Few gambling games boast an enduring presence quite like the game we call bingo. According to legend, bingo is actually an offshoot of an age-old lottery game in Italy, known as Il Giuoco del Lotto d’Italia. This chance-based game was popular in the 1500s, later moving to other European countries like France in the 1700s, where it went by the name of Le Lotto. As one might expect, this centuries-old gambling game was originally the staple of the well-heeled; aristocracy, nobility, and even royalty.