A lot has been talked in the papers not long ago about the bingo industry being hurt as a consequence of the anti cigarette law in the UK. Conditions have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested big tax cuts to assist in keeping the businesses alive. However will the online adaptation of this quintessential game offer a lifeline, or might it never compare to its land based relative?
Bingo is an classic game historically enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game lately had undergone a recent comeback in acceptance with younger people deciding to go to the bingo halls instead of the bars on a weekend. This is all about to change with the enforcement of the cigarette ban all over Britain.
No longer will gamblers be able to smoke at the same time dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public places will not be permitted to allow smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most popular locations where many people like to puff on cigarettes.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be felt in Scotland where smoking is already not allowed in the bingo halls. Players have plunged and the industry is literally fighting for its life. But where have the players gone? Of course they haven’t forgotten this enduring game?
The answer is online. People know that they can bet on bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a drink and cigarette and still have a chance at huge cash rewards. This is a recent development and has happened just about perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course betting on on the internet is unlikely to replace the social portion of heading down to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of people the law has left a lot of bingo players with no alternative.