Much has been written in the papers just a while ago concerning the bingo industry being hit as a result of the anti cigarette law in England. Things have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for huge tax breaks to assist in keeping the businesses alive. But can the online variation of this classic game present a lifeline, or might it not compare to its bricks and mortar kin?
Bingo has been an established game normally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game recently had experienced a recent increase in popularity with younger men and women deciding to go to the bingo halls in place of the clubs on a Friday night. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the legislating of the anti smoking law throughout England and Wales.
No longer will enthusiasts be allowed to puff on cigarettes while marking numbers. From the summer of 2007 all public places will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most favorite locations where players enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the smoking ban can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already barred in the bingo halls. Numbers have dropped and the industry is absolutely fighting for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Surely they have not cast aside this ancient game?
The answer is on the internet. Players realise that they can wager on bingo using their computer while enjoying a beer and smoke and still have a chance at big prizes. This is a recent development and has timed itself just about perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course wagering on on the web is unlikely to replace the communal portion of going over to the bingo hall, but for a group of players the governing edicts have left a good many bingo enthusiasts with little option.