A lot has been talked in the papers just a while ago regarding the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the anti cigarette law in Britain. Things have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive tax breaks to assist in keeping the businesses from going bankrupt. However does the net version of this quintessential game provide a lifeline, or might it never compare to its bricks and mortar opposite?
Bingo is an enduring game historically enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game of late had undergone a recent return in acceptance with younger people opting to visit the bingo parlors instead of the clubs on a Friday night. This is all about to be destroyed with the enacting of the anti smoking law all over United Kingdom.
No more will players be allowed to puff on cigarettes whilst marking numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 every public area will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most favorite locations where many people like to smoke.
The results of the smoking ban can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo parlors. Players have plunged and the industry is literally fighting for its life. But where did the players go? Of course they have not cast aside this established game?
The answer is on the net. People are now realizing that they can participate in bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a beer and smoke and in the end, enjoy big cash rewards. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself almost perfectly with the anti cigarette law.
Of course betting on online can never replace the social aspect of going down to the bingo parlor, but for a group of people the governing edicts have left many bingo enthusiasts with no alternative.