Much has been talked in the press not long ago concerning the bingo industry being hit as a consequence of the anti smoking law in the UK. Conditions have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big tax cuts to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. But will the web adaptation of this traditional game present a lifeline, or will it in no way compare to its real life equivalent?
Bingo is an ancient game generally played by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game recently had seen a recent increase in appeal with younger men and women deciding to visit the bingo parlours instead of the clubs on a weekend. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the introduction of the cigarette ban around United Kingdom.
Players will no longer be able to smoke while dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 all public places will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most favored locations where many people like to smoke.
The results of the anti smoking law can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already barred in the bingo halls. Players have plunged and the business is absolutely fighting for its life. But where have the players gone? Of course they haven’t abandoned this enduring game?
The answer is online. Players know that they can participate in bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a beverage and cigarette and in the end, enjoy monstrous prizes. This is a recent development and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course wagering on on the web can never replace the collective aspect of heading down to the bingo parlour, but for a group of players the rules have left many bingo players with no option.