Much has been stated in the press recently about the bingo industry being hurt because of the anti cigarette law in the United Kingdom. Things have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested huge aid to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. However can the net adaptation of this traditional game offer a lifeline, or might it not compare to its land based peer?
Bingo is an familiar game usually enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game lately had witnessed a recent resurgence in acceptance with younger men and women opting to go to the bingo parlours instead of the discos on a weekend. This is all about to be destroyed with the legislating of the cigarette ban throughout United Kingdom.
Players will no longer be permitted to puff on cigarettes whilst marking off their numbers. From the summer of ‘07 every public place will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most popular areas where many people like to smoke.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already not permitted in the bingo parlours. Profits have dropped and the industry is literally fighting for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Surely they haven’t given up on this age old game?
The answer is online. People know that they can play bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a drink and cig and still enjoy big prizes. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course playing on the internet is unlikely to replace the social aspect of heading down to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of players the governing edicts have left a number of bingo players with no choice.