Much has been reported in the papers just a while ago about the bingo industry struggling as a result of the smoking ban in the UK. Things have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested huge aid to help keep the industry afloat. However can the online variation of this quintessential game provide a salvation, or will it in no way compare to its land based equivalent?
Bingo is an enduring game normally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. However the game of late had witnessed a recent return in appeal with younger men and women deciding to go to the bingo parlours in place of the bars on a Saturday night. All this is about to be destroyed with the introduction of the smoking ban around UK.
No longer will enthusiasts be allowed to smoke while marking numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 all public locations will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most favored places where players like to puff on cigarettes.
The effects of the anti cigarette law can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already forbidden in the bingo parlors. Profits have plummeted and the industry is literally struggling for its life. But where did the players go? Certainly they have not cast aside this familiar game?
The answer is online. Gamblers realise that they can gamble on bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a drink and smoke and in the end, enjoy massive jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti smoking law.
Of course gambling on on the internet will never replace the collective part of going down to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of men and women the rules have left many bingo enthusiasts with no choice.