An abundance has been stated in the papers not long ago about the bingo industry singing the blues as a consequence of the anti smoking law in Britain. Conditions have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive tax breaks to help keep the businesses alive. However will the net variation of this traditional game present a escape, or will it in no way compare to its bricks and mortar opposite?
Bingo is an classic game normally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game of late had undergone a recent comeback in appeal 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 reversed with the enacting of the smoking ban all over England and Wales.
No longer will enthusiasts be allowed to puff on cigarettes whilst marking numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 all public locations will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most popular areas where people enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the anti smoking law can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already illegal in the bingo parlours. Numbers have plunged and the business is literally fighting for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Certainly they haven’t cast aside this familiar game?
The answer is on the internet. Players realize that they can bet on bingo in front of their computer at the same time enjoying a beer and smoke and in the end, have a chance at monstrous prizes. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself just about perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course betting on on the internet is unlikely to replace the social part of going over to the bingo parlor, but for a group of men and women the rules have left a number of bingo players with no choice.