Much has been written in the papers not long ago regarding the bingo industry struggling as a consequence of the anti cigarette law in Britain. Things have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for huge tax cuts to assist in keeping the industry alive. However does the net adaptation of this traditional game offer a lifeline, or will it never compare to its real life relative?
Bingo has been an familiar game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game recently had undergone a recent increase in appeal with younger people deciding to go to the bingo halls in place of the discos on a Friday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the enacting of the anti smoking law across England and Wales.
No longer will players be allowed to smoke while marking off their numbers. From the summer of 2007 all public locations will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most favored locations where people enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the anti smoking law can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already prohibited in the bingo halls. Players have plummeted and the industry is literally struggling for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Certainly they haven’t deserted this age old game?
The answer is on the internet. Gamblers know that they can participate in bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a cocktail and smoke and in the end, have a chance at massive jackpots. This is a recent development and has timed itself just about perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course gambling on on the web can never replace the social aspect of heading over to the bingo parlor, but for a group of players the governing edicts have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with no choice.