A lot has been written in the papers just a while ago about the bingo industry being hit because of the cigarette ban in England. Conditions have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive tax breaks to help keep the industry alive. However does the online adaptation of this quintessential game present a reprieve, or will it in no way compare to its real life peer?
Bingo is an classic game historically played by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game lately had undergone a recent resurgence in popularity with younger members of society opting to go to the bingo parlors in place of the clubs on a Friday night. This is all about to be destroyed with the enforcement of the smoking ban all over Britain.
Players will no longer be allowed to puff on cigarettes whilst marking numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 every public area will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most popular places where players like to puff on cigarettes.
The effects of the cigarette ban can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already banned in the bingo parlours. Players have dropped and the business is beyond a doubt struggling for its life. But where have the players gone? Certainly they have not given up on this enduring game?
The answer is on the net. People are now realizing that they can participate in bingo using their computer while enjoying a beverage and cigarette and in the end, enjoy monstrous cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course wagering on online will never replace the collective portion of heading over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of men and women the governing edicts have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with no option.