An abundance has been stated in the press just a while ago about the bingo industry singing the blues because of the anti cigarette law in England. Things have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive aid to help keep the businesses afloat. But does the web version of this classic game provide a lifeline, or will it never compare to its bricks and mortar relative?
Bingo is an familiar game usually played by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game of late had experienced a recent return in appeal with younger members of society opting to visit the bingo parlours instead of the discos on a Saturday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the introduction of the cigarette ban all over UK.
No longer will enthusiasts be permitted to puff on cigarettes at the same time marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 every public place will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most popular places where people like to puff on cigarettes.
The effects of the smoking ban can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already not permitted in the bingo halls. Profits have dropped and the business is beyond a doubt struggling for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Surely they have not abandoned this classic game?
The answer is on the internet. People know that they can play bingo from their computer while enjoying a drink and fag and in the end, enjoy monstrous cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself almost perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course gambling on on the net can never replace the social part of going over to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of players the law has left a good many bingo enthusiasts with little choice.