Much has been talked in the press just a while ago regarding the bingo industry being hit because of the smoking ban in Britain. Conditions have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for massive aid to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. However can the net variation of this quintessential game present a escape, or will it not compare to its real life opposite?
Bingo is an age old game generally played by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game lately had undergone a recent increase in popularity with younger members of society opting to hit the bingo halls instead of the discos on a weekend. All this is about to change with the enacting of the anti smoking law throughout England and Wales.
No longer will gamblers be permitted to smoke at the same time marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 every public place will no longer be permitted to allow smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most popular areas where players enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already not permitted in the bingo parlors. Profits have plunged and the industry is literally struggling for its life. But where did the players go? Of course they haven’t deserted this enduring game?
The answer is on the web. People know that they can bet on bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and cigarette and still have a chance at monstrous cash rewards. This is a recent development and has timed itself just about perfectly with the anti cigarette law.
Of course betting on on the web is unlikely to replace the communal portion of going down to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of players the governing edicts have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with no alternative.