Much has been written in the papers not long ago regarding the bingo industry being hurt because of the cigarette ban in Britain. Things have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive aid to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. But can the internet version of this traditional game provide a reprieve, or will it in no way compare to its bricks and mortar peer?
Bingo has been an familiar game usually enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game of late had undergone a recent return in appeal with younger people opting to visit the bingo parlors in place of the discos on a weekend. All this is about to be destroyed with the legislating of the cigarette ban around UK.
No longer will gamblers be allowed to smoke whilst marking numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 every public area will not be allowed to permit smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most popular locations where folks like to puff on cigarettes.
The outcome of the anti smoking law can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already not permitted in the bingo halls. Players have plummeted and the industry is literally struggling for its life. But where have all the players gone? Of course they haven’t deserted this familiar game?
The answer is on the net. Gamblers know that they can gamble on bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a drink and cig and in the end, have a chance at huge cash rewards. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened almost perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course wagering on on the internet is unlikely to replace the communal portion of going over to the bingo parlor, but for a group of people the law has left many bingo enthusiasts with no alternative.