Robert Snowden started Bingo Bugle in 1980 to serve the needs of charitable bingo organizations, Native American bingo and other gaming establishments. The first newspaper was published in 1980, serving the Tacoma, Washington, area. Each newspaper contains news and feature stories about bingo and related topics, as well as ads for games. Bingo Bugle newspapers are read throughout North America. By 2000, the paper's circulation had surpassed 1 million.