Much has been reported in the press not long ago concerning the bingo industry singing the blues as a consequence of the anti smoking law in the United Kingdom. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive aid to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. But does the internet version of this traditional game provide a salvation, or might it not compare to its bricks and mortar relative?
Bingo has been an established game usually played by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game recently had seen a recent return in appeal with younger members of society opting to visit the bingo parlors instead of the discos on a Saturday night. This is all about to be reversed with the introduction of the smoking ban across United Kingdom.
No longer will gamblers be able to smoke at the same time marking off their numbers. From the summer of ‘07 every public area will not be permitted to allow smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most favorite areas where players like to puff on cigarettes.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo parlors. Players have plunged and the business is absolutely struggling for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Of course they have not abandoned this ancient game?
The answer is on the net. Gamblers realize that they can bet on bingo from their computer while enjoying a beverage and cig and in the end, have a chance at big cash rewards. This is a recent development and has timed itself just about perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course wagering on on the web is unlikely to replace the communal portion of going down to the bingo parlour, but for a group of people the rules have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with no alternative.