Photograph

Hugh J. Ward is credited with the standardization of the American game Bingo, in the 1920s. Begun then as a carnival amusement, Bingo travelled to New York and eventually the rest of the nation. Often played today by not-for-profit charitable agencies such as churches, Bingo is also played in legal casinos and on Native American owned properties. Bingo continues to evolve, as new ways to win and new bigger jackpot prizes develop. The game lends its name to lottery scratch-off tickets as well. Savvy players such as the 1970s group of ladies pictured here play multiple cards at a time to multiply their chances of winning.