A lot has been talked in the press recently concerning the bingo industry singing the blues because of the anti smoking law in the United Kingdom. Conditions have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive aid to assist in keeping the businesses from going bankrupt. However can the net variation of this quintessential game provide a salvation, or will it never compare to its land based equivalent?
Bingo is an enduring game usually played by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game of late had witnessed a recent return in popularity with younger members of society opting to go to the bingo halls in place of the bars on a weekend. This is all about to change with the legislating of the anti cigarette law around England and Wales.
No more will gamblers be allowed to puff on cigarettes whilst marking off their numbers. From the summer of 2007 every public area will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most common locations where people enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the anti smoking law can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already illegal in the bingo parlors. Players have plummeted and the business is absolutely fighting for its life. But where did the players go? Surely they haven’t deserted this age old game?
The answer is on the web. People realise that they can participate in bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a beverage and cigarette and still have a chance at massive prizes. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened just about perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course gambling on on the net will never replace the communal portion of going down to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of men and women the rules have left a good many bingo players with no option.