A lot has been reported in the press not long ago regarding the bingo industry singing the blues as a consequence of the anti cigarette law in the UK. Conditions have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for big tax cuts to help keep the businesses afloat. However does the web variation of this traditional game offer a escape, or will it never compare to its real life opposite?
Bingo has been an enduring game normally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game of late had seen a recent return in acceptance with younger people opting to hit the bingo halls instead of the clubs on a weekend. All this is about to change with the legislating of the anti cigarette law around UK.
Players will no longer be allowed to puff on cigarettes whilst dabbing numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 every public location will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most favorite locations where many people enjoy smoking.
The results of the anti cigarette law can already be felt in Scotland where smoking is already illegal in the bingo parlors. Numbers have dropped and the business is beyond a doubt struggling for its life. But where have all the players gone? Obviously they haven’t deserted this classic game?
The answer is on the internet. Gamblers realize that they can bet on bingo using their computer while enjoying a beer and smoke and in the end, have a chance at massive cash rewards. This is a recent development and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course playing on the web is unlikely to replace the collective aspect of going down to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of men and women the governing edicts have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with little choice.