A lot has been stated in the papers recently about the bingo industry singing the blues as a consequence of the anti cigarette law in Britain. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested huge aid to assist in keeping the industry afloat. However will the online adaptation of this quintessential game provide a lifeline, or will it never compare to its real life peer?
Bingo is an enduring game normally played by the "blue haired" generation. However the game lately had witnessed a recent resurgence in appeal with younger members of society deciding to visit the bingo halls rather than the discos on a Friday night. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the legislating of the anti cigarette law around England and Wales.
No more will enthusiasts be able to smoke at the same time marking numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 all public locations will not be allowed to permit smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most favored locations where many people enjoy smoking.
The effects of the cigarette ban can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already prohibited in the bingo parlors. Numbers have dropped and the business is absolutely fighting for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Of course they have not deserted this enduring game?
The answer is on the web. Players realise that they can wager on bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a drink and smoke and still have a chance at monstrous prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself just about perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course betting on on the internet is unlikely to replace the collective aspect of going over to the bingo parlor, but for a group of people the governing edicts have left a number of bingo players with no choice.