A lot has been stated in the press recently about the bingo industry being hurt as a result of the anti cigarette law in the UK. Things have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for huge aid to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. But does the online variation of this quintessential game provide a escape, or will it not compare to its bricks and mortar peer?
Bingo has been an established game normally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game recently had undergone a recent resurgence in popularity with younger people opting to visit the bingo halls rather than the clubs on a Saturday night. All this is about to be destroyed with the enacting of the smoking ban all over Britain.
No more will gamblers be permitted to smoke at the same time dabbing numbers. From the summer of 2007 all public areas will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most favorite locations where folks like to smoke.
The results of the smoking ban can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already not permitted in the bingo parlors. Profits have plunged and the industry is beyond a doubt struggling for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Surely they haven’t abandoned this ancient game?
The answer is on the net. Gamblers are now realizing that they can gamble on bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a beer and cig and still have a chance at big cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course playing on the web is unlikely to replace the social aspect of heading down to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of men and women the law has left many bingo players with little alternative.