An abundance has been talked in the papers not long ago about the bingo industry singing the blues as a consequence of the smoking ban in England. Conditions have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded huge aid to assist in keeping the businesses alive. However does the online version of this traditional game offer a salvation, or will it never compare to its real life opposite?
Bingo is an established game usually enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game of late had witnessed a recent increase in appeal with younger people deciding to visit the bingo parlors instead of the clubs on a weekend. All this is about to change with the enforcement of the anti cigarette law across UK.
Players will no longer be allowed to puff on cigarettes while marking numbers. From the summer of 2007 all public areas will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most popular locations where folks enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the smoking ban can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo parlours. Players have plunged and the industry is literally fighting for its life. But where have all the players gone? Of course they haven’t deserted this ancient game?
The answer is online. People are now realizing that they can bet on bingo using their computer while enjoying a cocktail and smoke and in the end, have a chance at massive prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has happened just about perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course playing on the net is unlikely to replace the social part of heading down to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of people the governing edicts have left many bingo enthusiasts with little option.