A lot has been talked in the papers recently regarding the bingo industry being hurt as a result of the cigarette ban in Britain. Things have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested big tax cuts to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. But will the internet variation of this quintessential game present a escape, or will it not compare to its land based opposite?
Bingo has been an enduring game generally played by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game lately had undergone a recent increase in acceptance with younger members of society opting to visit the bingo parlors in place of the bars on a Friday night. This is all about to change with the enforcement of the anti smoking law all over United Kingdom.
No more will gamblers be able to puff on cigarettes while marking off their numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 every public area will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most favorite places where many people enjoy smoking.
The effects of the anti smoking law can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already prohibited in the bingo parlours. Numbers have plunged and the industry is absolutely struggling for its life. But where have the players gone? Of course they have not deserted this ancient game?
The answer is online. People know that they can gamble on bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a drink and cigarette and in the end, have a chance at monstrous cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself just about perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course wagering on on the internet is unlikely to replace the social aspect of heading down to the bingo hall, but for a group of men and women the rules have left a good many bingo players with no option.