A lot has been written in the press not long ago regarding the bingo industry being hurt because of the anti smoking law in England. Conditions have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big tax cuts to help keep the businesses afloat. But can the internet adaptation of this traditional game offer a lifeline, or might it never compare to its real life equivalent?
Bingo is an enduring game normally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game of late had seen a recent comeback in acceptance with younger people deciding to hit the bingo halls instead of the clubs on a Saturday night. This is all about to change with the enforcement of the cigarette ban throughout England and Wales.
No longer will players be allowed to smoke whilst dabbing numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public places will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most favorite locations where folks like to smoke.
The results of the smoking ban can already be observed in Scotland where smoking is already prohibited in the bingo parlours. Numbers have dropped and the industry is literally struggling for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Obviously they haven’t deserted this enduring game?
The answer is on the net. People are now realizing that they can wager on bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a beer and smoke and still enjoy big jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself just about perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course gambling on on the web could never replace the social aspect of heading over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of men and women the governing edicts have left a good many bingo enthusiasts with little option.