History of Bunco
Bunco was originally "8-Dice cloth", a dice game in 18th-century England. It was imported to San Francisco as a gambling activity in 1855, where it gave its name to gambling parlors, or Bunco parlors, and more generally to any swindle. After the Civil War the game evolved to a popular parlor game. During the 1920s and Prohibition, Bunco was re-popularized as a gambling game, often associated with a speakeasy. Law-enforcement groups raiding these parlors came to be known as "Bunco squads". Bunco as a family game saw a resurgence in popularity in the 1980s.

 

Renewed popularity of Bunco
Although re-released in 2005 with a tagline reading "The game that's sweeping the nation," sales were initially low though senior citizens and young adults alike have found interest in the game.
In the early 21st century, the game has seen a resurgence in popularity in the United States, with a reported 27 million people playing regularly in 2006.

Bunco is very popular particularly among middle-aged housewives. As it is played today, Bunco is a social dice game involving 100% luck and no skill (there are no decisions to be made), scoring and a simple set of rules. Women who are part of a Bunco club take turns as the Bunco hostess, providing snacks, refreshments and the tables to set up the games. The hostess may also provide a door prize. Small amounts of money can be involved as well. The object of the game is to accumulate points and to roll certain combinations. The winners get prizes (provided by the hostess or pooled from the club resources) for accomplishments such as the highest score, the lowest score, or the most buncos. Prizes frequently center on themes associated with the game such as fancy dice, dice embedded in soap, t-shirts featuring illustrations of dice, etc.

Bunco fundraisers have become increasingly popular over the years, earning large sums for a wide variety of charities. Large groups of Bunco players have come together to support their favorite charities by paying an entry fee into the game, holding silent auctions, and by selling raffle tickets; with all proceeds from the event donated to the cause.

Also, young adults use Bunco as a framework for social drinking. In some circles, Bunco gatherings may jokingly be referred to as Drunko to reflect this tendency.

In 2010, a new online implementation of Bunco named Bunco Blast was launched on Facebook.

In November of 2010, an iPhone app was developed on iTunes to keep score of Bunco called "Buncolator".