While many people swear that bingo is a game of luck, I have my doubts. In the 20 years that I have been playing bingo with my family, my older sister has consistently been the winner. In fact, she’s stockpiled so many M & M’s (we don’t play for money) that she could open her own candy store. Despite the fact that I very rarely win, I love bingo. There’s something about choosing a card and covering the free spot that brings me back to my childhood in a way that I just don’t find with more competitive games. And, the best part is that people of all ages and cultures can share a game of bingo.
In fact, the game of bingo originated with an Italian lottery game called “Lo Giuoco del Lotto d’Italia” in the 16th century. Over the years, the game evolved and its popularity increased. Germans often used the game in schools as a way to teach spelling and math, a tradition that has since been brought to America. While bingo has been around for many centuries, only recently have businesses begun to realize the game’s marketing potential. And, since December is Bingo Month, I thought now would be a great time to share my love for the game, as well as a valuable lesson about promotions.
In addition to being a great way to bring family and friends together for a little healthy competition, bingo and other 
interactive games are great ways to advertise a brand. Like bingo cards, customized scratch off cards engage and excite consumers by offering them a chance to win a grand prize at essentially no expense. Scratch-off cards, which feature pre-selected numbers that are hidden behind a removable film, are cost-efficient promo products that are especially great giveaways at tradeshows.
You can customize the cards with your company’s name and logo and have each card contain a small prize, such as merchandise or service discount. Hand out the cards at the tradeshow entrance and increase your traffic by telling winners to claim their prize at your booth. Or for improved Internet sales, allow winners to redeem their prize only by visiting your Web site. Any way you choose to utilize scratch off cards, you will surely hit the jackpot for your marketing campaign.