A lot has been talked in the press recently regarding the bingo industry being hit as a result of the smoking ban in the United Kingdom. Things have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for big tax cuts to help keep the industry afloat. But will the net adaptation of this classic game provide a salvation, or will it in no way compare to its land based opposite?
Bingo is an familiar game normally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game of late had experienced a recent return in appeal with younger men and women opting to hit the bingo parlours rather than the clubs on a weekend. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the introduction of the anti cigarette law throughout England and Wales.
No longer will enthusiasts be able to puff on cigarettes whilst marking off their numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 every public area will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most popular locations where folks like to smoke.
The results of the anti cigarette law can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already banned in the bingo parlors. Players have plummeted and the industry is literally fighting for its life. But where did the players go? Certainly they haven’t cast aside this established game?
The answer is on the internet. Gamblers realize that they can participate in bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and cig and still have a chance at big jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course gambling on on the internet is unlikely to replace the social part of going over to the bingo parlour, but for a group of players the governing edicts have left many bingo enthusiasts with little option.