Tombola (game)

Neapolitan tombola—today's most popular version—is thought to have originated in 1734 following the new king's decision to tax winnings of the similar game Lotto, then widely-played throughout Naples.

The player will purchase cards based on a fixed cost decided at the start of the game (usually 20c or a similar small coin).

Instead of using a drum, a guinea pig (known locally as a cuy) is let loose in a stage—that may or may not rotate—surrounded by small houses or similar objects until it is startled by its surroundings and hides in the aforementioned items.

It is what one calls the revolving lottery drum where numbered raffle tickets or balls are placed as the tambiolo spins or is manually spun and then, the winning number/s are drawn from it.

Both jueteng or wahoy/wahuy are of Hokkien Chinese origin, but the practice of using a revolving tambiolo drum ultimately comes from tómbola through Spanish, but with an -olo Italian suffix.

The carnival game consists of having all the numbers on a previously distributed card or ballot that the clerk, or fairgoer, calls out as a bingo.

In the United States, fair style fundraisers may have booths with prizes that can be won in a manner similar to UK tombola.