A lot has been written in the papers not long ago concerning the bingo industry struggling because of the anti cigarette law in England. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big aid to assist in keeping the businesses alive. However does the net version of this quintessential game offer a reprieve, or might it not compare to its land based equivalent?
Bingo has been an enduring game historically enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game lately had undergone a recent increase in acceptance with younger members of society opting to go to the bingo halls instead of the bars on a Saturday night. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the introduction of the smoking ban across United Kingdom.
No longer will players be permitted to puff on cigarettes at the same time dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 all public places will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most common areas where folks enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the anti cigarette law can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already prohibited in the bingo halls. Players have plummeted and the business is literally fighting for its life. But where did the players go? Certainly they haven’t abandoned this classic game?
The answer is on the web. Gamblers realise that they can gamble on bingo from their computer while enjoying a drink and fag and still enjoy massive cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course gambling on online could never replace the communal part of going over to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of players the governing edicts have left a good many bingo players with no choice.