FROM BEANO TO BINGO:
Lowe was spellbound by Beano and knew that there was something so special about this unique numbers game. The recent stock market crash had sent the U.S plummeting into the Great Depression. But even so, Americans wanted something to entertain themselves - an inexpensive diversion from the tough and depressive economic times. Returning to New York, Lowe purchased Beano supplies, including rubber number stamps and dried beans. He devised his own Beano rules and created and created randomly numbered cards using numbers ranging from 1 to 75.

To test the game, Lowe invited his friends to his New York City apartment. He hosted and was the caller for weekly Beano games. To his delight, his friends exhibited the same excitement that he had seen among the Beano players at the carnival in Georgia.



Lowe was encouraged by his friends' reaction, but he thought that the game needed a catchier name than Beano. An alternative came to him by chance. At a game session one night, a woman got so excited when her last number was called that she inadvertently blurted out "BINGO!" instead of "BEANO!" Lowe was elated. Thanks to his friends' slip of tongue, the game acquired the moniker we know today - BINGO.

TO BE CONTINUED...