A lot has been stated in the papers not long ago about the bingo industry struggling as a consequence of the smoking ban in the United Kingdom. Conditions have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested huge tax breaks to assist in keeping the businesses from going bankrupt. But can the online version of this traditional game offer a lifeline, or will it never compare to its real life relative?
Bingo has been an enduring game historically played by the "blue haired" generation. However the game recently had seen a recent comeback in appeal with younger people opting to go to the bingo halls rather than the bars on a Saturday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the enforcement of the anti cigarette law all over England and Wales.
Players will no longer be permitted to puff on cigarettes while marking numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public areas will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most favored areas where folks like to puff on cigarettes.
The outcome of the anti cigarette law can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already prohibited in the bingo parlours. Players have plunged and the industry is literally fighting for its life. But where did all the players go? Of course they haven’t abandoned this familiar game?
The answer is on the net. Players are now realizing that they can bet on bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a cocktail and smoke and still have a chance at massive jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has happened almost perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course gambling on online could never replace the social part of going down to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of men and women the governing edicts have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with no option.