An abundance has been reported in the press recently concerning the bingo industry being hit as a consequence of the smoking ban in the United Kingdom. Things have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested big tax cuts to help keep the industry alive. But does the internet version of this traditional game provide a salvation, or will it not compare to its real life relative?
Bingo has been an enduring game usually played by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game lately had undergone a recent comeback in acceptance with younger members of society opting to go to the bingo halls instead of the clubs on a weekend. This is all about to be reversed with the enacting of the anti cigarette law across Britain.
No more will gamblers be allowed to puff on cigarettes while marking off their numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 every public location will not be allowed to permit smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most favorite places where players like to smoke.
The results of the cigarette ban can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already banned in the bingo parlors. Players have dropped and the business is literally fighting for its life. But where have all the players gone? Of course they have not abandoned this ancient game?
The answer is on the internet. People realise that they can participate in bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a beer and cigarette and in the end, have a chance at massive jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself almost perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course wagering on on the web is unlikely to replace the communal aspect of heading down to the bingo parlour, but for a group of people the law has left a good many bingo enthusiasts with little alternative.