A lot has been talked in the papers recently concerning the bingo industry being hurt as a result of the anti smoking law in England. Things have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive aid to assist in keeping the industry afloat. But can the internet variation of this classic game offer a reprieve, or will it in no way compare to its bricks and mortar relative?
Bingo has been an ancient game historically enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game of late had undergone a recent return in appeal with younger members of society opting to go to the bingo parlors in place of the clubs on a Saturday night. This is all about to be reversed with the enforcement of the anti smoking law all over Britain.
Players will no longer be allowed to smoke whilst marking off their numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 every public place will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most favorite places where people like to smoke.
The results of the cigarette ban can already be felt in Scotland where smoking is already not allowed in the bingo halls. Players have plunged and the industry is literally struggling for its life. But where have the players gone? Of course they haven’t cast aside this ancient game?
The answer is online. People realize that they can wager on bingo using their computer while enjoying a cocktail and fag and in the end, have a chance at big cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself just about perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course betting on on the web will never replace the collective portion of going over to the bingo parlour, but for a group of men and women the rules have left a number of bingo players with little alternative.