Bingo Balls

Have you ever wondered about the when and where of Bingo balls? Why they are used, their size, material, and so on? The original game of Bingo utilized number counters (numbered wooden disks) pulled from either a bag or a box, not balls spun around in a round cage. The use of number counters was part of the standard pieces when the game “Beano” reached the shores of the United States in the early 1900’s but didn’t become a national phenomenon until it was actively marketed as “Bingo” by Edwin Lowe, a toy salesman, as a fun and exciting fundraising tool for churches and local community services.

As previously mentioned, the original Bingo balls were actually wooden disks inscribed with numbers (number counters). The caller, the person in charge of running the game, would pull an individual counter from a bag, sack, or box, and call out the number etched on the disk. Whether due to efficiency, cries of cheating, or to increase fairness and transparency, the disks were replaced with wooden balls and a round cage to sort, toss, and then extrude one ball at a time without being touched by human hands. Over time, Bingo balls have gone through various changes in shape, size, and material to what are used today – plastic balls akin in size and material to ping pong balls.

Today, modern Bingo balls used in gaming halls and organizations in the U.S. generally consist of 75 balls, each with a single letter and digit marked on it indicating the number and column on the Bingo card. The number 1 through 15 fall under the letter “B”, 16 through 30 fall under the letter “I”, 31 through 45 are under the letter “N”, 46 through 60 are under the letter “G”, and numbers 61 through 75 go under the final letter “O”. In Europe, Bingo is played with 90 balls thus adding three extra numbers to each letter on a Bingo card.

Bingo balls are created in various sizes ranging from 1/2” to 1 1/2” with the numbering differing from plain solo marks to being inside a circle to engulfing the entire ball with several stampings. The standard number and letter coloring is black, however there are several colors and styles of number from which to choose. The ball colors can also vary from plain white to rainbow hues depending upon the game and personal preference.

In today’s online rendition of Bingo, the use of actual balls being drawn is replaced with computerized randomly generated numbers. The practicality of using real balls only works when the game is performed in person. As fun as online Bingo is, the thrill of hearing the roller cage twirl, a ball finally rolling out, and the caller breathlessly shouting out the number can never be duplicated via the internet. The thrill of a live audience, all playing and hoping to win is far more exhilarating; especially when someone shouts “BINGO”. The game of Bingo is always much more exciting and intriguing in its’ purest form – performed in person with a large group of Bingo fans at local halls or churches.