Much has been talked in the papers just a while ago about the bingo industry being hurt because of the smoking ban in Britain. Conditions have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested huge tax cuts to assist in keeping the industry afloat. But can the online version of this quintessential game provide a escape, or might it never compare to its land based equivalent?
Bingo has been an established game usually enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game recently had seen a recent increase in acceptance with younger men and women opting to visit the bingo parlours instead of the bars on a weekend. This is all about to be reversed with the introduction of the smoking ban all over Britain.
No longer will gamblers be permitted to puff on cigarettes whilst dabbing numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 every public place will not be allowed to permit smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most favored areas where people like to puff on cigarettes.
The effects of the cigarette ban can already be observed in Scotland where smoking is already forbidden in the bingo parlours. Players have dropped and the business is beyond a doubt fighting for its life. But where did all the players go? Surely they have not given up on this enduring game?
The answer is online. Gamblers realise that they can participate in bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a beverage and cigarette and in the end, enjoy huge jackpots. This is a recent development and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course playing on the web could never replace the collective portion of heading over to the bingo parlor, but for a group of players the governing edicts have left many bingo enthusiasts with no alternative.