An abundance has been stated in the press just a while ago regarding the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the anti cigarette law in the United Kingdom. Things have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for massive aid to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. But can the online variation of this quintessential game present a escape, or will it never compare to its bricks and mortar opposite?
Bingo is an age old game normally played by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game lately had undergone a recent resurgence in appeal with younger members of society opting to hit the bingo halls instead of the clubs on a Saturday night. All this is about to be reversed with the enacting of the anti cigarette law across United Kingdom.
No more will players be able to puff on cigarettes while dabbing numbers. From the summer of ‘07 every public area will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most common areas where players like to puff on cigarettes.
The effects of the anti cigarette law can already be felt in Scotland where smoking is already forbidden in the bingo parlours. Players have dropped and the industry is literally fighting for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Surely they haven’t given up on this familiar game?
The answer is online. Players realize that they can enjoy bingo from their computer while enjoying a beverage and cigarette and still have a chance at massive prizes. This is a recent development and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course betting on on the net is unlikely to replace the collective portion of going down to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of people the law has left a good many bingo players with no choice.