A lot has been reported in the papers recently concerning the bingo industry singing the blues as a consequence of the smoking ban in the UK. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for huge tax cuts to assist in keeping the businesses afloat. However can the web variation of this classic game provide a salvation, or might it never compare to its land based opposite?
Bingo is an enduring game normally played by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game recently had undergone a recent increase in acceptance with younger members of society deciding to visit the bingo halls instead of the discos on a Friday night. This is all about to be destroyed with the enacting of the anti smoking law all over Britain.
No more will gamblers be permitted to puff on cigarettes while dabbing numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 every public area will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most favorite areas where players like to puff on cigarettes.
The outcome of the smoking ban can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already banned in the bingo halls. Players have dropped and the business is beyond a doubt fighting for to stay alive. But where have all the players gone? Obviously they have not abandoned this enduring game?
The answer is on the net. Gamblers are now realizing that they can wager on bingo in front of their computer at the same time enjoying a drink and cig and still have a chance at massive jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself just about perfectly with the anti cigarette law.
Of course betting on on the net is unlikely to replace the communal part of going over to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of men and women the rules have left many bingo enthusiasts with little alternative.