A lot has been reported in the press recently concerning the bingo industry being hurt because of the smoking ban in Britain. Things have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive aid to assist in keeping the industry afloat. But can the online adaptation of this traditional game offer a reprieve, or will it not compare to its land based opposite?
Bingo has been an established game historically enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game of late had experienced a recent return in appeal with younger men and women opting to visit the bingo parlours instead of the clubs on a Saturday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the enforcement of the smoking ban throughout United Kingdom.
No longer will gamblers be allowed to puff on cigarettes while marking numbers. From the summer of 2007 every public location will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most common areas where people like to smoke.
The outcome of the anti cigarette law can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already barred in the bingo parlors. Players have dropped and the business is literally fighting for its life. But where have the players gone? Certainly they have not given up on this age old game?
The answer is on the web. Gamblers realise that they can play bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a beverage and cigarette and in the end, enjoy huge prizes. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself just about perfectly with the anti cigarette law.
Of course playing on the internet is unlikely to replace the social aspect of heading over to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of people the law has left a good many bingo enthusiasts with little alternative.