A lot has been stated in the papers not long ago regarding the bingo industry being hit because of the smoking ban in Britain. Things have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for huge tax cuts to help keep the industry alive. But will the online adaptation of this traditional game provide a escape, or will it in no way compare to its bricks and mortar opposite?
Bingo has been an classic game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game lately had experienced a recent comeback in popularity with younger people opting to go to the bingo parlors rather than the bars on a Saturday night. This is all about to be reversed with the enacting of the anti cigarette law all over Britain.
No longer will enthusiasts be able to puff on cigarettes while dabbing numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 all public places will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most favored locations where folks like to puff on cigarettes.
The outcome of the anti cigarette law can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already banned in the bingo parlours. Profits have plunged and the industry is beyond a doubt struggling for its life. But where have the players gone? Certainly they have not given up on this age old game?
The answer is online. Players know that they can enjoy bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a drink and smoke and in the end, have a chance at massive prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course wagering on online could never replace the social part of going down to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of men and women the law has left a lot of bingo players with no alternative.