-old Christine Bradfield. The game was organized at the Castle Club in Merthyr Tydfil (UK), and it proved to be a life-changing experience for Christine.
As far as online bingo is concerned, the largest prize belongs to John Orchard. He spent only 30p to join a game of online bingo and won an astonishing £5.9 million.
The largest bingo card ever
It’s strange to think that a record may be broken for the size of the bingo card, but that’s exactly what happened at Gila River Hotels & Casinos – Lone Butte in Chandler, Arizona.
On April 25th, 2019, the record was broken for the largest bingo card that measured 37.16 m² (400 ft²). The card entered the Guinness World Records with ease.
To put the size of this card into perspective, the standard bingo card has five blocks and measures a measly 4.5 inches by 3.5 inches (∼11.5 cm by 7.6 cm).
The largest bingo ball
Gila River Hotels & Casinos – Lone Butte didn’t stop at creating just the largest bingo card ever on April 25th, 2019. No, they also went and made the largest bingo ball ever. The largest bingo ball measures an astonishing 4 ft in diameter (121.92 cm). The standard bingo ball measures only 1.4 inches in diameter (3.81 cm).
The bingo game at Gila River Hotels & Casinos must’ve been quite an event to witness. With the huge card and the largest bingo balls ever, it was a sight to behold.
The fastest jackpot ever
Bingo is a game that can end up lasting a while. A single game could go anywhere from a few minutes if there are only a few participants to well over a few hours with more people. And there’s always a chance that no one’s going to hit the jackpot.
But regardless of whether it’s a game of skill or a game of chance, luck plays a big part in bingo and similar games.
One lucky player succeeded in winning the bingo jackpot in only 23 calls. Darryl Howe won £18,000 just 40 minutes after creating his first account on William Hill. Although this happened all the way back in 2010, this record has yet to be broken.
Final thoughts
All these records serve to show that bingo, whether offline or online, is quite an exciting game. With luck on your side, anything could happen.
Story by Alex Walker
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