Much has been written in the papers just a while ago regarding the bingo industry being hurt because of the anti cigarette law in the UK. Conditions have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for huge tax breaks to assist in keeping the businesses from going bankrupt. But will the online adaptation of this quintessential game offer a salvation, or will it in no way compare to its bricks and mortar peer?
Bingo is an enduring game generally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game recently had witnessed a recent comeback in acceptance with younger people opting to hit the bingo halls instead of the clubs on a weekend. All this is about to be reversed with the introduction of the smoking ban all over Britain.
Players will no longer be allowed to smoke whilst dabbing numbers. From the summer of 2007 every public place will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most favorite locations where people enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the anti smoking law can already be felt in Scotland where smoking is already banned in the bingo parlors. Numbers have plummeted and the business is beyond a doubt fighting for its life. But where have the players gone? Surely they haven’t forgotten this established game?
The answer is on the internet. Gamblers are now realizing that they can participate in bingo using their computer while enjoying a beverage and smoke and in the end, enjoy huge jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself just about perfectly with the anti cigarette law.
Of course betting on on the internet is unlikely to replace the collective aspect of going over to the bingo parlour, but for a group of men and women the governing edicts have left many bingo players with no choice.