A lot has been stated in the press recently about the bingo industry struggling as a consequence of the smoking ban in England. Conditions have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for big tax cuts to help keep the businesses afloat. However does the web version of this classic game provide a lifeline, or will it not compare to its bricks and mortar opposite?
Bingo is an familiar game normally played by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game recently had seen a recent resurgence in popularity with younger men and women opting to visit the bingo parlors instead of the bars on a weekend. All this is about to change with the introduction of the anti smoking law across UK.
No more will players be permitted to puff on cigarettes at the same time marking numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public locations will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most favored locations where people like to smoke.
The outcome of the smoking ban can already be observed in Scotland where smoking is already prohibited in the bingo parlors. Players have plummeted and the business is literally fighting for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Surely they have not deserted this classic game?
The answer is on the internet. Players realise that they can wager on bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a beverage and cig and in the end, have a chance at monstrous cash rewards. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened almost perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course gambling on online is unlikely to replace the collective portion of heading over to the bingo parlour, but for a group of players the governing edicts have left many bingo players with no choice.