Much has been reported in the papers not long ago regarding the bingo industry being hurt as a result of the anti smoking law in England. Conditions have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive aid to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. However can the internet version of this classic game offer a reprieve, or will it in no way compare to its real life peer?
Bingo is an enduring game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game lately had seen a recent increase in acceptance with younger men and women deciding to hit the bingo parlours instead of the bars on a Saturday night. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the legislating of the smoking ban across England and Wales.
No more will gamblers be permitted to puff on cigarettes at the same time marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public locations will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most favored locations where folks like to smoke.
The outcome of the anti smoking law can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo parlors. Players have plummeted and the industry is literally fighting for its life. But where did all the players go? Surely they have not given up on this enduring game?
The answer is on the internet. People are now realizing that they can play bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a beer and cigarette and still enjoy massive jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course gambling on on the web is unlikely to replace the social part of going down to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of men and women the rules have left a lot of bingo players with no choice.