A lot has been reported in the press not long ago regarding the bingo industry singing the blues as a consequence of the anti smoking law in England. Things have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for big tax breaks to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. However does the internet adaptation of this quintessential game offer a escape, or will it not compare to its bricks and mortar kin?
Bingo is an ancient game generally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game lately had experienced a recent comeback in acceptance with younger people opting to visit the bingo parlours rather than the clubs on a Friday night. All this is about to change with the introduction of the cigarette ban around UK.
Players will no longer be allowed to puff on cigarettes whilst marking numbers. From the summer of ‘07 every public area will no longer be permitted to allow smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most favored areas where many people enjoy smoking.
The results of the cigarette ban can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already not permitted in the bingo halls. Players have plummeted and the business is absolutely fighting for its life. But where have the players gone? Certainly they haven’t abandoned this established game?
The answer is on the web. Players realise that they can participate in bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a drink and cig and still have a chance at huge jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the anti smoking law.
Of course betting on on the internet is unlikely to replace the social aspect of heading over to the bingo parlour, but for a group of men and women the rules have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with little choice.