States limited the number of games that could be conducted, and the maximum jackpots offered, in an effort to keep the gambling low stakes.īut in the 1970s, several Indian tribes started offering jackpots as high as $50,000. While most states remained opposed to legalizing gambling, many permitted gambling run by religious or charitable organizations.

The game’s popularity soared as the Great Depression took hold across the United States. Toy salesman Edwin Lowe sat in on a Florida beano game in 1929 he was so impressed that he took it back to New York City, renamed it bingo, and started selling sets of cards.