Much has been stated in the press recently regarding the bingo industry being hurt because of the cigarette ban in Britain. Conditions have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive tax cuts to help keep the businesses alive. But will the internet variation of this traditional game offer a salvation, or will it never compare to its real life kin?
Bingo is an classic game usually played by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game recently had witnessed a recent increase in acceptance with younger men and women opting to visit the bingo parlours instead of the bars on a weekend. All this is about to be destroyed with the enacting of the smoking ban all over UK.
Players will no longer be able to smoke whilst marking off their numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public places will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most favorite places where folks enjoy smoking.
The effects of the anti cigarette law can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already barred in the bingo parlours. Numbers have plunged and the industry is beyond a doubt struggling for its life. But where have the players gone? Surely they haven’t deserted this established game?
The answer is on the net. People know that they can wager on bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and cigarette and still enjoy monstrous cash rewards. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course gambling on on the web is unlikely to replace the communal part of going down to the bingo hall, but for a group of people the rules have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with no choice.