Much has been talked in the press recently about the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the anti cigarette law in England. Things have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big tax cuts to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. However does the net adaptation of this classic game present a salvation, or will it in no way compare to its real life equivalent?
Bingo has been an age old game usually played by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game recently had seen a recent resurgence in acceptance with younger people opting to visit the bingo parlours rather than the bars on a Saturday night. All this is about to change with the legislating of the smoking ban all over UK.
Players will no longer be permitted to puff on cigarettes whilst marking off their numbers. From the summer of ‘07 every public place will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most favorite places where players like to puff on cigarettes.
The outcome of the anti cigarette law can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already banned in the bingo parlors. Profits have plummeted and the business is beyond a doubt fighting for its life. But where did all the players go? Certainly they haven’t abandoned this enduring game?
The answer is on the web. Gamblers know that they can wager on bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a drink and smoke and in the end, have a chance at huge jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has happened just about perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course gambling on on the internet is unlikely to replace the collective aspect of going over to the bingo hall, but for a group of men and women the rules have left many bingo players with no alternative.