A lot has been reported in the papers not long ago about the bingo industry being hurt because of the anti smoking law in England. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive aid to assist in keeping the industry alive. But does the internet version of this classic game present a salvation, or will it not compare to its real life kin?
Bingo is an familiar game usually enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game of late had seen a recent return in popularity with younger people opting to visit the bingo halls rather than the bars on a Saturday night. All this is about to be destroyed with the enforcement of the cigarette ban all over UK.
No more will players be permitted to puff on cigarettes whilst marking off their 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, which are possibly the most popular locations where people enjoy smoking.
The effects of the smoking ban can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already prohibited in the bingo parlours. Players have plummeted and the industry is beyond a doubt struggling for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Certainly they haven’t cast aside this established game?
The answer is on the web. Players are now realizing that they can gamble on bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a beer and fag and still have a chance at big cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself almost perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course gambling on online will never replace the social aspect of going over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of people the law has left a number of bingo players with little alternative.