A lot has been reported in the press recently regarding the bingo industry singing the blues as a consequence of the anti cigarette law in Britain. Things have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for big tax cuts to help keep the businesses alive. However can the web variation of this classic game provide a escape, or might it never compare to its real life relative?
Bingo has been an familiar game usually enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game recently had experienced a recent comeback in acceptance with younger members of society opting to visit the bingo parlours rather than the discos on a Friday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the enforcement of the cigarette ban throughout United Kingdom.
Players will no longer be able to smoke while marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 every public area will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most favorite areas where many people enjoy smoking.
The effects of the anti cigarette law can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already banned in the bingo halls. Numbers have dropped and the business is literally fighting for its life. But where did all the players go? Of course they haven’t given up on this age old game?
The answer is on the net. Players are now realizing that they can wager on bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a cocktail and fag and in the end, have a chance at big cash rewards. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the anti smoking law.
Of course betting on on the net could never replace the communal aspect of heading over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of people the law has left a good many bingo enthusiasts with little choice.