A lot has been written in the press recently regarding the bingo industry being hurt because of the anti cigarette law in the UK. Things have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive aid to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. However does the web version of this classic game provide a salvation, or will it never compare to its land based peer?
Bingo has been an familiar game historically played by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game lately had seen a recent return in acceptance with younger people opting to go to the bingo parlours in place of the clubs on a Saturday night. All this is about to change with the enacting of the cigarette ban around United Kingdom.
No more will gamblers be able to smoke at the same time dabbing numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public places will not be permitted to allow smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most favored places where players enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the anti smoking law can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already prohibited in the bingo halls. Profits have plunged and the industry is beyond a doubt fighting for its life. But where have the players gone? Certainly they have not forgotten this established game?
The answer is on the internet. People realise that they can bet on bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and smoke and still enjoy huge jackpots. This is a recent development and has happened almost perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course gambling on on the web is unlikely to replace the collective part of heading down to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of people the rules have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with no alternative.