A lot has been stated in the press just a while ago about the bingo industry being hit because of the anti cigarette law in Britain. Conditions have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested huge aid to help keep the industry afloat. However does the online adaptation of this classic game offer a salvation, or might it in no way compare to its bricks and mortar peer?
Bingo is an classic game normally played by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game of late had seen a recent return in popularity with younger men and women opting to go to the bingo halls instead of the bars on a Friday night. All this is about to change with the enacting of the smoking ban throughout UK.
No longer will enthusiasts be able to puff on cigarettes while dabbing numbers. From the summer of 2007 every public location will not be allowed to permit smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most favorite locations where players like to puff on cigarettes.
The outcome of the anti smoking law can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already illegal in the bingo halls. Profits have plummeted and the industry is literally fighting for its life. But where have all the players gone? Surely they haven’t cast aside this established game?
The answer is online. Gamblers are now realizing that they can wager on bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a cocktail and cigarette and still have a chance at huge jackpots. This is a recent development and has happened just about perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course playing online will never replace the social part of heading down to the bingo parlour, but for a group of players the governing edicts have left a number of bingo players with little option.