Much has been written in the press just a while ago about the bingo industry being hurt as a consequence of the smoking ban in Britain. Things have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for huge aid to help keep the industry alive. However will the web variation of this classic game provide a lifeline, or will it not compare to its real life equivalent?
Bingo has been an age old game generally played by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game recently had undergone a recent comeback in popularity with younger people opting to visit the bingo halls rather than the clubs on a Friday night. All this is about to be reversed with the introduction of the cigarette ban around England and Wales.
No more will gamblers be allowed to smoke while marking off their numbers. From the summer of 2007 every public place will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most common places where folks like to puff on cigarettes.
The effects of the anti smoking law can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo parlours. Players have plummeted and the industry is literally fighting for its life. But where have the players gone? Obviously they haven’t abandoned this ancient game?
The answer is online. People realize that they can bet on bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a beverage and fag and still enjoy massive jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has happened almost perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course playing on the web can never replace the social aspect of going over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of players the rules have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with little option.