A lot has been stated in the press just a while ago about the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the anti smoking law in the United Kingdom. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded huge tax cuts to help keep the industry afloat. However does the internet adaptation of this quintessential game present a lifeline, or might it in no way compare to its real life kin?
Bingo has been an enduring game historically played by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game of late had seen a recent increase in appeal with younger members of society opting to hit the bingo halls instead of the clubs on a Friday night. This is all about to be reversed with the enforcement of the cigarette ban all over UK.
Players will no longer be able to smoke while marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 every public area will not be allowed to permit smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most common locations where players like to smoke.
The effects of the anti smoking law can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo parlors. Numbers have dropped and the business is literally fighting for its life. But where did all the players go? Of course they haven’t abandoned this ancient game?
The answer is online. Gamblers know that they can participate in bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and cigarette and in the end, enjoy massive cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself just about perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course playing online could never replace the collective part of heading over to the bingo parlor, but for a group of men and women the governing edicts have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with no option.