An abundance has been talked in the press just a while ago about the bingo industry being hurt because of the anti cigarette law in the UK. Conditions have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for huge aid to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. However can the net adaptation of this traditional game offer a escape, or might it not compare to its real life opposite?
Bingo is an age old game generally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game of late had witnessed a recent return in appeal with younger men and women opting to hit the bingo parlors instead of the clubs on a Saturday night. All this is about to be destroyed with the enacting of the anti smoking law throughout England and Wales.
Players will no longer be allowed to puff on cigarettes while marking numbers. From the summer of ‘07 every public area will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most popular areas where players like to smoke.
The results of the anti smoking law can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo halls. Numbers have plunged and the industry is absolutely fighting for its life. But where have all the players gone? Surely they have not given up on this ancient game?
The answer is online. Players realize that they can enjoy bingo using their computer while enjoying a beverage and smoke and still enjoy huge cash rewards. This is a recent development and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course gambling on on the internet is unlikely to replace the social portion of heading over to the bingo parlor, but for a group of people the law has left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with no choice.