Much has been talked in the press just a while ago concerning the bingo industry being hit as a result of the smoking ban in the UK. Things have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for big tax breaks to help keep the industry alive. But will the web adaptation of this classic game present a escape, or might it never compare to its bricks and mortar kin?
Bingo has been an enduring game normally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. However the game lately had undergone a recent return in popularity with younger men and women deciding to visit the bingo halls rather than the discos on a weekend. This is all about to change with the legislating of the cigarette ban throughout United Kingdom.
No longer will gamblers be permitted to smoke while marking numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 all public areas will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most favored places where players enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the anti cigarette law can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo parlours. Profits have plummeted and the industry is beyond a doubt struggling for its life. But where have all the players gone? Surely they haven’t given up on this enduring game?
The answer is on the net. Players know that they can bet on bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a beer and smoke and in the end, have a chance at big jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself almost perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course gambling on on the internet is unlikely to replace the collective part of heading over to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of players the law has left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with little choice.