An abundance has been stated in the press just a while ago regarding the bingo industry struggling as a consequence of the cigarette ban in Britain. Things have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for massive tax cuts to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. However will the online version of this classic game offer a lifeline, or will it in no way compare to its bricks and mortar relative?
Bingo is an ancient game generally played by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game recently had seen a recent resurgence in acceptance with younger people deciding to go to the bingo parlours instead of the clubs on a weekend. All this is about to change with the legislating of the smoking ban all over UK.
Players will no longer be able to puff on cigarettes while marking numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 all public places will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most favorite areas where people enjoy smoking.
The results of the cigarette ban can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already barred in the bingo parlours. Numbers have plummeted and the business is beyond a doubt fighting for its life. But where did the players go? Certainly they haven’t abandoned this ancient game?
The answer is on the internet. Gamblers know that they can bet on bingo from their computer while enjoying a beverage and smoke and still enjoy massive jackpots. This is a recent development and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course wagering on on the internet will never replace the communal part of going over to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of players the law has left a good many bingo players with no choice.