Much has been reported in the press recently about the bingo industry being hit as a result of the anti cigarette law in Britain. Things have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for huge aid to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. However does the web adaptation of this quintessential game offer a lifeline, or might it never compare to its land based kin?
Bingo is an established game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game recently had experienced a recent resurgence in popularity with younger people opting to hit the bingo parlors in place of the discos on a weekend. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the enforcement of the anti cigarette law all over Britain.
No longer will players be allowed to puff on cigarettes whilst marking numbers. From the summer of ‘07 every public area will not be allowed to permit smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most popular places where players like to smoke.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already prohibited in the bingo parlours. Profits have plummeted and the business is beyond a doubt struggling for its life. But where did the players go? Certainly they have not cast aside this enduring game?
The answer is online. Players realise that they can wager on bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a drink and cigarette and still have a chance at huge jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course gambling on on the net could never replace the communal part of going down to the bingo hall, but for a group of men and women the rules have left a good many bingo enthusiasts with little option.