An abundance has been stated in the papers recently about the bingo industry singing the blues as a consequence of the smoking ban in the UK. Conditions have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive aid to assist in keeping the industry afloat. However can the web adaptation of this classic game offer a lifeline, or might it not compare to its bricks and mortar kin?
Bingo is an ancient game generally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. However the game of late had witnessed a recent increase in appeal with younger men and women deciding to go to the bingo parlours instead of the discos on a Saturday night. All this is about to be reversed with the enacting of the smoking ban all over England and Wales.
Players will no longer be allowed to smoke whilst marking off their numbers. From the summer of 2007 all public locations will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most favored places where many people enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already illegal in the bingo halls. Numbers have plummeted and the industry is absolutely fighting for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Of course they haven’t cast aside this established game?
The answer is on the web. Gamblers realise that they can bet on bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a cocktail and smoke and in the end, have a chance at huge jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti smoking law.
Of course playing online could never replace the social part of going over to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of men and women the rules have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with little option.